Taxi insurance

Your taxi is your income. Therefore insuring your income is equally as important as working for it. We understand that having your taxi off the road due to a claim is financially crippling. Taxi insurance differs greatly to that of regular vehicle insurance, the main difference being the cost. Evidently the purpose of your taxi is to be on the road therefore putting you in a higher risk of claim category.

Taxi insurance is divided into two sections:

Private Hire

Also referred to as Minicab Insurance, the insured may only provide a service on the basis that the customer has pre-arranged the collection. In the case of private hire vehicles, they are not allowed to ply for hire in taxi ranks, pick up from the side of the road, or display a ‘Taxi’ light on the vehicle.

Public Hire

Also referred to as Hackney Carriages or Black Cab Insurance, are purposely licensed and insured to collect passengers at the side of the road or in taxi ranks. The local authority will appoint the geographical boundaries and fares for Public Hire vehicles. If you would like to become a Public Hire driver, you must have held a full license for 12 months with no criminal convictions in theft, sexual offences, fraud or violence. You must be 21 or above to drive either private or public hire vehicles.

Any vehicle can be used as a taxi, estate and saloon cars being the most common. If you have not already purchased your vehicle, diesel engines are a popular choice for added economy. However your licensing authority ultimately decides whether or not they will plate your vehicle.

An important term used within insurance is Liability Insurance; this includes you, your passengers and the damage to the vehicle. The largest section of the policy being the concern for the passengers you are carrying. Any high-quality insurance company will be able to offer expert information on this.

When choosing insurance for your taxi, one of the most crucial things to do is to check the terms of each individual policy before you purchase it. As you are only covered for what the policy specifies, there is no point going on price or selecting the cheapest deal if it doesn’t supply you with adequate cover.

However there are a few simple steps you can take to lower the cost of your insurance.