Minicab
What it really means
A private hire car that must be BOOKED in advance (by phone or app) — it cannot legally pick you up if you hail it in the street. Never get into an unbooked car whose driver offers you a lift outside a club or station.
Context, tips & common mistakes
The legal split matters for safety: black cabs may be hailed in the street, but a minicab is only legal — and only insured for you — when pre-booked through a licensed operator. A driver loitering outside a club offering 'taxi, taxi?' is touting, which is illegal, uninsured and the single scenario police most warn night-time travellers about.
Booking through a licensed app counts as pre-booking and adds a record of the trip, driver and plate — check the car and driver match the app before getting in. Licensed vehicles display council licence discs. Agree nothing in cash 'off the meter' with strangers, share your journey with a friend late at night, and if a driver refuses the app's route or destination handling, get out somewhere busy and rebook.