Southampton Hackney Association

The Southampton Hackney Association (SHA) was established in 2001 to promote and benefit Southampton Hackney Taxi drivers in the city.

We are approved by Southampton City Council with whom we regularly consult, and are affiliated to Associated British Ports. Southampton Hackney Carriage drivers are all licensed, and regulated by Southampton City Council.

We are a multilingual organisation, interested in promoting the Hackney carriage trade in Southampton and growing our membership. All of our members are self-employed Taxi drivers.

Southampton Hackney Association is not a "taxi company", we are an Association for our member drivers.

PLEASE NOTE: we do not handle queries regarding lost property in taxis.

Hackney History - the first licensed taxi trade

In the United Kingdom, the name Hackney Carriage refers to a taxicab licensed by the local authority.

It was Oliver Cromwell in June 1654 who first licensed the taxi trade. The first hackney-carriage licenses were dated in 1662, and applied literally to horse-drawn carriages that operated as vehicles for hire.

The name ‘hackney’ was once thought to be from the French word haquenée - a horse of medium size. The Southampton Hackney Association includes a wide range of vehicles including the London Style Taxi Cab. In Southampton all Hackney carriage taxis are white.

You can find out more about the history of Hackney Carriages by visiting the London Vintage Taxi Association website.