News

The great British summer; one week it’s record high temperatures the next it’s a total wash out.

Flash flooding can happen any time and anywhere thanks to rain, blocked drains, damaged water mains, tides or burst river banks. Last year, the AA rescued almost 9,000 vehicles that had driven through or were stuck in floodwater, with an estimated insurance bill of more than £34 million.

Driving a taxi in the summer is very different to being on the road in the depths of winter but it still has its challenges.

Roads are often busier, especially during school holidays, around airport approaches and popular tourist destinations. Also high temperatures can dramatically affect a vehicles performance as well as our own driving skills.

Following on from our previous blog about the implications of a no deal Brexit on 29 March and the requirement for a Green Card, there may also be a requirement to have an International Driving Permit (IDP).

There’s still a lot of uncertainty around the UK’s future relationship with the European Union after Brexit.

With negotiations continuing over the United Kingdom’s exit from the EU and no deal currently in place, there’s potential impacts for driving in the EU, one may be the requirement of a Green Card.

The Association of British Insurers (ABI), says drivers will have to act quickly to ensure they have valid insurance to drive outside the UK. 

The environmentally friendly Electric Black Cab – which can take you 80 miles on a single electric charge – will be in and around Liverpool for all to see.

As Patons provide the insurance for these electric cabs we were lucky enough to be the one of the first passengers in the back and we’re huge admirers.

Patons Insurance were extremely proud to be asked to be one of the main sponsors of the event, to support the local charity. 

Patons sponsored nearest to the pin on hole 13 and longest drive on hole 15, we are pleased to say that our very own Stephen Shearer won nearest the pin and L. Thomas & A. Allen won the longest drive. We would like to say a big thank you to all of the players.

The Danish Guarantee Fund for non-life insurance undertakings will cover some claims incurred before 5 June 2018.

On 8 May 2018, the liquidators of the insurance company Alpha Insurance A/S under frivillig likvidation (“under frivillig likvidation” means in voluntary liquidation) filed a petition for bankruptcy. This means that policyholders’ insurance coverage will be terminated as of 8 May 2018.

Over the last few months we have had our ear to the ground, speaking to taxi drivers about their experiences getting private taxi insurance and public taxi insurance. We also ran a Twitter poll that posed the question: “How do you prefer to buy your Taxi Insurance?”

We gave the options of online, over the phone or face to face, to see exactly how customers would prefer to sort out their taxi insurance with us.

It is our understanding that Danish-based insurer, Alpha Insurance, has been declared bankrupt on 8th May 2018 and as a result all current Policyholders have been urged to seek new insurance cover immediately, given all existing cover has been terminated.

We are unsure of the exact date this takes effect but we would urge any affected customer to arrange alternative cover without further delay.

Choosing taxi insurance needn’t be difficult, we have just the solution, here at Patons Insurance! Making sure that you have the appropriate cover to drive your taxi is simple with Patons; we provide insurance for all taxi drivers, regardless of whether you drive a public or private taxi.

We can help you to stay clear of any unnecessary, costly consequences by providing you with insurance advice.

Working as a taxi driver allows you a certain amount of freedom, but one thing you have no say over is the weather. Come rain or shine you need to be on the road, ferrying passengers from A to B easily and efficiently.

When the heavens decide to open, you still have to carry on, unless the weather gets so perilous that you have no other option than to stop.

Thanks to everyone who took part in our recent telematics poll. After looking at the results we are highly encouraged by the number of Taxi Drivers who are willing to use technology to improve driving and save money.