subject: Taxi Drivers Urged To Keep A Check On Their Cabs [print this page] As a taxi driver, you probably have a lot of things on your mind every day. For a public hire cab, it likely consists of where you are going to drive to find the best business, what events are going on that you can take advantage of. For any cab, it is also about making sure you and your passengers are safe at all times.
In order to do this, you probably need to be sure that you not only have the right insurance cover, but also need keep a check on the vehicle itself.
Regardless of the type of cab you drive, or whether you are a full-time or part time driver, you should always make sure that the vehicle you are driving is in good shape, as well as safely driven and stored. Doing this will likely also lower the rate you pay for taxi insurance, along with passing routine checks carried out by the local authorities. If they find any health and safety aspects which may affect members of the public or deem your cab not to be in a road worthy condition they have the power to stop you from working until the discrepancies are fixed or repaired.
In fact, doing a regular check on your insurance policy itself will also be helpful in lowering your rate. Analyse your situation regularly and figure out if you are getting the right cover. A simple self-evaluation can show you whether you are getting the right amount of cover, or show you if you are getting more than you need, allowing you to revise your policy and lower your premiums.
Adding to the security to your taxi is a great idea as well. Making sure the vehicle is stored in a safe place when not in use, as well as fitting it with a security system will look very good to insurers. A tracking device can also do wonders in the unfortunate event that the taxi is stolen. Security should probably be among the most important things on your mind as a taxi driver, taking the safest routes and reducing the risk of personal attack or malicious damage being done to your cab will help you stay safe along with reducing the number of insurance claims you make.
Any taxi driver knows that without the vehicle, there would be no taxi business at all. Keeping an eye on your vehicle by doing regular checks is probably the best thing you can do to make sure that your business continues to thrive. Regular checks on your taxi insurance policy allow you to make sure that your policy is better aligned with your business and budget. Allowing you to spend more of your time on the actual driving part and less of it on the administration end of things, which is the bug bear of many taxi owners!
You also should not be tempted to earn a few extra pounds by picking up fares which have not been pre-booked unless you hold the correct licence and taxi insurance. Black cabs or licensed Hackney carriages are the only cabs which can legally do this. They are also the only taxis which can have advertising on their vehicles. Mini cabs who stop to pick up non-pre-booked fares face serious consequences which may result in them losing their mini cab licence.
