Taxi Driver Online

Im wanting to start my own Buisiness doing just airport runs Im based in kirklees and want to do Manchester, Leeds/Bradford, Blackpool, Robin Hood, East Middlands Etc Etc but dont know where to start and what I need I own a brand new Large 7 seater vehicle which hopefully is a starter but dont know about insurance license etc any help would be appreciated

Have a look on here, although it's not aimed at the airport transfer side of the market:

http://taxi-driver.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=2658

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Taxi Driver Online
www.taxi-driver.co.uk

A 7 seater doesnt mean you'll get it licenced for 7, many are only allowed to carry 5. (in our area at least)

I know in an area near us that when a plated 7 seater vehicle is renewed, the vehicle will be plated for 5, and thats it, Its got something to do with the exit of passengers

But there's a way round this for airport transfer services - don't license at all

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Taxi Driver Online
www.taxi-driver.co.uk

Yes, and neither will the trailer be subjected to Council testing,if you don't licence, providing your driver licence allows you to pull one

7 people's luggage takes up a lot of space and overload

Hi Adele

Hope the following helps you I am based at Heathrow and only do Airport transfers.

I have been trading on my own for the past six years and have learn't the hard way.

Firstly get the marketing right, you really do not want some t****r calling you at midnight to pick him up for a local when you need to be at the Airport fo a 04.30 landing.

You can't switch your phone off either as that punters relative might be trying to call you to confirm you will be there and if you do not answer then you might loose the fare.

So what I took to doing was every time I had a new customer I told them straight, you want a Taxi call a Taxi company these are the hours we work and all our jobs are prebooked Airport runs, however you could call us on the off chance if you are landing we nearly always have cars at the Airport.

Taking credit cards is a must, secure EVERY landing with a card even if you know them as if you don't get them for some reason it will ALWAYS be your fault.

As for your vehicle, it is more important the amount of luggage you can take than the amount of passengers and that it is spottlessly clean at all time inside and out, Grand Voyagers are good for this, also if you end up with a car job for one passenger with hand luggage he won't call you next time and say he would rather a car than the van/bus as it was not comfortable.

Lastly try to get as many account jobs as you can, these will give you advance bookings which you can sub out if you build up a network of equally reliable drivers which will help you to expand before you take on your own drivers.

Any more questions feel free to ask away.

Take care Eric

Do you take full payment on credit card when you take booking for both outgoing and return journey

Adele said:



No we do not, the reason for this is this method is virtually impossible to administrate, given the fact on an Airport landing, for example one may have extra's, waiting or car parking or both and if you take money from the card b4 the journey, the punter will quite rightly think any extra's means the operator is taking the P**s. the queries and phone calls re this are just not worth the agro.

The easiest way to deal with this is to use your account dockets for the purpose of calculating the charge by each driver and get the customer to sign it. Use an account docket that sets out journey charge, waiting time grats and car parking and believe me you can not go wrong.

In all the time I have been doing this I have not had one single query about how much we have charged because the passenger will do that with the driver at the time and the driver can them explain it to him. 75% of our work is credit/debit card now and around 20% is account the rest is the folding stuff.

I get all account customers (unless they are blue chip) to give a card first so if they do not pay the account you can take the payment by card instead. Even if they have gone into liquidation

I am proud to say not myself or any of my drivers have ever done one single job that we have not got paid for.

Hope that helps

Kind regards

Eric

Adele said:



No we do not, the reason for this is this method is virtually impossible to administrate, given the fact on an Airport landing, for example one may have extra's, waiting or car parking or both and if you take money from the card b4 the journey, the punter will quite rightly think any extra's means the operator is taking the P**s. the queries and phone calls re this are just not worth the agro and what if the return is cancelled for some reason or they decide to go somewhere else which is further than that quoted

The easiest way to deal with this is to use your account dockets for the purpose of calculating the charge by each driver and get the customer to sign it. Use an account docket that sets out journey charge, waiting time grats and car parking and believe me you can not go wrong.

In all the time I have been doing this I have not had one single query about how much we have charged because the passenger will do that with the driver at the time and the driver can them explain it to him. 75% of our work is credit/debit card now and around 20% is account the rest is the folding stuff.

I get all account customers (unless they are blue chip) to give a card first so if they do not pay the account you can take the payment by card instead. Even if they have gone into liquidation

I am proud to say not myself or any of my drivers have ever done one single job that we have not got paid for.

Hope that helps

Kind regards

Eric