How to Become a Taxi Driver

How to become a Taxi Driver?

So you have decided that you would like to become a Taxi Driver but how do you do it?

There are a few things you will need to do in order to become a taxi driver and unfortunately it is not as simple as sticking a taxi sign on your car and heading off to pick up passengers.

So you want to become a licensed taxi driver rather than an illegal one? Now the thing about becoming a taxi driver is that the rules are different depending on where you are in the UK. 

First you must decide which town or city you want to drive taxis within. Taxi Drivers are licensed by the local Council and each Council has their own variation on the requirements a person must meet in order to become a taxi driver. Now although there is some variation every Council follows a few basic principles  One thing that is for certain is you will need a Licence to drive a Taxi and your vehicle will need a Licence to be a Taxi (The vehicle licence is covered here). Once you have decided where you want to drive taxis the most sensible option is to contact the Local Council and ask them what to do. The next step generally includes filling out lots of forms, below are some of the forms you can expect to have to fill out.

Application form: This will include all of your standard personal details

Medical Examination by a doctor: You need to be medically safe to drive a taxi, you'll not be allowed to drive a taxi if you are blind for example.

(CRB) Criminal Records Bureau: You also need to prove that you are not going to harm your customers in anyway, sex offenders are a big No No for example.

DVLA: You will also have to prove you can legally drive the vehicle you are hoping to transporting customers in.

Knowledge Test: And finally you have to prove you understand how to be a taxi driver and that you know your way around a bit.

Once you have filled out all the forms and met with your Council you can expect to have to wait between 4 and 12 weeks. This is largely down to the time it takes for the CRB check to come back.

Your Taxi Drivers licence will be valid for 1 to 3 years and it can cost between £250 -£1000. 

So now you have your Taxi Drivers Licence what next? Will you go solo and start your own business or will you work for an existing Company? 

Stay tuned for my next Blog where we will discuss the Pro's and Con's of working for yourself.

~Taxi Blogger