Do You Have What it Takes To Be a Taxi Driver?
7th August 2016
A professional taxi driver plays an essential part in Britain’s transport system, ensuring people get to their destination quickly and safely. Being a taxi driver is perfect if you love socialising with people, don’t want to be stuck in one location and have a passion for constantly improving your driving skills. This means that being a taxi driver is perfect for safe drivers who can plan their time well and have plenty of customer service skills.
In order to become a taxi driver, you’ll need an operator’s licence, pass criminal record checks and complete a geographical area knowledge test.
What’s involved with taxi driving?
There are a number of responsibilities you have to think about when you’re a taxi driver, including:
- Receiving incoming jobs via the radio from the operator office or the in-car computer
- Helping passengers load and unload their luggage
- Whenever necessary, help passengers get into and out of the car
- Ensure you receive the taxi fare for every journey
- Ensure your vehicle is always clean and roadworthy
As well as regular work, many taxi drivers have ‘contract work’ such as school runs. Longer distance trips, such as taking people to the next town or airport transfers, are also relatively common.
Job flexibility
One of the best things about being a taxi driver is that there’s a high level of flexibility, allowing you to choose hours that suit you. Despite this, the evenings and weekends offer the most work, particularly Friday and Saturday nights. This means that you may have to put your career first in order to make the most money.
As you’ll spend most of your time on the road, you’ll have to be able to deal with potentially heavy traffic on a regular basis.
Qualifications and experience
Whilst you don’t need any particular academic qualifications, you’ll still need to obtain an operator’s licence to become a taxi driver. Your local council’s licensing unit is responsible for these, and normally ask that you meet the following standards before handing you one:
- You’ve held a full UK or EEA driving licence for 12 months or more
- Pass a criminal record check
- Pass a medical examination
- You’re over the age of 18
- You can pass a geographical test
- Complete a driving skills assessment to a necessary level
- You’re a UK or EU citizen, or you have the right to live and work in the UK
Training and development opportunities
Some local licensing authorities offer training to help people meet their taxi licence conditions, helping you to develop things such as basic mechanics, local geography, transport law, radio procedures, disability awareness, customer care and licence applications.
Being a taxi driver is a fun and rewarding career path, especially when we work in such an interesting and historic place as Carlisle. At Carlisle Taxi Hire, we’ll get you to your destination quickly and safely.
Book your taxi in Carlisle now and call 01228 42 42 42. Alternatively book online today.
