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Taxi or private hire companies in the Chelmsford area

244 taxi or private hire companies have a registered office in the Chelmsford area (CM postcodes), and 58 of them were formed in 2025 or 2026. In their latest accounts, the typical one held £3,807 in cash and owed £7,246 at year end.

Companies House register, 1 September 2026, and accounts filed in the last twelve months. Compared with the official category “Taxi operation” (SIC 49320). Covers companies with a registered office in CM postcodes, including Chelmsford, Harlow.

The numbers

Taxi or private hire companies in the Chelmsford area (CM postcodes) compared with the same category across the UK. Typical figures are medians.
MeasureChelmsfordUK
Registered companies24420,081
Formed in 2025 or 202658 (24%)31%
Being struck off or in liquidation20 (8.2%)11%
Typical cash at year end£3,80759 accounts£4,852
Typical amount owed at year end£7,246128 accounts£9,535
Typical number of employees1130 accounts1

What this means if you’re starting one

Most of these businesses are run by one or two people

The typical taxi or private hire company in the Chelmsford area (CM postcodes) reports 1 employee; the top quarter has 2 or more (130 filings).

You are mostly up against owner-operators. Your own hours are likely to be your biggest cost, and the easiest one to undercount.

Cash is tight in this trade

At year end the typical taxi or private hire company in the Chelmsford area (CM postcodes) holds £3,807 in cash and owes £7,246; that cash figure is lower than 98% of UK industries.

Typical operators end the year holding less cash than they owe, so there is little slack if takings dip or a big bill lands early.

At least a quarter of these companies owe more than they own

The lowest quarter of taxi or private hire companies in the Chelmsford area (CM postcodes) report net assets of -£2,965 or less; the median is £1,481 (124 filings).

Many operators are propped up by loans, unpaid bills or money from the owner rather than by profit kept in the business. It is easy to keep going for longer than the numbers justify.

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What these figures can’t tell you

Companies are counted where their registered office is, which may be an accountant or a home address rather than a shop. Sole traders and partnerships are not on the register, and electronically filed accounts cover roughly 60–75% of accounts filed each year. The figures describe companies that exist; they cannot prove demand for your idea or predict whether it will work. How the figures are built.

Taxi or private hire in other places

Other businesses in Chelmsford

All business benchmarks in Chelmsford