Chauffeur service glossary
Plain-English explanations of the terms you will come across.
- As-directed hire
- A booking where the car and chauffeur stay with you for a set number of hours, driving wherever you instruct and waiting between stops, rather than a single point-to-point journey.
- Congestion Charge
- A daily charge for driving in central London between 7am and 6pm. From January 2026 it is £18 a day, and private hire vehicles are generally not exempt.
- Dead mileage
- The distance a chauffeur has to drive without passengers, such as the return leg of a one-way long-distance trip, which is usually factored into the price.
- Drop-off charge
- A fee that airports charge each time a vehicle enters the terminal forecourt drop-off zone. In 2026 Heathrow, Gatwick and London City all charge, including for taxis and private hire cars.
- Executive saloon
- A premium four-door car, such as a Mercedes E-Class or equivalent, used for most chauffeur work. It usually seats three passengers comfortably with room for two large suitcases.
- Flight tracking
- Monitoring your flight using its flight number so that the driver's arrival at the airport follows the actual landing time, adjusting automatically for early or delayed flights.
- Free waiting time
- The period included in the price during which the driver will wait without extra charge, typically measured from landing at airports or from the booked time at addresses.
- Garage-to-garage
- A way of charging hourly hire where the time is counted from when the car leaves its base until it returns, rather than only the time spent with the passenger.
- Meet and greet
- An airport or station collection where the driver waits for you inside the arrivals hall, usually holding a name board, then walks you to the car and helps with your luggage.
- Name board
- A sign showing the passenger's name, or a discreet alternative such as a company name or reference, held by the driver at a meet and greet so the passenger can find them.
- People carrier (MPV)
- A larger vehicle, such as a Mercedes V-Class or equivalent, seating up to around seven passengers with more luggage space, often used for families, groups and cruise transfers.
- Private hire operator
- The licensed business that accepts and records bookings and dispatches drivers. In London, operators are licensed by Transport for London and every private hire journey must be booked through one.
- Private hire vehicle (PHV)
- A licensed car used for pre-booked journeys through a licensed operator. In London, chauffeur cars, minicabs and app-based rides are all private hire vehicles, unlike black cabs, which can be hailed.
- SERU
- Safety, Equality and Regulatory Understanding, a Transport for London assessment that applicants for a London private hire driver licence must pass, covering passenger safety, equality duties and the rules of private hire.
- TfL licence disc
- The licence disc displayed on the front and rear windscreens of a London licensed private hire vehicle, showing that the car is licensed by Transport for London.
Last updated 6 November 2026