Taxi or private hire: start with how you book
If you are looking for a taxi in Brighton, check the council’s taxi rank information for current locations. Private hire journeys need to be booked through a licensed operator before travel. Via is being developed as a private hire booking platform; it does not offer rank or street-hail pickups.
Brighton Station pickups
Give your booking service a clear meeting point, your arrival time and the number of passengers. Check where your driver can legally stop, and avoid assuming a private hire car can use a taxi rank. If your train is delayed, contact the service handling your booking.
Hove, the seafront and evening journeys
Use a complete pickup address rather than only the name of a large venue. Confirm the entrance or nearby meeting point with your driver. For evening trips, check availability before relying on a specific pickup time and keep your phone charged so you can contact your booking service.
Considering Uber or a local alternative in Brighton?
When comparing Uber with local booking services, look at the actual quote, vehicle suitability, pickup arrangements, cancellation terms and current availability for your journey. A brand name alone does not tell you whether a suitable car will be available.
Via is an independent platform preparing to launch. It is not affiliated with Uber and cannot currently provide a live alternative booking. You can explore Via’s passenger demo to see the local booking experience we are developing. We make no claims about another service’s current prices or waiting times.
Wheelchair-accessible and larger vehicles
Confirm wheelchair space, access equipment, luggage and the assistance you need directly with the booking provider. A larger vehicle is not automatically wheelchair accessible. Our accessible ride plans explain Via’s aim of having no wheelchair-accessible category surcharge over Standard; actual availability and suitability must be confirmed before launch.
Before you get into a vehicle
Match the vehicle registration and driver information with your booking, and keep the booking reference available. Brighton & Hove’s public licensing register is a resource for checking council-issued licences. For an immediate emergency, call 999.
What Via is building
Our demo explores upfront journey prices, driver details, messages and journey sharing. Our planned service starts in Brighton & Hove through a licensed private hire operator, with wider BN postcode coverage as approved drivers become available. There is no announced launch date or live fleet yet.