Drivers needed …
Are you interested in working full-time or part-time for Pro Cars Woking and private hire opportunities for Woking’s leading taxi company and airport taxi specialist? Great news, earnings of +£1000.00+ per week, we have the best journey rates, with mainly airport transfers, the smallest commission from Woking, from only 15%, and fantastic customers!
Even if you have a license or not, call us and we can help you!
Then you might find this article useful whether you have been a Pro Cars Taxi or private hire driver previously or considering working as a taxi driver for the first time.
Each month I write a blog article. So allow me to introduce myself. I am Gabriela Padureanu, owner of a PRO CARS WOKING taxi company. The range of topics for my blog and making them relevant is challenging. However, I keep one thing in mind and that is to be useful to the local people of Woking and to be of interest to a wider audience.
So this article is relevant to anyone in the Woking taxi and private hire industry in the UK. As well as locally to the Borough of Woking including St Johns of Knaphill. The private hire industry in the UK is commonly referred to as taxis. Also, I will discuss the relevant laws and how to become working as a Taxi Driver in the Borough of Woking.
In this article I interchange the term taxi and private hire, technically a taxi is not a private hire service. The difference is explained below. However, most people refer to calling and booking a fare or car ride as ‘calling a taxi’, ‘calling a minicab’ or ‘calling a cab’. Rarely does anyone say ‘call a private hire vehicle’ or ‘call a Woking carriage’!
Working as a Taxi Private Hire Driver in the Borough of Woking
If you like working with people and want a job where you’re out and about making good use of your driving skills, this career may suit you well.
In this job, you will need to be able to drive safely. You will also need good customer care skills and the ability to plan your time.
Taxis are an important part of any town or city’s transport system. Taxis can be either a ‘black cab’ or a licensed saloon car. Both types have a license plate and roof sign that states they are a taxi. Both may also be known as Woking cabs carriages.
The other type of passenger transport around town is a private hire vehicle that runs through an operator. In the case of Pro Cars Woking, the company is an operator and its self-employed drivers are typically private hire drivers but some have their own Pro Cars Carriage license also.
If working for Pro Cars Woking as a private hire vehicle, you would be:
- taking job details from the St Johns of Knaphill office via a Pro Cars Woking provided the. application as well as by mobile phone.
- helping and talking to your passengers.
- taking payments for pre-booked rides (Pro Cars Woking often takes payment at the time of booking or has a number of customer accounts).
- keeping the vehicle clean and in a roadworthy condition.
- keeping your self-employed accounts and records up to date.
Woking Taxis drivers may be booked in advance, wait on an official taxi rank or pick up passengers while on the move. However, if you work as a private hire driver you would only collect passengers that have pre-booked. You cannot be flagged down in the street or take fares in a taxi rank.
You could be combining normal ‘pick-up’ jobs with contract work such as local businesses and school runs. You might also make longer-distance trips such as taking people to airports, seaports or to and from the theatres or Woking train station taxis.
This job allows you the flexibility to choose your hours, with the busiest periods in the evenings and at weekends. Friday and Saturday evenings would normally be your busiest times. You could expect to work at least 40 hours a week if you make yourself available full-time and especially during busy periods.
Earnings would depend on the level of fares, the number of journeys made, and the hours worked. Also, it depends on if are more Woking local journeys or airport taxi & airport transfers.
We normally have as regular journeys, Woking taxi to Heathrow & Woking taxi to Gatwick. But we also serve Woking taxi to Luton and Woking taxi to Stansted. Our Woking taxi service is 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
About Pro Cars Woking
Pro Cars Woking, is an independently owned Woking taxi company, trading proudly under Woking Borough Council. We have a small yet effective fleet, with well-trained drivers who are dedicated to providing the best customer service, concentrating on quality over quantity and very often going the extra mile.
The process of applying for a Pro Cars carriage and or private hire license
You do not need any particular qualifications to become a taxi or private hire driver, except obviously a valid driver’s license but you will need an operator’s license. You can get this from the licensing unit of the local council in which you operate and where the Operators office is located, in this case, the Borough of Woking as Pro Cars is located in Woking.
Key points (general overview):
- You are over 21 years of age.
- Have held the full UK or EC driving licence for at least three years.
- Holds a full UK driving licence.
- Have passed a Driving Standards Agency Pro Cars carriage/private hire test assessment.
- Have passed the written Borough of Woking knowledge assessment.
- A medical certificate from a registered medical practitioner will be required on the initial. application and thereafter every five years.
- A check is carried out on your background by the Borough of Woking with the Criminal. Records Bureau. This is to ensure that you are a fit and proper person to hold a licence.
- The council licence and application costs are approximately £200 plus a medical. examination fee which you arrange yourself.
- The current annual licence renewal fee for the Borough of Woking is £55.
If you are considering returning to private hire driving:
- Complete an application form and provide two passport-sized photographs.
- Produce a valid driving licence.
- Return your existing badge.
- Have been vetted by the police within the previous three years.
- Have been declared medically fit.
Vehicle requirements:
- A saloon, estate or hatchback type car with at least four doors and of sufficient seating capacity to carry not less than four and not more than eight passengers in addition to the driver.
- Any vehicle proposed to be licensed must have been examined mechanically and inspected in relation to the safety and comfort of drivers and passengers, at a garage on the approved list supplied by Woking Council, and a certificate of compliance issued.
- An insurance certificate that expressly indicates cover for hire or reward on pre-booked journeys.
- A vehicle registration document or proof of ownership of the vehicle, showing the current owners.
- A certificate of compliance.
- A current MOT certificate where applicable
Want to know more or apply for working as a Taxi Driver in the Borough of Woking
This article is just a guide and current information can be found on the local council’s website for where you wish to operate and where the operator is located.
I would be happy to talk to anyone considering becoming a taxi driver and I am always looking for more enthusiastic male and female drivers to join the Pro Cars Woking team.
Please get in touch by calling our Woking taxi number 01483 773531
Working as a Taxi Driver in the Borough of Woking
Pro Cars Woking is a competitive car service. Our rates to airports and collection from airports and other transport hubs are extremely competitive to any other taxi or minicab company running similar services and Pro Cars Woking also includes free of charge hire of a child safety seat, for long journeys, for each child passenger under four years and under the height of 135 cm.
The views in this blog article are my own and based on my own research using the internet and not that of Pro Cars Woking. We will come back if any changes with the latest news for working as a Taxi Driver in the Borough of Woking.
