Great Western Coffee Shop

I'm so glad ... but so sad ... that bus and train connection "fails" don't only exist near to home.

I'm staying away tonight .. at one of these wonderful Xxxxxx for Yyyyyyyyy stations, where Xxxxxxx wouldn't merit its own station and Yyyyyyyyyyy has a population of some 10,000.

Train pulls in ... doors take a while to release, and as I and others walk off the platform, the bus doors close and out pulls the bus.   Next one, half an hour.    A taxi's sitting there and I knock on the door and ask if he can take me; he declines as he's not allowed to ply for hire, but points out that if I were to book him through the number on the side of his vehicle ...

Well after that bloke got done stopping to pick up two guys in the pouring rain who turned out to be local authority taxi inspectors, I'm surprised he talked to you

Yatton for Clevedon.  Four buses a day (from the top of the station incline).  No taxis waiting.  Only integrated if you have a car. In other words, not only not integrated - not public transport.  :(

Pedant mode on:

Strictly speaking (or typing): he's not a taxi, he's a private hire - and there's the difference.  ::)

Pedant mode off.

The difference between 'private hire' and 'hackney' is pure protectionism on the part of the hackney, ie 'black cab', drivers.

No, it's the difference between being permitted to 'ply for hire' or not, for a taxi and a private hire, respectively.

See https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/about-tfl/what-we-do/taxi-and-private-hire  :)

Precisely. A taxi is a vehicle ^ a car ^ whose driver you pay to drive you somewhere. There is no reason, from the passenger's point of view, that you should be allowed to hire one when you see it in a convenient place but have to book another in advance. The distinction is purely because one group was jealous of its privilege and has got it enshrined in law.

Outside of London particularly in more rural areas, the licencing requirements of taxis and public hire vehicles have very little real difference apart from the 'hail' aspect. I read through the ones appropriate to my neck of the woods and the specification of what the vehicle needs to meet are exactly the same, apart from a requirement on private hire vehicles not to look confusingly like a taxi. (Taxis have requirements to make clear they are a taxi, including for available for hail indication etc.)

Private hire vehicles don't have to have a taximeter installed but can choose to do so except in London where these not allowed.