Taxi Driver Job Description

Working as a taxi driver can be a rewarding and lively job. Unless you are a taxi driver yourself you may not realise the extensive roles and requirements needed to provide a good quality service. The following is a description of a taxi driver�s role including some secrets you may not have realised.

Requirements

As well as a lively character and being adapt at banter there are other requirements needed to work as a taxi driver. These requirements are set in place to guarantee customer safety and satisfaction.

To work as a licensed taxi driver in Britain you must be over 21 and usually have to provide a criminal record disclosure. No official qualifications are required only a valid driving licence. Depending on which authority you work for you may need a clean licence for up to three years. You may also need to comply with medical requirements as stated by the authority.

Depending on which region of Britain you live in you may have to pass an exam or test about local areas. London in particular is notorious for its extensive "knowledge" that needs to be learned. Applicants usually take three years to complete their study and testing of the knowledge.

Individual authorities may also set their own driving test for hopeful taxi drivers. A test has been created by the driving standards agency which has now been adopted by many local authorities. An outline of the test is available on the DSA website.

Training

Some authorities offer training to help prospective taxi drivers. The training schemes cover subjects relevant to the job such as communication using radios, customer care, local routes and sites of interest and some brief mechanics.
The BTEC Level 2 Certificate in Transporting Passengers is a useful qualification to obtain. The course is available for prospective taxi drivers as well as established drivers. The course is fairly short in duration and is designed to further driver's knowledge and awareness of work related issues.

You may also get the opportunity to study the NVQ Level 2 in Road Passenger Transport. In this course drivers will be assessed on their skill working with customers and other members of staff on the job. You will study three mandatory units and have a choice of supplementary specialised units depending on your specific job.

The work

Taxi drivers either work in traditional hackney cabs or private hire vehicles. Hackney carriage licences are limited to a certain amount for each area whereas there is no limit for private hire vehicles. Taxi drivers are expected to know the best routes for their customers and need to have a good memory. Drivers will also need to be competent handling money and communicating with customers. Also drivers hoping to become self employed will need accountancy skills to keep their books and complete a tax return.

Taxi drivers receive the most work on Friday and Saturday nights and may need to deal with drunk or angry customers in a calm and rational manner. Taxi drivers also need to know how to help people with disabilities if necessary. Hackney taxi drivers usually communicate over radio and may be positioned in a taxi rank or at popular areas such as outside pubs or airports.

Some taxi drivers are employed by an operating company and hire their vehicle from the company. After a while they may save up and buy their own vehicle or start a firm and become an operator themselves. Drivers thinking of becoming self employed will have initial starting costs including insurance cover and buying a meter. It is worth investigating if there is already competition in your area before buying all the necessary equipment.