Public Hire

Taxi drivers meet people from all walks of life and while many passengers are never seen again, some fares leave a lasting impression – and a bond that can last a lifetime.

One such bond was formed in Leeds almost a decade ago when taxi driver Manzoor Khan, known as Manny, now 66, picked up Patricia Wilde from hospital in floods of tears.

We are asked for feedback for almost every product and service we buy, and it is a vital part of being a modern taxi or private-hire driver.

Reviews of products and services help to improve standards and keep people safe. The use of taxi booking apps makes feedback important to passengers because it lets them know the experiences other fares have had with a driver.

Taxi drivers find all sorts of things in their cabs, from wallets, purses and mobile phones, to keys, jewellery and children’s toys.

Reuniting owners with their lost property isn’t always easy, especially if a taxi driver has had a busy shift and there have been several fares in and out of their cab.

Taxi drivers take great pride in keeping their cars clean and tidy so they look their best for the next fare.

But dealing with passengers in all weathers, as well as their shopping and luggage, plus heavy traffic and dirty roads, means drivers have to work even harder to keep their cabs and private hire vehicles looking spotless.

London’s famous public hire taxis have been getting greener – and now the capital’s private hire fleet is following the same route.

Since January 1, all new private hire taxis licensed for the first time must be able to operate in zero-emission mode. Vehicles that fail to meet the greener criteria will not be granted licenses.

When passengers get into a cab, they expect it to be safe, comfortable and clean – and taxi drivers have a long-standing reputation for keeping their cars spotless.

This isn’t easy, especially with the British weather and having dozens of people in and out of their cabs each day.

According to the office of national statistics, there are approximately 330,000 taxi drivers in the UK – so it is no surprise they are all flocking to price comparison websites to save money on their taxi insurance!

Just like most things in the UK, the taxi insurance market is changing.

As ambulance workers prepare for their latest industrial action, taxi drivers are once again getting ready to help the sick and injured.

Just before Christmas, the NHS was crippled by industrial action by nurses and ambulance workers which led to government warnings for people not to get drunk during the festive celebrations, and to use taxis instead of ambulances to get to hospital.

Taxi drivers who want to make the switch to electric vehicles are being hit by soaring interest rates as inflation continues to bite.

The UK taxi fleet will play a big part in cutting toxic vehicle emissions and many have already made the switch, with nearly half of London’s 15,000-strong black cab fleet now including EVs and dynamos.

London’s iconic black cabs have turned a corner and there are now more green vehicles on the capital’s roads than the traditional diesel models.

Latest figures from Transport for London reveal that 43% of London’s fleet of almost 15,000 black taxis are now LEVC TX zero-emission capable (ZEC) or electric, with 6,352 TXe and Dynamo taxis now licensed in the capital.

Taxi drivers are calling for tariffs to be increased as the cost-of-living crisis continues to put the squeeze on people’s finances.

For the past year, we have all battled with rising fuel and energy costs, which have helped push up inflation. For public hire, private hire drivers and others who earn their living on the road, there has been little choice but to take a hit at the pumps.

Black cabs are charging their taxis wirelessly as part of a trial to bring more electric vehicles into the fleet and on to our roads.

One of the biggest obstacles to using EVs in the taxi fleet is range, with public hire and private hire drivers expressing concerns that the distance they can travel before having to recharge will prevent them operating efficiently.