Mini cab licence

Being a licensed mini cab driver can be very profitable with the average salary ranging from £2,000 to £2,500 a month. There are many things to take into consideration before pursuing this career though and the most important thing is the financial cost and time of getting the licence. Once this is covered, you may want to consider joining a firm and establishing connections with customers so that you can get as many jobs as you can handle from repeat business.

Getting the minicab licence in London

You will need to contact the Public Carriage Office (PCO) and ask for an application pack and you will need to ask your GP to fill out the medical part. There are two options to getting the private hire vehicle licence:

• Private hire licence valid for 3 years, licence fee £298, £30 - £50 Topographical skills assessment and a private fee of £60 - £100 for GP medical.
• Private hire licence valid for 1 year, licence fee £127 and £100 for two MOT checks at a private garage.

Minicabbing in other areas

To obtain a private hire licence outside of London, you will need to contact the local council which will have their own requirements and documents to fill in. The fees will also differ as well as eligibility. When you finally get your licence, it may be worth taking a CRB check to ensure that all relevant background checks are up to date. Not all minicab companies require this but it may come in handy if a client would like regular school runs for their children. You will also need to get mini cab insurance ( so that you are covered when you are working.

Mini cab licence holders need to display their licence on the front and rear windscreen of their licensed vehicle. They are not allowed to pick up passengers who flag them down and can only pick up pre-booked passengers. That's why a job in a mini cab office is essential to getting clients.

There can also be a wait of up to 3 months before the application is actually accepted. The topographical test is a certificate that is provided if you can pass; it tests your knowledge of the roads and directions. It will make the application easier to pass but other than this most mini cab drivers have satellite navigation anyway.

You will also have to be very vigilant as there are many organised crime gangs that target mini cab drivers in the evenings when there are many party revellers needing to go home. Mini cab drivers have also been given a bad reputation as many women have been sexually assaulted in recent years; many have been through unlicensed mini cab drivers though but it still makes women uneasy. In the last five years, there has been a sharp increase and demand for female drivers as more people especially women feel safer. So if you would like to pursue the ambition of being a mini cab driver, don't delay to submit your application.