Private-hire car (PHC / PHV)
PHC
Just Tell Me
A chauffeured private-hire car is a car booked for a driver-provided ride in Singapore; unlike a taxi, it cannot pick up passengers through street-hailing.
Also called: PHC, PHV, Private hire car, Private-hire vehicle, Private hire vehicles, Chauffeured private hire car
Explain Like I’m Five
For a ride in a private-hire car, you make a booking instead of waving the car down. Both taxis and private-hire cars can appear in booking apps, so an app booking alone does not tell you which vehicle type you are getting. Chauffeured private-hire cars display “Private Hire” decals on their front and rear windscreens.
Where You’ll Run Into It
In ride-hailing apps and LTA transport information. You may see PHC, short for private-hire car, or PHV, short for private-hire vehicle, in discussions of these cars.
Example
“I booked a private-hire car. I’ll meet the driver at the pick-up point.”
The passenger is meeting a booked ride. A private-hire car cannot take street-hail passengers or use a taxi stand for boarding and alighting.
The Part People Get Wrong
The car and the driver’s qualifications are different things. A COE concerns registering and using the vehicle; a Private Hire Car Driver’s Vocational Licence (PDVL) concerns the driver. PDVL is also different from a PDL, which is a learner driving licence.
Sources
Related
- transportCOE (Certificate of Entitlement)Updated
A COE is the Certificate of Entitlement required to register and use a vehicle in Singapore for a fixed entitlement period.
- transportLTA (Land Transport Authority)Updated
LTA is Singapore’s Land Transport Authority, which plans and develops land transport infrastructure and systems and oversees public transport.
- transportPDL (Provisional Driving Licence)Updated
A PDL is Singapore’s learner driving licence, allowing practical driving or riding lessons while you train to obtain a qualified driving licence.