Taxi Driver Online

My Car is not allowed for private hire as it's over 5 years old I had previously used it for a few years but got another job that I stuck for 2 years... grass is always greener and I want back into the taxis.

So for the council I was with my car is too old... 2011 plate but only 70.000 miles on it.

I'm left with either applying for a badge only and renting or applying for a badge and plate and getting a car on purchase hire.

I'm starting to think come the end of the year there wont be much difference money wise when you take into account new tires/brake pads/services etc... I would need to pay for if I went down the purchase hire route or am I missing something ?

Renting:
£140 car pw
£80 radio pw

x 4 = £880 pm x 12 = 10,560

Purchase hire:

£75 car pw
£80 radio pw

x 4 = £620 x 12 = 7,440

I'm not sure what the insurance would be as it would depend on the vehicle I get etc... but I have 3 years no claims from my previous stint.

Theres a big difference there but when I take into account new tires/brake pads/mot/services/ anything not covered in the warranty, I could be looking around the same total... and there is the added worry of keeping up payments where as renting... if am no longer making enough money or for whatever reason I chose to leave I would simply be handing in the car and would save on initial startup things including the taxi plate application and taxi mot test.

lastly my other option is switching councils and using my car for a few more years as it is in great condition bar a dodgy pull to the left that no amount of wheel aligning can fix.

Can anyone else point out some points in favour of the other....... rent/lease or switch councils..... I'm not sure how busy other councils would be after working in the Glasgow city centre,

I would sell your car and use money to pay insurance and licence fees, then I would buy either new or second hand, the theory is with a new one you get warranty and less repairs, the clever ones buy over 5 years and send there cars back after 3, the way they do this is they make sure the finance is on the car and not a personal loan, so your credit agreement allows you to walk away when a certain amount has been paid, a 10k car will be about 200 a month, hope this helps

Won't get that much selling it since I've used it previously as a taxi... it's a shame cause its in perfect shape and working order bar a slight pull... it's had a new radiator and battery and serviced every ten miles but the plater was put on with screws so it's apparent it's a taxi.. being offered a grand on trade in even with the low 70000 miles for a taxi.

yeah there is a place called taxi centre who I had spoken with and the car being a seat Toledo with my car traded in towards was working out £280 and that is one of their cheaper models.

That is why I considered just switching councils as east Dunbartonshire have no age limit and i'd be able to get it plated and on the road no hassle... my car only has 70000 miles... it's not so much learning the area as I would pick it up with a little help with sat nav it's just whether the money would be as good as working in the city.... might get lucky and be the only driver on at nights in the area and get all the work.

So with that said you would still think sell it and go the car finance route ? purchase hire hand it in after I've paid over 50 percent off ? also with these new cars on purchase hire is the services included up to a certain mileage ? just wondered what I would be saving yearly by purchasing rather than renting

cheers.

Not sure I would go with a Toledo, I would buy a good second hand car that's comfy, i would sell your car and work the city, Even if you don't save anything it will be a better car to drive, mines a BMW.

But what about the buy new idea and hand back after a few years ? I'm prioritizing economy over comfort.. I've never been one to notice much difference between car ride comfort etc.. hows the bmw for replacing parts etc ? I've noticed a lot of audi's now as as taxi but the few guys that I've spoke to regretted it as parts and tires etc were costing them a lot! and they were gonna go back to skoda's etc/

You can do the same with second hand, send it back after a few years, so the choice is yours, My advice after driving crap cars for years, hillman hunter,Morris marina,skodas to mention a few and I have the bad back to prove it is not to prioritise economy over comfort, you can spend a lot of time in a vehicle so comfort and reliability has to come first, if it's good on fuel to that's good, but never a first choice. The BMW is fine for parts but you won't need them so often, I'm not a fan of Audi or merc, and I no a few drivers who have had nothing but trouble with them, there a few on here with skodas but there's better for the money, it's an out of date Volkswagen . My tyres are a bit more expensive as there run flats I pay between £70 & £100 for them. A service costs £120, brake pads discs are on a par with other vehicles, so there you have it,oh I had a clutch at 190k £700, and a exhaust flex £120, usual bulbs that's about it. 55mpg and the other advantages are you get lots of requests for airports.

From what i am reading it sounds like you want to hire. Do that till you get some
money behind you and use that for a big deposit for a new car.

theres no great saving by buying over renting once insurance, plates, servicing and finance is included with the PDA rent too

for me i can do my own work and always have, with my own car but if i could rent for £250/week (all inc) id have to look closely at the figures and thing about it

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