What a dispatch system does
- A customer books by phone, website or app.
- Your dispatcher, or the system, offers the job to a free driver.
- The driver accepts in their app and drives to the pickup.
- The customer tracks the car live and pays by card or cash.
- The system saves the booking, driver, vehicle and times as a record.
UK rules that shape your choice
Private hire must be pre-booked. In England and Wales, private hire vehicles can't be hailed in the street. Every journey starts as a booking, so your dispatch system is at the centre of your operation.
You must keep booking records. Licensing authorities require operators to record each booking. Records usually include the time, pickup, destination, driver and vehicle. Check your council's or TfL's conditions for exactly what to keep and for how long.
Licences come from one authority. Your operator, driver and vehicle licences must all come from the same licensing authority. Make sure the system can store each driver's and vehicle's licence details.
Many firms run taxis and private hire. Hackney carriages can be hailed; private hire can't. If you run both, check the system handles street work and pre-booked work side by side.
Features to check
| Feature | Why it matters for UK operators |
|---|---|
| Phone, web and app bookings | Many UK customers still phone; younger ones expect an app |
| Advance and airport bookings | Pre-booked work is the core of private hire |
| Booking records and export | Your licence conditions require them |
| Driver app with job offers | Drivers accept jobs and you see who has the car |
| Live GPS tracking | Dispatchers and customers see where each car is |
| Card payments | Customers expect to pay in the app |
| Account customers | Schools, councils, hotels and companies book on account |
| Branded customer app | Repeat bookings come to you, not a marketplace |
| Reports | Trips, earnings and busy times at a glance |
How UK dispatch pricing works
Most UK dispatch systems charge per vehicle each month. That means your bill grows with every car you license.
| Pricing model | Example | What happens as you grow |
|---|---|---|
| Per vehicle per month | TaxiCaller from about $20 per vehicle; Autocab reported at about £20–40 per vehicle, with setup from about £3,000 | Goes up with every car |
| Per trip or share of fares | Some app platforms | Goes up with every booking |
| Flat yearly price | Hoppvia: $1,990/year for up to 50 drivers | Stays the same up to your plan's limit |
For more vendors and a worked example, see UK taxi dispatch system prices.
Take a 40-vehicle fleet. At £20–40 per vehicle per month, that's £9,600 to £19,200 a year before setup. Hoppvia Starter covers up to 50 drivers for $1,990 a year plus a $499 setup fee, with unlimited trips. The Autocab figures are reported estimates; ask each vendor for a written quote.
Questions to ask in a demo
- Can we take phone, web and app bookings in one place?
- Show us a booking record. Can we export them for our licensing authority?
- What happens when a driver declines or nobody accepts?
- How do account customers book and get invoiced?
- What does it cost for our fleet over three years, including setup and any per-vehicle or per-trip fees?
- Is there a minimum contract length?
Where Hoppvia fits
Hoppvia is a taxi dispatch system with branded customer and driver apps, built for operators who want a flat price. You get bookings, automatic dispatch to the nearest free driver, manual offers, live GPS tracking, card payments and trip records in one panel, under your brand. Scheduled and airport bookings and corporate accounts come with the Growth plan at $3,990 a year.
To be clear about what's not included: phone booking by IVR isn't standard, there's no partner network that sends you extra jobs, and flight tracking is an Enterprise integration. If those matter most to you, compare carefully.
See private hire booking software for UK operators and Hoppvia taxi dispatch software, compare the Autocab alternative and TaxiCaller alternative, or book a demo. Starting from scratch? Read how to start a private hire company in the UK.
Sources
- Private hire vehicle operator licence (GOV.UK)
- TaxiCaller on SourceForge, listed starting price
- Taxi dispatch software UK compared (ExpertSure), per-vehicle and contract figures
- Autocab pricing explained (TaxiCloud), per-vehicle and setup estimates from a competing vendor
- Hoppvia pricing
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Check current requirements with your licensing authority.
