Taxi driver Job Information | National Careers Service

Job profiles

Taxi driver

Hours

40-60 per week
Starting salary

£12,000 + per year

If you are good at driving and have good knowledge of the streets in your area, this job might suit you.

As a taxi driver, you would pick up passengers and take them to their destination by the quickest and safest route.

In this job you will need to be able to drive safely. You will need customer care skills to deal with customers, including ones that can be difficult. You will also need to be able to plan your time well.

You don't need any formal qualifications to get into this job. However, there are usually entry criteria, such as getting an operator's licence, being aged at least 21, and passing a criminal records check and a geographical knowledge test.

The work

Taxis are an important part of any town or city's transport system and they usually come in two varieties – a 'black cab' (the traditional hackney carriage) or a private hire vehicle, often known as a minicab.

Your duties would include:

taking job details over the radio from the operator at the office or by the in-car computer
helping to load and unload passengers' luggage
helping passengers to get in and out of the vehicle if required
taking payments for fares
keeping the vehicle clean and in a roadworthy condition
keeping accounts and records up to date if self-employed.

As a black cab driver you might be booked in advance, wait at an official taxi rank or pick up passengers while on the move, for example in busy shopping areas.

If you work as a minicab driver you would only collect pre-booked passengers. You could not be flagged down in the street.

You could combine normal 'pick-up' jobs with contract work such as school runs. You might also make longer-distance trips such as taking people to airports, or to and from concerts and other towns.

Hours

This job allows you the flexibility to choose your hours, but you are likely to find more work in the evenings and at weekends. Friday and Saturday evenings would normally be your busiest times. You could expect to work between 40 and 60 hours a week if full-time.

You would spend most of your time on the road, sometimes in heavy traffic.

Income

Drivers working around 40 hours a week in a major city can earn between £12,000 and £20,000 a year
Some taxi drivers may be able to earn up to £30,000 a year.

Earnings would depend on the level of fares, the number of journeys made, and the hours worked.

Figures are intended as a guideline only.

Entry requirements

You do not need any particular qualifications to become a taxi driver, but you will need an operator's licence. You can get this from the licensing unit of your local council (or the Public Carriage Office in London and the DVLNI in Northern Ireland).

Each unit has its own conditions of licence, but you will normally need to:

pass a criminal records check
be over 21 (18 in Northern Ireland)
pass a geographical knowledge test and/or a driving test (in some cities)
pass a medical
have held a full driving licence for at least 12 months (3 years in London).

In London, the geographical test is called 'The Knowledge' and takes on average 34 months to prepare for and pass. See the Transport for London website for more details.

Transport for London

Some authorities may set their own driving tests for potential taxi drivers. The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) has developed a Hackney Carriage Private Hire Test Assessment, which is also used by some licensing authorities.

If you are interested in driving private hire cars, you can get further details from the National Private Hire Association (NPHA) and the Directgov Motoring website.

Directgov Motoring

The number of black cab taxi licences issued is limited, whereas private hire vehicle licences are more freely available. In all cases, you should contact your local licensing unit for exact licensing requirements in your area.

See the NPHA and Transport Office websites for more details about taxi driving, relevant tests and licensing.

Training and development

Your local licensing authority may offer you training to help you meet their licence conditions. Schemes typically cover licence applications, radio procedures, customer care, disability awareness, basic mechanics, law and local geography. Contact your local licensing unit for more details about training on offer.

You could work towards the following NVQs:

Level 2 in Road Passenger Transport
Level 2 Road Passenger Vehicle Driving.

You could also take the BTEC Level 2 Certificate in Transporting Passengers by Taxi and Private Hire. This is a short course designed to support new drivers, or anyone who wants to update their qualifications after a break from driving taxis.

Skills and knowledge

To be a taxi driver you should have:

good driving skills and an awareness of road safety
a detailed knowledge of your area, including street names, landmarks and one-way systems
the ability to manage and plan your own time
good customer care skills
an awareness of disabled access issues
the ability to deal politely but firmly with angry or drunken passengers
good maths skills for cash handling and accounts (if self-employed)
an understanding of laws and regulations covering licensing, insurance and road use.

More information

Public Carriage Office (PCO) (Opens new window)
15 Penton Street
London
N1 9PU
Tel: 0845 300 7000
www.tfl.gov.uk/pco

National Private Hire Association (Opens new window)
8 Silver Street
Bury
Lancashire
BL9 0EX
Tel: 0161 280 2800
www.phtm.co.uk

Driver and Vehicle Agency (Opens new window)
County Hall
Castlerock Road
Coleraine
BT51 3TB
Tel: 0845 402 4000
www.dvani.gov.uk

People 1st (Opens new window)
2nd Floor
Armstrong House
38 Market Square
Uxbridge
Middlesex
UB8 1LH
Tel: 01895 817 000
www.people1st.co.uk

Opportunities

You will find taxi driving opportunities in every part of the country. You may have to join a waiting list for a hackney carriage licence, as these are limited.

You could work for an operating company and rent a vehicle from them at a fixed rate or use your own car and cover your own costs. Jobs are advertised in the local press, Jobcentre Plus and by contacting taxi firms directly.

As a self-employed driver, you could eventually become an operator and increase your earnings by running a private hire firm. To do this (in England and Wales), you need an operator’s licence issued by your local council.

Job profiles are based on the latest information supplied to us by industry bodies, such as Sector Skills Councils. Please be aware that with the introduction of the Qualifications and Credit Framework there has been, and will continue to be, changes to vocational qualifications. For more information, please check with industry bodies directly.

We do not accept responsibility for the content of external sites.

Related industry information

Industry summary

The taxi and private hire industry is represented by People 1st, the Sector Skills Council for hospitality, passenger transport, travel and tourism. The passenger transport sector incorporates rail, aviation, bus and coach, taxi and private hire, light rail and metro, driver training, and UK waterways. The sector accounts for 735,000 jobs, most of which are within the bus and coach, taxi and private hire, rail, and aviation industries. The passenger transport sector includes a wide variety of roles, from pilots and transport planners, to essential support roles in finance, marketing and human resources.

The taxi and private hire industry offers dedicated passenger services, providing door‐to‐door services tailored to the passenger’s requirements. Taxis can take bookings in advance and can also be hailed from the street, whereas private hire cars can only take bookings. The industry is mostly made up of small businesses, self‐employed workers and sole operators. In terms of work opportunities, the main employment is driving, although many companies also need dispatchers, control room operators and managers.

Key facts:

There is an estimated 170,000 people working in the taxi and private hire industry.
Much of the workforce is made up of self‐employed drivers and sole operators.
The average age of employees is 47 years.
The average working hours for a driver are 40 per week.
22% of the workforce is employed part‐time.
29% of businesses in the industry have only one employee.

Jobs in the industry fall into the following areas:

Driving – such as licensed taxi driver, private hire driver, chauffeur
Operations and service delivery – such as control room staff, taxi and private hire dispatcher, operations manager, telephone operator, taxi and private hire company owner

National and regional data

[N.B. Regional data presented are for the taxi and private hire industry and the passenger transport sector as a whole. Data derived from the Labour Force Survey, 2007.]

East Midlands – There are 11,400 people working in the taxi and private hire industry in the region. In the passenger transport sector as whole, 14% of the workforce in the region is female. 14% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 6% of the workforce is under 25 years, 62% is 26‐49 years and 32% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: foreign languages; vehicle maintenance and engineering; Welsh language; job related IT; and safety/accident management.

East of England – There are 17,100 people working in the taxi and private hire industry in the region. In the passenger transport sector as whole, 25% of the workforce in the region is female. 9% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 7% of the workforce is under 25 years, 52% is 26‐49 years and 41% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: foreign languages; job related IT; Welsh language; and vehicle maintenance and engineering.

London – There are 32,900 people working in the taxi and private hire industry in the region. In the passenger transport sector as whole, 20% of the workforce in the region is female. 42% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 4% of the workforce is under 25 years, 70% is 26‐49 years and 26% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: job related IT; foreign languages; safety/accident management; booking operations; and logistics and scheduling of services.

North East – There are 9,200 people working in the taxi and private hire industry in the region. In the passenger transport sector as whole, 17% of the workforce in the region is female. 3% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 8% of the workforce is under 25 years, 51% is 26‐49 years and 41% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: job related IT; foreign languages; vehicle maintenance and engineering; Welsh language; and safety/accident management.

North West – There are 27,100 people working in the taxi and private hire industry in the region. In the passenger transport sector as whole, 16% of the workforce in the region is female. 14% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 6% of the workforce is under 25 years, 61% is 26‐49 years and 33% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: foreign languages; disability awareness; Welsh language; and vehicle maintenance and engineering.

South East – There are 26,800 people working in the taxi and private hire industry in the region. In the passenger transport sector as whole, 25% of the workforce in the region is female. 11% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 6% of the workforce is under 25 years, 48% is 26‐49 years and 36% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: foreign languages; vehicle maintenance and engineering; and job related IT.

South West – There are 8,100 people working in the taxi and private hire industry in the region. In the passenger transport sector as whole, 19% of the workforce in the region is female. 4% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 4% of the workforce is under 25 years, 56% is 26‐49 years and 40% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: foreign languages; job related IT; and vehicle maintenance and engineering.

West Midlands – There are 16,100 people working in the taxi and private hire industry in the region. In the passenger transport sector as whole, 19% of the workforce in the region is female. 27% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 7% of the workforce is under 25 years, 65% is 26‐49 years and 28% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: job related IT; safety/accident management; foreign languages; maths/working with numbers; and disability awareness.

Yorkshire and the Humber – There are 16,300 people working in the taxi and private hire industry in the region. In the passenger transport sector as whole, 13% of the workforce in the region is female. 18% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 8% of the workforce is under 25 years, 62% is 26‐49 years and 30% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: foreign languages; vehicle maintenance and engineering; job related IT; and Welsh language.

Northern Ireland – There are 3,700 people working in the taxi and private hire industry in the region. In the passenger transport sector as whole, 21% of the workforce in the region is female. Data are unavailable on the ethnicity of the workforce. 9% of the workforce is under 25 years, 74% is 26‐49 years and 17% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: foreign languages; safety/accident management; job related IT; and disability awareness.

Scotland – There 18,300 people working in the taxi and private hire industry in the region. In the passenger transport sector as whole, 16% of the workforce in the region is female. 2% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 8% of the workforce is under 25 years, 56% is 26‐49 years and 36% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: foreign languages; vehicle maintenance and engineering; and disability awareness.

Wales – There are 7,100 people working in the taxi and private hire industry in the region. In the passenger transport sector as whole, 18% of the workforce in the region is female. 4% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 8% of the workforce is under 25 years, 54% is 26‐49 years and 38% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: Welsh language; foreign languages; disability awareness; safety/accident management; job related IT; and vehicle maintenance and engineering.