Andy Williams wrote:
:roll:
Redundancy threatens & becoming a Taxi driver as an old fart of 55 seems to be a worthwhile option to keep me out of mischief !
Your fantastic site seems to be a good place to start on the research especially after looking at the forum page from Wigan !!
Any advice as to how to go about it & what we need to consider ( I have a son who is also interested in the project who is 24 in May . How old to you have to be ?)
Assuming you are serious in becoming an owner, it may be worthwhile to consider the following facts. Unless you are in a de-restricted area, you may find that there is a prohibitive premium placed on entry into the H/C Taxi game. You will have to pay the going rate for a H/C licence and that runs into thousands no matter what part of the country you in.
If you are in an unrestricted area you will just have to convince the Local Authority that you can pass the knowledge and driving test, assuming one exists and that you are a fit and proper person to be given a Licence.
If your aim is to become a P/H owner/driver then you obviously won't have to pay an exorbitant fee for a Hackney Licence.
The only differential between the two trades is that P/H can't ply for hire on the public Highway.
There is practically no differential in earnings capacity but there is a difference in driver flexibility. A H/C driver is not tied to any set working pattern, whereas in some cases P/H operators like their drivers to be available for a certain length of time. At some firms, If you frequently come and go as you please you may not last very long. I specifically state some firms.
Its been suggested that you gain some experience in the industry before you fully commit to it, that is sound advice.
Unless you have adequate knowledge of your licence area you are unlikely to pass the knowledge test, therefore the only available route left open to you will be by way of P/H driver.
You should soon gain a good understanding of the area you work in and passing the knowledge test should eventually be a formality. Outside Of London, most H/C drivers at one time or another have worked in the private hire industry. You will probably find that most P/H drivers are probably more knowledgeable of their local area than most H/C drivers.
A word of caution about buying into the restricted Taxi market. At this moment in time, there is uncertainty about what direction the regulated industry will take. There are moves afoot to remove some existing powers from local Authorities who restrict licenses. If by what I have read is correct and you live in the Wigan area then I believe your council operates a restricted system. If the Government decide not to remove the powers mentioned above from Local Authorities the H/C plates in Wigan will increase in value substantially.
For what it is worth, my advice would be to wait until March the 9th before making any decision. By then, you should know what the Governments intentions are.
Good luck.
John Davies
Manchester
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