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UK cab trade debate and advice
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 20, 2019 3:04 pm 
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Joined: Sun Oct 21, 2018 6:25 pm
Posts: 6
Location: Lincoln
Hi

Just wanted to introduce myself. I have been planning to run a small PH business for some time as I run into my latter years. I came across TDO a year or so ago and have dropped by from time to time to pick up tips and information and to see whats going on. I joined a few months ago but this is my first post.

I have just passed the Knowledge test for my licensing area which was the final step in my PH license application. I have to say that although not particularly difficult it has been a long 2-month process with all the new elements to get through. It's the longest 2-months I have experienced I reckon.

I still have my Operators License to Get and my car to license but am assured by the LO that he can get that trough in just a few days. I am just pulling together insurance quotes and have my car booked in for its Licensing Authorities MOT tomorrow. Hopefully I'll have all completed and the applications submitted by the end of the week.

Thanks to all that regularly contribute on the forum. I have learned a lot from you guys already and hopefully you would continue to share your knowledge. Appreciated

Dave.


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PostPosted: Wed Feb 20, 2019 4:26 pm 
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Joined: Mon Nov 12, 2012 11:13 pm
Posts: 436
Hello and welcome .


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PostPosted: Wed Feb 20, 2019 9:37 pm 
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Joined: Wed Sep 03, 2003 7:30 pm
Posts: 53921
Location: 1066 Country
Welcome aboard Dave.

The longer you are in the trade the easier it gets IMO.

Take no notice of the miserable buggers in the trade, and look after your punters.

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PostPosted: Wed Feb 20, 2019 10:24 pm 
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Joined: Tue Apr 29, 2008 4:06 pm
Posts: 24116
Location: Twixt Heaven and Hell, but nearest Hell
dvdlock wrote:
It's the longest 2-months I have experienced I reckon. Dave.



you wait............


TBH if i wasnt 10 years in id not bother, i certainly wouldnt even try if i was young with a family to support, the trade has committed suicide in the last few years with price cutting and the influx of new starters, the cake wont slice any thinner...


The only people making money are the base owners renting out cars and/or radios/PDA's regardless of having enough work

(grandad excepted)

You dont say where you are or if you are rural or urban

good luck

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PostPosted: Thu Feb 21, 2019 4:19 pm 
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Joined: Tue Oct 18, 2011 7:36 pm
Posts: 1384
Hi and welcome,

Its not a trade I’d be getting into either, it is very hard to make a living and who knows what the future will bring. Having said that, I’ve been in the game 28 yrs now and it’s gave us a pretty good standard of living. When the kids were young it gave us the flexibility we needed as a family. I went back to working for a company (not taxi related) not so long ago and just worked weekends on the cabs. I missed the flexibility of being my own boss (and got hammered by HMRC!) and packed it in during last years heatwave.
As long as you have done your research and DON’T invest your lifesavings in the business, you could do OK.
Good luck.


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PostPosted: Thu Feb 21, 2019 6:17 pm 
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Joined: Tue Apr 29, 2008 4:06 pm
Posts: 24116
Location: Twixt Heaven and Hell, but nearest Hell
believe not 1 scrap of what a base says you can earn and dont go by your first week, thats whats called "the bait" with you being "the catch", dont over spend on a car, your insurance will, in any case, rip you a new rectum.


your own work always pays you the best IF you can get any

dont try minicabit taxicode etc etc..... they just want your money

dont insure with Gefion

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PostPosted: Thu Feb 21, 2019 9:06 pm 
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Joined: Sun Oct 21, 2018 6:25 pm
Posts: 6
Location: Lincoln
Thanks for the welcome guys.

wannabeeahack wrote:

You dont say where you are or if you are rural or urban


I'm in Lincoln. Just updated the location in my profile.

I'm intending to focus mainly on business customers. My business trading name is ExecuSmart. Had my car MOT 'd earlier this month and today had the Taxi MOT. Just waiting on some insurance quotes and I'll be putting the applications in for the Operators license and the car license. I hopefully have my ducks in a row in terms of getting started and to be fair, the LO has been quite helpful. He reckons both car and operators licenses could be pushed through in 2 to 3 days.
I do a bit of website development as a hobby, I wouldn't say I was by any means an expert at it but I pulled together a website and have integrated the quotations/booking into it. I will put it on-line on 1st week in March.

Cheers


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PostPosted: Fri Feb 22, 2019 7:22 am 
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Joined: Sat Apr 01, 2006 11:47 pm
Posts: 19110
Location: Stamford Britains prettiest town till SKDC ruined it
Aha a PHD from Lincoln Jimbo will have a field day :lol:

Are you a yellabelly or do you just live in the finest county in England ?

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PostPosted: Fri Feb 22, 2019 8:55 pm 
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Joined: Tue Apr 29, 2008 4:06 pm
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Location: Twixt Heaven and Hell, but nearest Hell
edders23 wrote:
Aha a PHD from Lincoln Jimbo will have a field day



Lots of fields out there

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PostPosted: Fri Feb 22, 2019 9:54 pm 
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Posts: 6
Location: Lincoln
edders23 wrote:
Aha a PHD from Lincoln Jimbo will have a field day :lol:

Are you a yellabelly or do you just live in the finest county in England ?



Yup. Lincoln born and bred. Although I have spent many years out of the country on and off.


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PostPosted: Thu Feb 28, 2019 7:46 pm 
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Location: Lincoln
Chuffed to bits today. Just been issued with my badge, My Plate and my Operators Licence.

Just need to find some customers now :roll:


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PostPosted: Thu Feb 28, 2019 9:24 pm 
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Joined: Wed Sep 03, 2003 7:30 pm
Posts: 53921
Location: 1066 Country
dvdlock wrote:
Just need to find some customers now :roll:

They are out there.

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PostPosted: Thu Apr 11, 2019 3:24 pm 
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Joined: Fri Apr 05, 2019 11:36 pm
Posts: 1
Hi!

I joined the trade about a year and a half ago and im now looking to open my own taxi company in London

A lot of people did tell me at the start that the work isn't as busy as it was a few years ago before Uber came but i decided to take the risk and started working for a pretty big company which has approx 250 drivers including myself.

I cant comment on how the work and how the money was prior to Uber coming to London, im assuming it was a lot better than now but i still come home with a decent amount at the end of every day.

Ive managed to save a little and was thinking of applying for a small Tier Operators licence.

Ill be doing leaflet drops and signing up with a few taxi companies to get more work which i was hoping i could get some help on.

I know that the company i currently work for use 'minicabit' as we have to ask customers to show us the booking confirmation emails/receipts when we pick the customer up however i have heard that there are a lot of hidden charges too with them? Like if i get there a few minutes late or so? The commission 'minicabit' takes is quite a lot already. On their website it states 10% + vat plus the processing fee for standard cars and all other vehicles its 17% plus vat and processing fee!

I came across another site https://www.insta-cab.com/, ive been told that they charge 10% plus processing fee for all types of vehicles and that their pretty lenient too?

Im just thinking of different ways of getting bookings.

Any feedback would be appreciated

Thanks!


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PostPosted: Thu Apr 11, 2019 7:32 pm 
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Joined: Sat Apr 01, 2006 11:47 pm
Posts: 19110
Location: Stamford Britains prettiest town till SKDC ruined it
Quote:
Ill be doing leaflet drops


been there tried that nothing happened

best way to get business is word of mouth second best used to be to shove business cards through letterboxes but nowadays it seems to be the internet is the first place most look

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PostPosted: Thu Apr 11, 2019 8:29 pm 
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Joined: Sat Aug 04, 2012 11:17 pm
Posts: 2609
taxilife wrote:
Hi!

I joined the trade about a year and a half ago and im now looking to open my own taxi company in London

A lot of people did tell me at the start that the work isn't as busy as it was a few years ago before Uber came but i decided to take the risk and started working for a pretty big company which has approx 250 drivers including myself.

I cant comment on how the work and how the money was prior to Uber coming to London, im assuming it was a lot better than now but i still come home with a decent amount at the end of every day.

Ive managed to save a little and was thinking of applying for a small Tier Operators licence.

Ill be doing leaflet drops and signing up with a few taxi companies to get more work which i was hoping i could get some help on.

I know that the company i currently work for use 'minicabit' as we have to ask customers to show us the booking confirmation emails/receipts when we pick the customer up however i have heard that there are a lot of hidden charges too with them? Like if i get there a few minutes late or so? The commission 'minicabit' takes is quite a lot already. On their website it states 10% + vat plus the processing fee for standard cars and all other vehicles its 17% plus vat and processing fee!

I came across another site https://www.insta-cab.com/, ive been told that they charge 10% plus processing fee for all types of vehicles and that their pretty lenient too?

Im just thinking of different ways of getting bookings.

Any feedback would be appreciated

Thanks!
How can you start a taxi company in London? Or do you mean private hire company in London, the 2 are quite different animals. a taxi is a black thing with a sign on top that can pick up and set down anywhere by the side of the road. A private hire has to be booked. To run a taxi in London you would have to do "the knowledge" which I understand takes a couple of years.


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