Jeric Rosales, Negosentro | Now more than ever, people are turning to taxis and lift offering services and away from public transportation or driving themselves. This means that setting up and operating your own taxi service could prove to be a rewarding and lucrative business. If you enjoy driving and have good social skills, then this could be a fantastic line of work for you as you will spend your days helping people to get from A to B.
Licensing
First, you will need to obtain a license. If you will be operating in London, you will need to apply to Transport for London (TfL) to check eligibility. Outside of London, you will need to apply to your local council. With both, you must have a valid driving license (for at least one year) and you may need to pass a medical, undertake a driving test of the area in which you are operating and pay for the license.
Setting Up
Now that you have a license, you are able to set up your own taxi firm and employee other taxi drivers (if you wish). Taxi vehicles will be your most important asset, so it is important to take the time to find the perfect vehicle(s). Ideally, they will be large enough to fit multiple passengers, have ample boot space, be easily accessible and fuel efficient as you will be on the road more than most drivers. This means that customers can relax comfortably and enjoy the ride.
Features
You could look to invest in purpose-built cabs which are designed for the job, or buy a standard taxi and convert it. All of your taxis should have features like a taxi meter, LED signs, cash storage, two-way intercoms, a partition screen with pay area and driver controlled remote locking. It is also wise to offer card and/or online payments as this is something that modern-day passengers expect and allows you to compete with ride offering services.
Tips for Success
To succeed as a taxi firm, it is vital that you provide an excellent and affordable ser-vice. This means that you should be friendly to passengers and help them to enter and exit the automobile, drive safely and establish fair rates. You could also entice customers with offers to get the ball rolling. Word of mouth is important in the taxi industry, but you should also have a strong online presence to increase brand awareness.
Setting up and operating a taxi fleet could prove to be a very rewarding line of work and the above advice can help you to succeed.
