Do you often find yourself wanting to find a new career where you are not stuck behind a computer screen? Or perhaps you want a job where you can work more flexible hours in order to be able to fit in more hobbies or spend time with your family. If so, driving a taxi might be a perfect choice for you. Taxi drivers can earn up to £30k a year and you also have the flexibility to choose the hours that you want to work to fit around your schedule. Keep reading to find out everything you’ll need to become a taxi driver successfully.
Choosing a Taxi Type
There are two main types of taxi. These are Hackney carriages, which can be hailed from the street or wait in taxi ranks for passengers, and private hire vehicles, which are booked by passengers in advance. There are pros and cons to driving each, so it’s worth doing some research and perhaps even talking to some experienced taxi drivers who drive both, to see which one might be the best option for you.
Getting a Taxi Licence
Before you get started with driving a taxi or a private hire vehicle, you will need to get a taxi licence. The way that you will apply for this will depend on whether you are driving inside or outside of London. Individual councils may also have their own criteria and requirements for taxi drivers, which are worth checking out. In London, you will need to apply for your licence through Transport for London. Outside of the capital, you’ll need to apply to the local council.
Driving Experience
The driving experience requirements for driving a taxi in the UK can vary across the country. In most cases, you will need to have held a full category B driving licence for no less than twelve months. In London, you will need to have held your driving licence for at least three years. Most councils require you to take an assessment test to ensure that you meet the necessary driving standards before you can get a taxi licence.
Getting Insurance
Once you have the licence, car, and everything else you need to get started as a taxi driver, you are going to need to get taxi insurance cover to make sure that you are driving legally. You won’t be covered to take passengers on your regular car insurance and taxi insurance will cover you for a wide range of risks. Ideally, you should find taxi insurance that also covers you for public liability insurance, legal assistance, and loss of earnings insurance to cover you in the event of a passenger making a claim against you or if you are unable to work for a certain period of time. You can get taxi insurance quotes from Quotezone to find a policy that works for you at a premium that fits your budget.
Working as a taxi driver is a flexible, often quite chilled job that allows you to be your own boss, see more of your area and get out of the office.
