Private Hire

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 know how important it is to have the right insurance to protect their business.

By law, all cab and private hire drivers must have third-party taxi insurance as the minimum cover. This is the lowest level of insurance and means that if they at fault for a crash, the other parties involved will be covered, as well as any passengers in the cab.

Plans to give Newcastle’s black cabs a distinctive makeover have been parked for now following concerns from the city’s taxi drivers.

Newcastle City Council planned to introduce white bonnets to the city’s fleet of almost 600 public hire black taxis – to reflect Newcastle United’s famous black and white shirts – in a bid to make travelling by taxi safer for everyone.

Plans for a £36 million city-centre pedestrianisation scheme have come under fire from private hire taxi drivers who would be banned from the area, while black cabs would still be allowed to operate.

And STV News reports that Edinburgh Council could face legal action from at least one private hire boss who called the decision to ban PHVs “ludicrous”.

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?

Like several other cities, Newcastle has introduced a Clean Air Zone to cut pollution – and is offering financial assistance to help taxi drivers meet the cost of replacing older, more polluting vehicles.

The Clean Air Zone was introduced on January 30 to help to improve air quality by reducing the number of high-polluting vehicles on the roads both within the zone and in the surrounding areas.

Safety is key to the taxi fleet and there are rules in place to make sure taxi drivers are fit and proper people to pick up fares, as well as checks to ensure their vehicles are safe to carry passengers.

Whether it is a black cab or private hire vehicle, all drivers must comply in order to work in the fleet, and they must be licensed with their local authority.

Taxi drivers hear all sorts of stories about savings and pitfalls when purchasing Taxi Insurance and there’s varying degrees of truth behind them.

As with anyone who earns their living on the road, having the right insurance is not only vital to protect their business, it is also a legal requirement.

Every taxi business is different which is why an insurance broker can help drivers find the right taxi insurance for their specific needs.

Buying a taxi is a huge investment, so having the right insurance in place is vital to protect the driver in the event of a claim and to get the vehicle back on the road after an accident.

When we think of taxis, the first thing that comes to mind is usually a black cab or private hire vehicle. But what passes as a standard taxi varies depending where you are in the world.

We have recently seen some interesting articles which got us wondering what’s the wackiest taxi you’ve ever seen?

We have always been a nation of animal lovers so it should come as no surprise that there are taxi services dedicated to transporting our pets.

Whether it is a licenced breeder or an owner who can no longer look after a beloved pet, finding loving homes for them isn’t always easy.

We all know that using a mobile phone while driving a taxi is illegal, but what about eating a snack, wearing Ugg boots, or having fluffy dice hanging from the mirror?

Will sipping tea or coffee, or driving at night with the interior light on earn a taxi driver points on their licence?