Welcome back to the blog! This month, we continue our exploration into late-nineteenth century transport by examining Cabs, specifically the fares and regulations around their hire. This is a topic close to the heart of the Bow Street Society’s driver Mr Samuel Snyder, who has been a veteran of the two-wheeler cab for decades. The position of his driver’s seat at the rear of the cab certainly comes in handy when eavesdropping on the conversations of his passengers, particularly if they’re suspects in a Bow Street Society investigation. The extract below comes from pages 44 – 45 of an original edition of Dickens’s Dictionary of London 1895.
For reference: s. = Shilling/Solidus, d. = Pence/Denarius. 12 pence equated to 1 shilling. 1 shilling approximately equates to 5 pence in modern money. A penny approximately equates to 0.416 pence in modern money.
“The cab laws of London are now, except with regard to the distinctions drawn somewhat arbitrarily here and there between four-wheelers and hansoms, very simple and easy to be remembered. The main points to bear in mind are: that luggage carried outside is always to be paid for; that hansoms though charged at the same rate as “growlers” when hired by distance—which is almost the only time when there is any particular gain in hiring them—cost 6d. an hour more when hired by time, and 8d. an hour more when standing still; that if you intend to hire a cab by the hour, you must state your intention to the driver at the time of hiring; and that you cannot make a man drive you about by the hour for more than one hour at a time.
One very important point to bear in mind is the rule which fixes the fare of a cab hired outside the four-mile circle at 1s. per mile wherever discharged. Under this rule, while the fare from the cabstand at the top of Shepherd’s Bush-gn to Victoria would be 2s., that from the middle of the green—say 50 yards farther on—would be 4s. The best plan, in most cases, is to agree with the man as to his fare beforehand. Failing this, exchange cabs when you have crossed the magic circle; or discharge and re-hire your own cab.
As for calculating fares; that must depend entirely on your own power of judging distance. Some people when in doubt take the driver’s ticket, and tell him to name his own fare; and when he is satisfied that he will be summoned if he be found to have overcharged, the plan is no doubt efficacious. A better plan is to judge by the time occupied, and it will be found that about 1d. per minute is fair to both parties. For 15 minutes 1s. 6d. should be paid, but 14 minutes may be taken to be within the 1s. This is not an official rate, but it will save trouble and generally prove right.
A hirer should always observe the number of a cab. If he leave any property in a cab he will possibly find it next day at the Lost Property Office, New Scotland-yd, when, on payment of a percentage on the estimated value as a reward to the cabman for his honesty, he can obtain it back again. The following are the fares and general regulations as laid down by the Commissioners of Police, the four-mile circle being measured from Charing [Cross]:
| s. | d. | |
| FARES BY DISTANCE. — If hired and discharged within the four-mile circle, measured from Charing [Cross], for any distance not exceeding two miles … | 1 | 0 |
| And for every additional mile or part of a mile … | 0 | 6 |
| If hired outside the four-mile circle, wherever discharged, for the first and each succeeding mile or part of a mile … | 1 | 0 |
| If hired within,but discharged outside, the four-mile circle, not exceeding one mile, 1s.; exceeding one mile, then for each mile within the circle, 6d.; and for each pile or part of a mile outside … | 1 | 0 |
| FARES BY TIME. — Inside the four-mile circle: Four-wheeled cabs, for one hour or less 2s. Two-wheeled cabs … | 2 | 6 |
| For every additional quarter of an hour or part of a quarter, four-wheeled cab, 6d.; if a two-wheeled cab … | 0 | 8 |
| If hired outside the circle, wherever discharged, for one hour or less … | 2 | 6 |
| If above one hour, then for every quarter of an hour or less … If hired within, but discharged outside, the four-mile circle, the same. | 0 | 8 |
| EXTRA PAYMENTS. — Hirers of Cabs should be particular in noticing these regulations, disputes generally arise fromt heir not being clearly understood. Whether hired by distance or by time: LUGGAGE. — For each package carried outside the carriage … | 0 | 2 |
| EXTRA PERSONS. — For each above two … For each child under 10 years old … | 0 0 | 6 3 |
| By distance—WAITING: For every 15 minutes completed, whether in one stoppage or in several stoppages: If hired within the four-mile circle, four-wheels, 6d.; two-wheels … If hired without circle, two or four wheels … | 0 0 | 8 8 |
GENERAL REGULATIONS. — Fares are according to distance or time, at the option of the hirer, expressed at the commencement of the hiring; if not otherwise expressed, the fare to be paid according to distance.
Driver, if hired by distance, is not compelled to drive more than six miles; nor, if hired by time, to drive for more than one hour.
Agreement to pay more than legal fare is not binding; any sum paid beyond the fare may be recovered back.
Driver not to charge more than the sum agreed on for driving a distance, although such distance be exceeded by the driver.
If the driver agreed beforehand to take any sum less than the proper fare, the penalty for exacting or demanding more than the sum agreed upon is 40s.
The proprietor of every hackney carriage shall keep distinctly painted, both on the inside and outside, a table of fares; and the driver shall have with him, and when required produce, the Authorised Book of Fares.
In case of any dispute between the hirer and driver, the hirer may require the driver to drive to the nearest metropolitan police-court or justice-room, when the complaint may be determined by the sitting magistrate without summons; or if no police-court or justice-room be open at the time, then to the nearest police-station, where the complaint shall be entered, and tried by the magistrate at his next sitting.
Every driver of any hackney carriage shall, when hired, deliver to the hirer a card printed according to the directions of the Commissioner of Police.
All property left in any hackney carriage shall be deposited by the driver at the nearest police-station within twenty-four hours, if not sooner claimed by the owner; such property to be returned to the person who shall prove to the satisfaction of the Commissioner of Police that the same belonged to him, on payment of all expenses incurred, and of such reasonable sum to the driver as the Commissioner shall award.”
What might’ve surprised you when reading the above, and which certainly surprised me, is how involved the Metropolitan Police and Scotland Yard were in the operating of London’s cabs. It should be noted that cab drivers, and even drivers with private employers, were required to pass a driving test of sorts under the watchful eye of a Metropolitan Police official before they could take to the road. If you enjoyed this blog, please consider subscribing to my monthly newsletter the Gaslight Gazette to be notified of new blogs, Bow Street Society book news, and more.
~T.G. Campbell, March 2026
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