Licences required by a driver-guide

Under the Private Hire Vehicles (London) Act 1998 all driver-guides operating from London require three special Private Hire (PHV) licences.

Operator's Licence
All bookings undertaken must be processed by a licensed operator. If the driver-guide does not hold a PHV operator's licence he or she may not accept bookings except from a licensed operator.
The licence under which I operate is numbered 02114 and expires on 6 March 2013

Driving Licence
All driver-guides must be in possession of a PHV driving licence. The process includes a medical examination and a police record check.
My drivers licence number is 015399/03/03. Expires 24 November 2013.

Vehicle Licence
Vehicles are inspected annually, with an MOT test every 6 months (this is a thorough inspection which includes the mechanical condition, bodywork and emissions).
My vehicle licence number is 0105175901. Expires 20 April 2012.

Copies of my PHV licences are available on request.

The credentials of London-based driver-guides can be verified on the Transport for London web site .

England and Wales
The rest of England and Wales comes under the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976. As with London, driver-guides need a PHV operator's licence to accept bookings. They need also a PHV driving licence and PHV vehicle licence

Scotland
PHV licences are not required if no more that one driver-guiding assignment per day is undertaken. However Hire and Reward (Private Hire) insurance IS required. Please be careful if you are thinking of hiring a Scottish driver-guide. I suggest that you make sure that the guide is using his or her own vehicle and that Hire and Reward insurance is in place. Some guides rent cars from a major car rental company whose offer of Hire and Reward insurance has never been supported by documentary evidence.

The best thing to do is to ask me to recommend someone.

Northern Ireland
Driver-guides in Northern Ireland do not require PHV licences, but they do require Hire & Reward (Private HIre) vehicle insurance.