Taxi Insurance Guides & News

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.

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 insurance specialist Patons has been recognised for winning a coveted customer service award for the third time.

The Feefo Platinum Trusted Service Award is an independent seal of excellence, which recognises businesses that consistently deliver a world-class customer experience.

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.

Patons Insurance is continuing its mission to help the taxi-driving community by making sure drivers receive the best-quality services and highest levels of support.

As part of that drive, the family-run taxi insurance broker has made key appointments this year to strengthen the company.

The pandemic put the brakes on the taxi industry and many others as lockdown and social-distancing measures continued for almost two years.

We recently shared that more people are now getting back behind the wheel of a taxi or are starting out their career as taxi drivers. And, as numbers continue to climb, interesting trends and changes have occurred which could shape the future the taxi trade.

Taxi drivers play an important role in our communities and for more than 100 years have been a convenient, reliable and safe way for people to get around.

Passengers would regularly use the same private hire taxi firms and knew where to hail a black cab if they arrived at a train or bus station or other public venue.

Some people see driverless taxis as the future, while to others, they are nothing more than a hi-tech gimmick. But ultimately, it is the passengers who will decide their fate as they have to feel safe and comfortable using the hi-tech taxi.

Whether or not the novelty wears off, there has been plenty of investment into autonomous vehicles and driverless taxis are currently being trialled in America.

We are all feeling the pinch as the cost-of-living crisis makes things more expensive for everyone, so as taxi drivers continue to operate safely on the roads, they understandably want to know why their premiums are going up for their taxi insurance.

While a clean licence and claims-free motoring help keep taxi insurance premiums low, some of the factors that affect the price are beyond the control of drivers and insurers.

The taxi industry has been severely affected by the coronavirus pandemic and taxi drivers are still counting the cost with rising fuel prices and the drive for greener vehicles.

This combination of factors means that many taxi drivers cannot afford to replace their vehicles in accordance with the terms of their license.

One of England’s oldest taxi businesses is steering its way towards an all-electric fleet of taxis.

Whiteside Taxis in St Annes on Sea started with Handsome Cabs in 1880 and has seen many changes in the years that followed. But, as with the transition from Handsome Cabs to the Hackney and private-hire taxis we are familiar with today, it did not happen overnight.

After being decimated by the pandemic, it is great news that the number of taxi drivers are increasing.

The industry was one of many that were badly affected by Covid-19 because people were not allowed to move around freely and could not come into contact with others, especially in confined spaces such as taxis.