Taxi Driver Online

Hi,

I'm thinking of a career move to taxi driver, and I'd appreciate any thoughts/comments...

I currently run my own Ltd company as a contract software engineer. My current rate is £36.50/hr based on a 37.5 hr week - but obviously I don't see all that as personal income.

In my experience the computer software industry in the UK is shrinking, and so I'm generally having to work away from my home (Northfield, Birmingham) and family during the week. My current contract is near Cambridge 110 miles from home. So I leave at 6am on Monday, and arrive home again during Friday afternoon. I pay out £80+/week in accommodation.

I spoke to a very helpful guy at TOA Taxis (in Birmingham), who was very upbeat about the prospects for a taxi driver, and said that I could earn £800/wk.

He suggested that the 'best' way forward would be to set myself up as a 'private hire' car/driver for six months or so - whilst learning 'the knowledge'. Then sit the test, and buy a taxi and become a taxi driver.

Obviously such a career move is a significant leap of faith. Not surprisingly the major consideration for us is the anticipated level of income.

Is £800/pw in Birmingham reasonable? Is this gross or net? What might I earn during my six months 'private hire' work (I drive a Chrysler Voyager)?

When I spoke to the Birmingham LA, the lady their said that the driver license application can take anything from 6 weeks to 3-4 months. So as my current software contract finishes in November, I really need to get my application in soon!

Any help and advice greatly appreciated.

Kind Regards,

Malcolm

Go for it made, Birmingham needs you.

And if you want some advice, then the search function on TDO is the biz.

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IDFIMH

If you want to get anywhere near what you're currently earning then I suspect that instead of being away from your family during the week you would be away from them all weekend instead.

Have a look at the other recent thread and the earlier threads that are linked to in that thread, and you might get some pointers, but there are so many variables that the question is impossible to answer.

Even gross I really can't see you getting anywhere near the £36.50 per hour that you're currently earning, except for the few busy hours late night at weekends, so you would have to be expending a huge amount on overheads currently to make it worthwhile moving into the trade.

If I was you I would wait until things get really bad before considering a move.

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

By the way, the other recent thread on earning is:

http://www.taxi-driver.co.uk/phpBB2/vie ... php?t=2086

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

Isn't Birmingham de-restricted - and wasn't the trade supposed to fall apart as a consequence?

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