FAQs

The motor insurance industry takes two main factors into account when calculating insurance premiums – the risk and the cost of paying out a claim.

We recently looked at how the soaring cost of vehicle parts was pushing up the price of repairs and making taxi insurance and other business motor insurance claims more expensive.

When taxi drivers buy a new vehicle, reliability is one of the key things they look for both for now and in the future.

But it is only when they get an expensive repair bill – on top of taxi insurance and running costs – and have to wait for their vehicle to pass its MoT retest to get it back on the road that they might question their choice of car.

Taxi drivers can ask passengers to pay their fare at any point during a journey – even before the ride has begun.

The biggest reason for this is to stop passengers leaving without paying or refusing to pay the full fare for a journey which, to be clear, is theft. They are using a service they know they have to pay for but are cheating the driver out of the rightful fare.

Taxi drivers spend most of their time in their cars which must be able to do everything they need to earn a living.

As technology improves, there are more gadgets and features to make life on the road easier and more enjoyable. So, what could you not do without in your next taxi or private hire vehicle?

Drivers who hit other vehicles and flee without reporting the damage cause huge inconvenience and expense to their innocent victims, especially if they are taxi drivers who rely on their cars to earn a living.

Damage to any vehicle is expensive to repair and being off the road causes huge disruption because it can affect livelihoods and lead to increased premiums if a claim is made.

A campaign has been launched to recruit more women taxi drivers to strengthen a city’s fleet and keep drivers safe.

There are currently 20,000 licensed taxi and private hire drivers in Wolverhampton, but only 600 of those are women.

As the government continues its drive to make towns and cities greener through schemes like clean air zones, taxi drivers who have yet to make the switch to EVs can face hefty charges to pick up fares.

Drivers in London already pay fees under the expanding ultra-low emission zones (ULEZ) in which vehicles that are not Euro 6 (diesel) and Euro 4 (petrol) compliant are charged £12.50 a day to drive within the zones.

Households are trying to find ways to reduce energy bills and the Government hailed Uber to help show people how.

We previously looked at how bespoke digital advertising could be shown to Uber riders, based on the information the company holds on passengers.

Calls are being made to stop aggression on our roads and make them safer for everyone – including taxi drivers who earn their living behind the wheel.

Whether they run black cabs or private hire vehicles and operate in busy city centres or rural surroundings, taxi drivers can experience aggressive behaviour from other drivers, as well as cyclists and pedestrians.

Running a private hire taxi is expensive but rewarding, so here are three key things that will reduce costs and help keep drivers enjoying life on the road.

The past 12 months have seen the cost of motoring soar for everyone from commuters and shoppers to taxi and lorry drivers.

A scientist has made a discovery that could keep the wheels of a car turning forever – saving taxi drivers a fortune in maintenance.

Taxi drivers work hard to maintain their vehicles so that passengers enjoy a comfortable and safe ride. But rising prices have put a squeeze on their incomes as they continue to pay for maintenance and repairs, as well as fuel and other rising running costs.

Private hire taxi driver Raymond Woods has been a Patons Insurance customer for several years and is pleased with the service he receives.

He has been a private hire driver for 10 years and knows how important having the right insurance is to protect himself and his business.