There are 2 types of taxis you’ll find on the roads – public hire taxis and private hire taxis.
Public hire taxis are those which display a ‘taxi’ sign on the vehicle and can pick up fares from the street i.e. black cabs. Private hire taxis are pre-booked in advance by phone or app, such as Uber taxis.
But which is the best option if you are thinking of becoming a taxi driver?
To help you make the right decision for you, below is a comparison of public and private hire taxis in key areas.
Table of Contents
Finding Work
In terms of finding work, it’s a bit different with public hire and private hire taxis. If you drive a private hire taxi then can work for a number of different private hire firms as well as Uber.
If you get a public hire licence then you will usually work for your local council since that’s who you’re licenced through. In either case, finding work shouldn’t be too hard once you’ve obtained the correct licence.
Getting A Licence
To work as either a private or public hire taxi driver you’ll need to have the correct taxi driver’s licence. The requirements for acquiring a licence will vary depending on the city that you want to work in.
Generally, to be eligible for either a public or private hire licence you’ll need to meet the following criteria –
- Be at least 21 years old
- Have a full UK driver’s licence
- Be eligible to work in the UK
There is almost always some kind of competence test involved too. For example if you would like to obtain a public hire taxi driver’s licence in London then you’ll need to pass the famous Knowledge test. The Knowledge requires you to have an extremely in-depth knowledge of all the streets and landmarks throughout the capital.
Getting Insurance
In order to work as a Hull taxi driver you’ll need to get your own insurance. Private hire insurance tends to be cheaper than public hire since the risks are fewer. This of course depends on other factors though, such as the value of the vehicle that’s being insured and the level of cover being taken out.
Safety
Last but not least is safety. Driving a taxi can be quite a dangerous job. Although most taxi passengers don’t cause any problems, there is always the potential to deal with difficult fares, whether it’s because a person is drunk/on drugs, aggressive or refuses to pay their fare.
Typically public hire drivers are at more risk because anybody can potentially enter one off the street. This isn’t saying that private hire taxi drivers don’t face danger too though because they do.
A good way to make your taxi safer is to install CCTV inside the cabin.