Types of Taxi in Edinburgh
If you want to know the most convenient way to get around Edinburgh city centre, then it helps to understand the two main types of taxi available to hire.
As the capital of Scotland, the city of Edinburgh is extremely busy, and there are hundreds of taxis available to take you where you need to go. You may see taxis pass you by on the street – and if you try to hail them down, some of them may completely ignore you. This isn’t because they’re being rude, it’s just because they don’t have a license to pick up passengers in this way.
Private Hire Taxis: These are the taxis that can’t pick you up from the street, you just need to phone to book beforehand. In many cases, they’ll be available to pick you up within minutes of calling, or you can book in advance for a pre-arranged time.
Hackney Carriages: These are usually in the form of the black cabs you’ll see throughout Edinburgh city centre. They aren’t all black, but they will have a yellow “for hire” light, showing that they have a license to pick you up if you hail them and they’re empty.
Both types of taxi work in the same way except for how they’re allowed to pick you up. If you can, phoning a private hire taxi in advance is the most cost effective option. Both types of Edinburgh taxi will charge according to the distance travelled, but hackney carriages generally have higher rates.