Taxi Driver Online

Hi all,

I am a self employed ph driver and get my daily work off of a local minicab firm.

Another local driver was telling me to boost his income he does airport runs but privately ie. through word of mouth - he then sticks on a magnetic sign with his info on and goes onto his job.

My question is, how would I stand if I was to do this?

Like I said my daily work i recieve is through my data box, I rent my plated car which also has insurance in with the car rent for the work i do.

If i was to do 'private jobs / airport runs' what would i do to be on correct side of law.

Could i continue to rent car of the current person who supplies this as the insurance is also included in rent?

Or would I have to get my own vehicle, insurance/public liability and operators licence etc.

Please could someone help, with any relevent insurance etc i would require - I still wish to continue recieving work from the minicab company but I also wish to just be able to boost my income a bit further.

Kind regards
chris

Your current insurance should suffice, but it might be worth just telling your insurance company.

Of course you will need an operator's license, but other than that off you go.

Just for the record, why do you refer to your Private Hire operator as a mini-cab firm?

Other than from the London trade, or the thick press, I've never heard anyone call the legit PH trade minicabs.

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IDFIMH

thanks for your reply.

I called it minicab as it was just slip of the tongue, brain was not in full gear!! ha ha.

So just claryifying this - I rent my car of a guy who rents lots of vehicles to other private hire drivers and insurance is included.

But would I still need to get my own public liability as I was wondering is this included in the insurance of the car i rent or is this included in the private hire company i currently work for?

if it is the private hire company who supply the public liability if i was doing a private job for myself i would not have any public liabilty cover?

and also if i was eventually to get say a small contract with a local business to take their customers to an airpoty etc would they not require me to show them that i am fully covered on the liability side?

hope to hear back from anyone with any comments.

Thank you all
Chris.

dont you carry a copy of your insurance certificate in the car?

You and your car will be insured providing you have a operator's license from the same area as you and the car are licensed.

The firms public liability shouldn't come into it, their fleet insurance will be separate.

Does the vehicle owner mind you doing private work? And if he does why don't you just take the booking from the customers and put them through the office with your number on?

That's the way it should really happen, and then you wont need to mess around with an operator's license.

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IDFIMH

It's surprising how many councils don't insist on that.

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IDFIMH

My local council does not insist on having insurance carried in the vehicle.

Not sure if I am coming across right but the car i rent is insured but i would have thought that this is insurance only for the vehicle to be used in taxi work.

So really i am asking if i was to start doing my own pre booked jobs would i have to get my own public liability.

I am presuming that all I would have to do is the following to accept work for myself instead of going through the company i work for is this:-

1) a vehicle which is insured for private hire/taxi work.

2) an operators licence

3) public liability (for any claims which may arice if a passenger wished to claim against me).

ALSO does the usual insurance cover a private hire have cover courier type work ie. unaccompanied packages as I know the company i currently get my work load off also has on their price chart prices for unaccompanied goods.

Or would i have to get a GIT (Goods In Transit) cover seperate to my public liability.

Sorry if all this sounds bit confusing but not easy to explain by typing.

Would appreciate any advice.

many thanks
Chris

No.

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IDFIMH

So you are saying i dont need public liabilty???

what happens if a passenger was to make a claim against me???

The car and you are insured, thus the car and you are insured.

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IDFIMH

so what are you saying then?

surely the car insurance only covers any accidents etc with the car while under use as a private hire.

if i am self employed like most drivers here surely i would need to have public liability especially if i am taking personal bookings as i will be obtaining an operators licence.

???

If your licensed vehicle has only normal car insurance then you are already breaking the law.

If not, then you are not.

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IDFIMH