From ‘TAX1’ to ‘HA11L ME’: The stories behind the UK’s top 6 private taxi registration plates
The taxi and private hire industry has hundreds of thousands of vehicles licensed across the UK, but which ones have the most unique number plates?
Let's start with the rarest vehicle registration plate in the industry. TAX1 was snapped up for a whopping £92,000 by Scottish private hire firm Capital Cars in 2019.
At the time “TAX1” was made available by a private seller who was hoping it would be sold for a price as much as £100,000 according the auction house selling the plate back in February 2019.
The plate was eventually bought by Capital Cars boss Stephen Rose for one of two new Tesla’s entering his private hire fleet.
“We see it as a long-term investment,” said Elaine Lamb of Capital Cars. “People are definitely talking about it and it’s great for business.”
The same Scottish firm also picked up another plate, “TAX15”, for a mere £38,000 for a second Tesla.
“It’s a bit tongue in cheek as well because we’re a private hire firm rather than taxis,” joked Elaine to the Edinburgh Scotsman newspaper.
Third on our list, which was spotted on a blue London licensed TX4, is “HA11L ME”. On the same line of thinking we also have the witty “T1 POK” if any passengers were ever in doubt!
It's safe to say that there's no love lost between London's iconic taxi drivers and those who work on the Uber platform. Some taxi drivers have used their licence plate registrations to display their frustrations, with one even prompting an investigation.
In early 2020 a number plate which read “K11 UBR” was spotted driving around the capital on the front and back of a licensed black cab.
London's taxi and private hire licensing authority Transport for London (TfL) promptly launched an investigation into the alleged offensive number plate. Graham Robinson, TfL’s General Manager of Taxi and Private Hire, told TaxiPoint at the time: “Having been made aware of this number plate we are now conducting an urgent investigation.”
Along the same lines “H8 UBR” was also spotted on a black cab.
For more than thirty years the DVLA have been selling unissued personalised registration plates directly and also via there official auctions. Which new private taxi licence plates will pop up next?
