Hackney carriage is a carriage or automobile for hire. In the United Kingdom, the name hackney carriage refers to a taxicab licensed by the Public Carriage Office (PCO) in Greater London or by the local authority in other parts of Great Britain, or by the Department of the Environment in Northern Ireland. Hackney taxi insurance is essential for anyone who drives a hackney carriage. It is a legal requirement to be properly insured before you can take your hackney carriage to the streets, and not having the proper insurance comes with several risks to you and your livelihood.
There are many risks of driving without proper hackney taxi insurance. By not having hackney taxi insurance you’re not only putting yourself at danger, but also your passengers and even your boss. That is why all regulated and licensed taxi firms, and all local authorities, should check that you have the proper insurance in place before you’re allowed to work so always make sure that they ask. The risks are as follows:
Because of the high cost of policy, many hackney taxi drivers are being caught without hackney taxi insurance. Thousands of pounds in court cost and fines were imposed to those caught. A few of drivers were given license penalty points for the violations; some received as many as twelve penalty points. In some cases it could even mean you have your license taken from you. A couple of drivers were jailed for driving a hackney taxi when they already had been disqualified from doing so. If you cannot find the money to pay the fines then your career as a taxi driver could be ruined.
It is not wise to drive a hackney taxi without cover or with the wrong type of coverage. Random checks of drivers are often completed to ensure that drivers and owners are covered with the type of policy the council or local authority requires. Cheap hackney taxi insurance cover may be available but make sure the policy covers the minimum that the local authority requires for you hackney taxi. Paying out for insurance ensures that you do not put your business at risk. For your better future choose those policies which give breakdown cover, medical cover, fire and legal cover in all possibilities.
With all of these inherent problems, driving without proper hackney taxi insurance is just not worth the risk. You’ll be liable for all costs, could get a criminal record and will find it almost impossible to work in the field again. Compare insurance and you will not fall foul of the law and be penalized
