Public Hire

Taxi drivers earn their living on the road and the fear of losing their job can take a huge toll on their mental health.

Driving a black cab or private hire vehicle is still a male-dominated industry in which there remains a stigma about asking for help or showing anything perceived as weakness.

Clean air and low emissions zones are expanding across the UK and taxi drivers whose vehicles don’t meet tougher environmental standards fear the daily charges could force them off the road.

As Glasgow city centre’s LEZ goes live next month, taxi drivers were worried that the £60 charge for older, non-compliant vehicles would stop them operating in the area.

Taxi drivers often welcome celebrities into their cabs – but there have been taxis in which the person behind the wheel was the famous face. And, whatever they went on to do, the taxi driving experience has usually remained close to their hearts.

Many actors take on everyday jobs to help make ends meet in between roles or as they wait for their big break.

As the government continues its drive to make towns and cities greener through schemes like clean air zones, taxi drivers who have yet to make the switch to EVs can face hefty charges to pick up fares.

Drivers in London already pay fees under the expanding ultra-low emission zones (ULEZ) in which vehicles that are not Euro 6 (diesel) and Euro 4 (petrol) compliant are charged £12.50 a day to drive within the zones.

Taxi drivers meet people from all walks of life and while many passengers are never seen again, some fares leave a lasting impression – and a bond that can last a lifetime.

One such bond was formed in Leeds almost a decade ago when taxi driver Manzoor Khan, known as Manny, now 66, picked up Patricia Wilde from hospital in floods of tears.

We are asked for feedback for almost every product and service we buy, and it is a vital part of being a modern taxi or private-hire driver.

Reviews of products and services help to improve standards and keep people safe. The use of taxi booking apps makes feedback important to passengers because it lets them know the experiences other fares have had with a driver.

Taxi drivers find all sorts of things in their cabs, from wallets, purses and mobile phones, to keys, jewellery and children’s toys.

Reuniting owners with their lost property isn’t always easy, especially if a taxi driver has had a busy shift and there have been several fares in and out of their cab.

Taxi drivers take great pride in keeping their cars clean and tidy so they look their best for the next fare.

But dealing with passengers in all weathers, as well as their shopping and luggage, plus heavy traffic and dirty roads, means drivers have to work even harder to keep their cabs and private hire vehicles looking spotless.

London’s famous public hire taxis have been getting greener – and now the capital’s private hire fleet is following the same route.

Since January 1, all new private hire taxis licensed for the first time must be able to operate in zero-emission mode. Vehicles that fail to meet the greener criteria will not be granted licenses.

When passengers get into a cab, they expect it to be safe, comfortable and clean – and taxi drivers have a long-standing reputation for keeping their cars spotless.

This isn’t easy, especially with the British weather and having dozens of people in and out of their cabs each day.

According to the office of national statistics, there are approximately 330,000 taxi drivers in the UK – so it is no surprise they are all flocking to price comparison websites to save money on their taxi insurance!

Just like most things in the UK, the taxi insurance market is changing.

As ambulance workers prepare for their latest industrial action, taxi drivers are once again getting ready to help the sick and injured.

Just before Christmas, the NHS was crippled by industrial action by nurses and ambulance workers which led to government warnings for people not to get drunk during the festive celebrations, and to use taxis instead of ambulances to get to hospital.