Taxi Driver Online

Hi all I'm new to this forum I joined up as I wanted taxi driver's opinions. I am not a taxi driver at the minute however I've wanted to do this for years as it's my cup of tea I love driving and love meeting new people I currently work for a Voluntary Car Service mainly carrying elderly passengers to the hospitals, doctors appointments etc but a few of my regular customers don't like driving and thus have asked me if I'd be willing to take them shopping etc during the week. Now if I do this I do know that I'm stepping into the realms of a private hire driver so I'm starting to wonder if it would be worth my while taking this opportunity and going for a private hire or possibly hackney license.

I live in a seaside town at the minute ([edited by admin] Skegness!) although I am hoping to move further inland and my local town/city will be Lincoln...is there any taxi drivers on here that can give me a rough idea how much I stand to earn, overheads etc and your general opinions on driving a taxi?

Get licensed.

Problems solved.

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IDFIMH

The above ^^^^^^^^^^^^^

If you license as a private hire driver, you will obviously also need to get your vehicle licensed and be a licensed private hire operator too, if you're planning to remain a 'one-man band' and not share your 'old-dear' work with others.

If you license as a Hackney Carriage driver and obviously get your vehicle licensed as a Hackney Carriage too, then there is no need to have an operator licence and with a 'TAXI' sign on top of the vehicle you are likely to attract other custom, while still servicing your old-dear' work LEGALLY.

The choice is yours and you could continue to do the volunteer work too.

By the way, what kind of mileage do the Skeggy volunteer cars do in an average year? I'm just trying to compare mileages with Brum, where a mate of mine worked as a volunteer hospital car driver. He was quite ill but still working as a volunteer driver before sadly passing away in February.

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Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

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Former taxi driver

Reading what you said you need to be a PH day driver, it sounds like you like the company of nice people, you will get this destroyed from your mind if you work 11pm - 4am and will find yourself disliking people you hadn't noticed before, HC doesn't tend to do the old lady shopping runs but PH does because of the house to shop shop to house factor,

Overheads vary, wages I would imagine will be the same as most other places, not good, and probably anything from £1 - £7 ph after expenses, hth.

p.s don't bother mate if you value your sanity and don't have the ultimate patience chip fitted to your mindset.

Not a huge amount to be honest many of our drivers are all in their late 60's early 70's there's 4 drivers based in Skeg myself and 3 others the other 3 only do local work where as I do local, long distance and overnight work. The work at the minute is pretty dry although I have just managed to pick up a school contract for this coming week which will bring me £250+ and had another school contract a couple of months ago that brought me £600 over the week, but mileage wise Skeg drivers can do anything from 20 miles in a week (myself!) to nearly 1,500 which was mine a few months back. But I'm working for 2 companies at the minute and not really getting much custom other than my regulars.

I have a feeling that you are now going to upset a few people.
Firstly, how are you as a volunteer driver "picking up" a school contract? Secondly, how are you as a volunteer driver "working" for 2 companies?
You aren't licensed so you can't be paid for any jobs you do, just expenses, and you can't be "working" you are a volunteer!

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Grandad,

Grandad have you really ignored all the stuff I've been explaining about Lincolnshire and school contracts ?

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

Expenses are usually paid at 45p per mile up to 10,000 miles then 25p per mile thereafter plus any over night costs e.g hotel and just because somebody isn't paid a wage it doesn't mean they aren't working

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

Okay if you want to put it that way Grandad I don't work I volunteer I volunteer my time and my car at 45p per mile for 10,000 miles after that it drops down to 35p per mile and the school contracts usually go to voluntary car services round this end of the world as it's cheaper we get the contracts to go to schools from social services.

I feel that my "upsetting people" is actually I've upset you as you've not been paying attention to anything posted...

And as it goes I am licensed we have to go through all the same protocols as a regular taxi driver I.E. CRB checks, driving history etc the badges are even issued by the same department the Transport Services Department of the Highways Alliance. As for working for 2 companies I meant 2 organisations and I don't class taking someone to the hospital as a friendly deed or anything I class it as working as it goes to the upkeep of my vehicle.

Why 35p I thought it was 25p?

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

I did get that bit wrong sorry about that...reminds me I'm going to have to tot up my mileages as I think I've done about 5,000 so far!

The following table shows the tax-free mileage allowances you can receive in the tax year 2011-12 before you have to pay any tax.

On the first 10,000 miles in the tax year - 45p

On each mile over 10,000 miles in the tax year - 25p

Are you saying you've driven 5,000 miles since 6th April 2012 or since 1st January 2012?

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Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

Type a message, post your news,
Disagree with other members' views;
But please, do have some decorum,
When debating on the TDO Forum.