News
More taxi drivers face five-year bans for using mobiles at the wheel
8 April 2024More taxi drivers will lose their badges for five years if they are convicted of using their mobile phone while operating their cabs as licensing authorities update their safety policies.
The latest move is part of new safety measures brought in by Sefton Council and is in addition to any punishment issued by courts. This includes the automatic six penalty points and a £200 fine all drivers face for using a hand-held phone, sat nav, tablet, or any device that can send and receive data while driving or riding a motorcycle.
Which of our top 5 cars will be your next taxi or PHV?
22 March 2024Finding the right car is the most important decision a taxi or PHV driver has to make. It is a huge investment in their business and one they must get right.
They need the right tool for the job, whether they work in busy towns and city centres or focus on longer journeys such as airport runs. Whatever they go for must be affordable and practical – and something they can trust will do the job from day one.
Taxi drivers hit out at rising licensing costs
11 March 2024Taxi drivers want a council to explain why their licensing fees – which they say are already among the highest in their region – are about to rise again when the service they receive is “appalling”.
Taxi and private hire drivers registered with Dudley Council are unhappy that their fees will increase by 2.3% from from April 1. Both taxi and PHV drivers currently pay £475 for a three-year licence, on top of their taxi insurance and rising fuel costs.
The changing face of the public-hire taxi driver
23 February 2024Becoming a London back cab driver was seen as the pinnacle of the profession, with taxi drivers proudly memorising thousands of routes around the capital before earning their coveted taxi badge.
Outside London, Hackney carriage drivers were also seen as the elite in the trade and public hire insurance allowed them to be hailed in the street or taxi rank. This set them apart from PHVs or minicabs, which could only be booked in advance under private hire insurance.
Taxi drivers get ready for new rules they protested against
12 February 2024Taxi drivers have hit out at new legislation that could cost them their licences for being late or wearing the wrong thing.
In a bid to improve safety and service, West Northamptonshire Council introduced the Private Hire and Hackney Carriage Licensing Policy 2023, which comes into effect from April 1 and includes a penalty points system.
Helping ensure every taxi business a success
26 January 2024Taxi drivers often wear several hats to run their businesses – often literally and metaphorically.
As well as being safe drivers, they have to be in charge of marketing and public relations, as well as customer services and complaints. And that’s in addition to being on top of the day-to-day needs such as finances. So for someone who earns their living as a taxi driver, it might be tempting to expand their business into similar areas, such as driving wedding cars or providing chauffeur services.