How To Become a Taxi Driver in England

Taxi driving professions are responsible and important to the functioning of society. They provide people with a quick and convenient transport option in small and big cities at any time of the day or night. This type of profession is flexible, profitable, and social, The need for taxis especially in large population centers is huge, and locals and tourists are increasingly resorting to using them for transportation because of the easy, comfortable, and fast travel.

The ease comes from not getting lost in searching for public transport stops, not having to carry heavy luggage for a long time, and getting to different destinations is quick and comfortable.

To become a taxi driver in England, there are certain requirements that you must meet to legally practice the profession.

In this article, we will answer the questions of what are the requirements for you to become a taxi driver in England and what should be your expectations and attitudes from this job.

What you need to become a legal taxi driver in England

Few professional qualifications and formal duties are required to practice as a taxi driver in the UK. Taxi drivers can work for a variety of companies or be self-employed. The latter usually happens later in their career after a certain amount of time working for a company.

To start a career as a taxi driver in England, you need to have a valid UK driving license that allows you to drive vehicles there. You also need to have 3 years of driving experience before you start and be of legal driving age – 21 years old – to practice the profession legally.

There is also the option of obtaining various taxi driving certificates in England. This is after you have more than 2 GCSEs (General Certificate of Secondary Education) from grades A to D. If you are eligible, you can apply for one of two national vocational qualifications related to taxi driving.

The qualifications are – a certificate to drive passenger transport vehicles (taxi and private hire) and a certificate of introduction to the role of taxi drivers and private hire drivers.

A plus for you in choosing this profession is the additional driving certificates gained from various courses showing that you are reliable and experienced and that your driving skills can be relied upon.

To become a taxi driver with a company, you must provide your license obtained from Transport of London showing that you have a special type of license designed for taxi driving.

In addition to this license, you must show documents relating to a driving assessment, a medical assessment, and an English language assessment.

Before you start working as a taxi driver, make sure you have the right insurance for the car you are driving. Check your insurance obligations before you start work.

What personal skills will you need and find useful

As the taxi driving profession involves dealing with different types of customers and driving in a stressful environment and setting, you need to have some personal skills to cope with the heat.

As the work environment is dynamic and changing, you need to be willing to work under pressure. Be prepared to encounter tense situations with traffic on the road, have the patience to wait in traffic jams, and face other nervous drivers around you. You need patience to deal with all this and not get nervous, but to think rationally and calmly in such situations.

You must have well-developed communication skills and treat customers with respect. The job involves dealing with multiple customers per day. They want to talk, to ask questions. You must have the ability to answer them, keep the conversation going, and treat them with courtesy and respect.

Even if some unpleasant and angry customer comes up, it is your duty not to behave rudely towards him. You must manage to keep calm and not get angry. If you are an easily short-tempered or conflicted personality, then this profession will not be suitable for you.

You need to drive responsibly and safely, your priority is not to finish the customer quickly but to get them safely to their destination. You must obey the rules of the road and drive at a reasonable speed.

It is important to be able to handle a GPS, have basic computer skills, and have excellent concentration. All of this helps navigate your way to different destinations. It’s also good to know the roads to more places in your city so you can navigate and get to them quickly.

All these skills are crucial for any taxi driver. Being calm, communicative, following rules, and navigating well is something not everyone can do. But if you’re one of those people with these skills, the job will prove to be an enjoyable pastime for you.

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