Steps to Becoming a Taxi Driver

Taxis are everywhere in the UK, particularly in the capital city of Hull.

Black cabs have become synonymous with UK culturemany people who live in the country have considered becoming a taxi driver at some point or another.

Anyone who holds a UK driving licence can train to become a taxi driver so the barrier to entry is fairly low. However there’s more to it than meets the eye so to help you decide if it’s the right career for you, below is some very useful information.

Is the job right for you?

Before we look at the requirements for becoming a taxi driver, it’s a good idea to think about whether the job is correct for you. There are definitely a lot of pros to being a taxi driver. These include –

• You’re not sat behind a desk all day
• You get to meet a lot of new people from all walks of life
• You can make good money if you put in the hours

However it’s not all upsides. Some of the advantages of being a Hull taxi driver are –

• It can be dangerous, especially when dealing with intoxicated and/or aggressive passengers
• Taxi drivers often work long/irregular hours
• It can be very stressful, particularly when driving at busy periods of the day

Requirements

In order to drive a taxi legally in the UK, you have to meet certain requirements. One of the minimum requirements that people often wonder about is the minimum age you have to be to become a taxi driver. This will depend on which area of the country you live in. In some areas you can apply to become a taxi driver when you’re 18 but in many areas of the country, including Hull, you must be at least 21 years of age. You must also pass a medicalcomplete a driving skills assessment.

Getting insurance

Purchasing taxi insurance is a must when you work as a taxi driver. Some taxi firms might insure their own vehicles but if not, you need to take care of the insurance yourself. There are many excellent providers of taxi insurance so you shouldn’t have too much trouble finding cover at a reasonable rate.

When you drive a taxi, you need to get a special type of cover known as taxi insurance. This is because you need to cover for other potential risks that come with the job, namely public liability claims, as well as for the usual road risks, breakdowns etc.