Henley Regatta visitors urged not take chances with their taxi journey home

With excitement building, people coming to this year’s Henley Royal Regatta (2 to 7 July) are urged to plan their journey home in advance and not gamble with a trip in an uninsured and potentially dangerous vehicle.

The only taxis that can operate legally in Henley are hackney carriages that have been licensed by South Oxfordshire District Council and vehicles licensed to carry out pre-arranged private hire bookings.

Drivers licensed outside South Oxfordshire will be operating illegally if they attempt to ply for hire in the town and their vehicle will likely be uninsured for any journey they provide, potentially putting passengers’ safety at significant risk.

To avoid putting yourself at risk, visitors should:

Plan ahead and pre-book a vehicle from a trusted private hire operator
If flagging down or getting in a vehicle without a booking, only use vehicles displaying the official South Oxfordshire District Council roof sign and licence plate on the back of the vehicle, ideally from one of the town’s official taxi ranks (located on Hart Street and at Henley Railway Station). You should also ask the driver to show you their official South Oxfordshire issued driver badge which has their name and photo.
Never give out personal information on route – you can ask to be dropped off down the road if you don’t want to give your address.

16 taxi drivers have been prosecuted and lost their licence after being caught illegally plying for hire in Henley during the Regatta over the last three years.

Private hire drivers from outside the area are warned that they should only come to Henley to fulfil legitimate bookings made in advance. Anyone caught operating illegally will be prosecuted and face a fine of £1,000 and the prospect of losing their licence.

Vivien Williams, Interim Head of Legal and Democratic at South Oxfordshire District Council, said: ‘With thousands of visitors expected in Henley, safety is our number one priority. We want to make sure that people know where the taxi ranks are and that private hire vehicles must be booked in advance and cannot be hailed in the street.

“In recent years, we’ve prosecuted increasing number of drivers for operating illegally at the Regatta. This year, we will again be carrying out checks throughout the event and will take a zero-tolerance approach, we won’t hesitate to prosecute anyone operating illegally.’’

Rob Abell, Consumer Protection Group Manager at Reading Borough Council, said “I am delighted our Licensing Officers are once again working effectively in partnership with South Oxfordshire officers across borough boundaries to ensure consumers can safely and confidently use the legitimate taxis and pre-booked private hire vehicles that are checked, vetted and licensed to operate at this prestigious event, while keeping away those illegally plying for hire.

“We will ensure the rigorous standards are upheld and take firm action against any illegal activity by Reading Licensed vehicles at Henley this year.”

If you are concerned about a driver operating illegally at Henley Regatta, you can report it by visiting southoxon.gov.uk/TaxiComplaint