Is it worth being a Minicab driver?

[J0K3R]

Looking into the rules and regs for becoming a Private Hire Driver here:

http://www.123-taxi.co.uk/guides/how_to_become_taxi_driver_in_london.html

Made me think twice about doing it. Thoughts?

 

[Chris Green]

Sounds like you've got the ideal car but have you got a bead-mat over the driver's seat? Without one of those, you're nobody.:blink1:

I guess if you're in earnest,then it would be worth going through all those hoops if only to qualify for the Congestion Charge exemption sticker.

I can't help feeling that a lot of our local minicab drivers haven't gone to these efforts, although they were trying to raise the bare minimum standards a while back. If I recall, it involved simple things like displaying a relevant insurance cover note to prove entitlement to carry paying passengers, some photgraphic ID for the driver (oh yes, and an AtoZ!)

Not sure I'd want to do local stuff, like taking people to and from a pub, laudible though that is in keeping drunks away from steering wheels, if only for the fact that you could spend the next day getting the car hosed out and a month getting rid of the smell!

 

[CitizenErazed]

whats the differance between becoming a mini cab driver and a black cab driver?

 

[HDi fun]

Black cab drivers are vastly more knowledgeable. It takes something like 3 years to qualify.

 

[obi_waynne]

I take my hat off to cabbies. They have to cope with a lot from mad old ladies to drunks vmiting in ther cars! However it is not a carreer that has even remotely appealed to me!

Didn't we vote taxi drivers among our least favourite a while back?

 

[pgarner]

nope it was tractors or caravaners.

aroud here its pretty much apply to the council, fill out a form provide driver license details and proof of insurance for buisness of taxi.
it is about £300 a year for the licence for each driver

 

[HDi fun]

The cars are subject to a rigorous MoT every three months though. The Private Hire industry has cleaned up its act enormously in recent years.

 

[pgarner]

thats something new then. her family used to run a private hire firm ( more lax than the taxis, only differnece is you cant flag a private hire down must call and book them ). seems to be alot of taxi firms opening up around here.

 

[obi_waynne]

I can't imagine this is getting any easier, and with the arrival of the App cabbies there is a lot more competition out there. Do we have any taxi drivers or former taxi drivers in our midst?

 

[T9 man]

What with the additional insurance costs and the rent they pay to the minicab company for the radio, I can't see there being a lot of money to call there own at the end of the month unless I'm missing something.

 

[st24]

It seems a lot of rules and regs.
Loads if wear on the vehicle
and long unsociable hours.
It does not look worth it to me.

 

[herb]

What with the additional insurance costs and the rent they pay to the minicab company for the radio, I can't see there being a lot of money to call there own at the end of the month unless I'm missing something.

Yep your missing the fact that a lot of cabbies share a licence/insurance between themselves!
The company pays the fees an each cabbie pays the company a fee each shift
Illegal yes but they have been getting away with it for years

 

[T9 man]

Ah ha! cheers herb, you learn something new everyday here on TC