Taxi Insurance is Essential for Hire and Reward Vehicles

Posted by Active under Taxi News

Taxi drivers without a hire and reward insurance can face severe fines, points on their driving licence and even a ban from driving. All hire and reward vehicles that have been licensed for either private or public hire must have a taxi insurance policy in place. The consequences of not having a hire and reward insurance cover in place can be extremely costly for the licensed driver and even worse for a driver without a taxi badge and vehicle with no plate that is touting for business illegally.

All taxi hire and reward cars, mpv and minibus must be correctly insured prior to use on a public highway otherwise you are breaking the law. Even though this is a not a criminal offence it is still an extremely serious offence that is punishable by a fine and conviction points on your driving licence. In some circumstances even a ban from driving may also apply. Not only could this jeopardise your livelihood but also any chance of future work in the hire and reward industry may also be limited.

Without having a valid taxi insurance cover most taxi licensing authorities will not issue a plate Licence or a permit for the vehicle. Without a private hire / public hire plate your vehicle cannot be used for the purposes of hire and reward. In some circumstances there are exceptions to this rule. Further details can be obtained from your local taxi licensing officer.

Most taxi insurance companies offers easy monthly payment options for the annual policies. There are some insurers that also offer monthly and quarterly private hire and public hire taxi policies. There is no excuse for not having the correct insurance cover in place, not only can your jeopardise your livelihood but you can put other road users and members of the public at a great risk.

Whether you are licensed by Stoke City Council, London Public Carriage Office PCO or any other licensing authority in the UK you must have a taxi insurance policy if the vehicle is to be used for public hire. If the vehicle is to be use as a minicab and is licensed under a private hire Licence then a private hire insurance policy needs to be in place.

For a quote on taxi insurance or a cheap private hire insurance policy contact Active Insurance, the leading UK provider of hire and reward insurance cover for licensed vehicles.

Getting Taxi Insurance Quotes Online

Posted by Active under Taxi News

The internet is now rapidly becoming a useful tool in the way we transact our daily business and also how we shop for goods and services. In many instances the web has overtaken the traditional methods of shopping for services such as taxi insurance. For many taxi drivers throughout the UK the internet has become the medium of choice for getting taxi insurance quotes online. The internet allows taxi drivers to compare taxi insurance quotes online with multiple taxi insurance companies in minutes. However the taxi driver still needs to be cautious and beware of the many pitfalls of shopping online.

The traditional methods of getting taxi insurance quotes were recommendations by fellow taxi drivers, trade magazines, local broker and business directories. Calling a specialist taxi broker still has many benefits to getting an online quotation since many online quote forms may not take into account the individual circumstances of the driver. Also the online quotation may make a lot of assumptions to reduce the question set asked. Many drivers failed to read these assumptions and can get a quotation or cover which is based on an incomplete set of information.

The obvious benefits of an online taxi insurance quote is that many companies can be contacted very quickly and thus enabling you to compare taxi insurance quotations with multiple providers. Most online systems only capture the taxi drivers risk information and do not provide an instant quote and a representative of the taxi insurance company normally will call back with the quote details and may also enquire about any other facts related to the taxi quotation. This enables the taxi driver to explain exactly what their needs are to the taxi broker. They can also clarify any questions that they were unsure of.

The internet is one of getting comparison taxi insurance quotes for people that have access to online services but it does not mean that you will get the best and the cheapest deal for your taxi vehicle. There are specialist taxi brokers that do not have an online presence but have great deals on taxi insurance for drivers all over Great Britain. Some times a recommendation from a colleague may be the better option for your needs. It is best to keep your options open when shopping for cheap taxi insurance quotes.

However the internet is a tool that plays an integral part of our daily life, from shopping online to getting information and staying up to date with friends and family through email or socials sites such as facebook and twitter. The modern taxi driver has a choice of getting taxi insurance quotes as never before but as with anything else you need to keep your options open to other media as well.

For an online taxi insurance quotation please visit Active Insurance website. The specialist taxi insurance brokers for the UK hire and reward trade.

Private Hire Insurance – London PCO Minicab Insurance

Posted by Active under Active Insurance News, Latest News, Taxi News

The most common form of taxis operating in London is the iconic London Black Cab. Not only are they safe to travel in and around London but all the drivers go thorough vigorous checks and must have taxi insurance cover in place before they are able to use their cabs for hire and reward. Another popular form of transport is the London minicabs officially known as private hire vehicles. As with black cabs these vehicles have to be licensed by the London Public Carriage Office (PCO) and must have private hire insurance. This type of insurance policy is commonly known as minicab insurance. Most of the private hire vehicles are either 5 seat saloon types of vehicles or 7 seat MPV’s. Some are even licensed to carry up to 9 passengers and will require having a private hire minibus insurance policy in place.

Public Hire and Private Hire Vehicles

Through the UK including London there are primarily two types of vehicles that are licensed to be used as hire and reward. The public hire vehicles are taxis such as the London black cabs and are also known as Hackney Carriages. The public hire vehicles must have a public hire taxi insurance policy in place and these are the only types of vehicles that can be hailed on the street by the public. Also these are the only types of vehicles that can advertise or imply that they are a ‘Taxi’ cab. The private hire licensed vehicles cannot display the sign ‘Taxi’ and can only carry passengers that have pre-booked their journey, usually through a minicab booking office. It is illegal for a private hire vehicle to pick a passenger on a street that have not pre-booked their journey as this would not only contravene the condition of the drivers private hire licence but it may also invalidate their private hire insurance policy.

Private Hire (Minicab) Licensing

After many years of campaigning by various groups, the Private Hire Vehicle (London) Act was passed in to law in 1998. The overseeing body that was given the responsibility of licensing was passed on to the Public Carriage Office (PCO) who also is responsible for licensing London’s black cabs.

There is still a major problem in London where the customers fail to differentiate the difference between a licensed private hire vehicle and unlicensed vehicles who illegally tout for taxi business throughout London and many other parts of the country. These touts tend to prey on tourists in the City or late night revellers at pubs, restaurants and clubs.

Passengers should know that the Public Carriage Office (PCO) issues three types of licenses to the private hire trade.

• The Operators Licence – This license is issued to the minicab company that operates by accepting pre-booked journeys to carry one or more fare paying customers. The private hire operator must display their licence at their place of business. This licence must be displayed in a place where it is easily visible by the public. If the business has an office or a shop front where the members of public can go to and make a booking then they ideally should also have a taxi office public liability insurance cover in place as well.
• Private Hire Vehicle Licence – This licence is issued to ensure that all vehicles used for hire and reward use have been tested and fit for this use. In London private hire vehicles display the licence on both the front and rear windows of the vehicles. The expiration date is visible on these licenses. Customers should query any vehicle that does not have a valid private hire licence. Before the vehicle is issued with a licence, a private hire insurance certificate or covernote must be produced to ensure that the correct insurance cover is in place.
• Private Hire Drivers Licence – For minicab drivers to obtain a private hire licence most licensing authorities have implemented some form of knowledge tests. Also the driver is checked with the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) for any criminal convictions or cautions. Once the licensing authority is satisfied the driver is a ‘fit and proper’ person, they will then issue a licence. Any customer can ask to see this licence before commencing their journey. It is a condition of the licence that it must be clearly displayed whilst they are using their vehicle for hire and reward use.

Certain types of vehicles such as wedding cars and funeral vehicles are exempt from the private hire licensing regulation.

Active Insurance is a UK leading broker offering low cost private hire insurance also known as minicab insurance including vehicles licensed by London Public Carraige Office PCO.