The first step in becoming a cab driver involves you in making a choice in between whether you would like to operate a hackney carriage or a private hire taxi.
Hackney Carriage vehicles are referred to as taxis casually. They are fitted with a fare meter and can stop on the side of roads to pick and drop passengers; they are also fitted with a taxi top light. Private hire taxis on the other hand work differently; these taxis are only permitted to take customers who have booked them before hand to their desired destinations. They may have a fare meter fitted into them and unlike Hackney Carriages they cannot ply for hire.
Now once you have made your decision as to which kind of taxi driver you would like to be you then have to know the three types of driving licenses that exist. Firstly there is a Hackney Carriage license, then a Private hire license and lastly a combined license which allows you to be able to operate both kinds of vehicles. Next of, the applicant, that is you, must of age 21 or above to be able to even apply for an application pack which is the first brick in the road towards becoming a taxi driver. There is a standard driving test which is at a slightly higher level than that of a learners test. You will also be asked random Highway codes and traffic signs to test your road knowledge verbally.
Next you will need to produce a disclosure document which you can get by contacting the Criminal Records Bureau. Since they need a full disclosure the police and several other agencies will be involved in this procedure. Next you need to hand in a medical certificate which shows your health and any type of ailment which you maybe suffering from. After handing all required documents, the applicants have to pass a knowledge test of the geography of the district.
Remember, without taxi insurance none of all the above would matter since taxi insurance is the most important thing in the UK and without you can not be a taxi driver
