Airport Runs / Private Hire - Any help out there?

[Robw73]

Hi all,

Typing this as much to clear my head as to ask for advice.

I closed my retail shop of 16 years (18 years from business conception) in mid-august due to dramatic drop in footfall / turnover in the last 18 months since re-opening from the COVID closures.

I've toyed with all sorts of scenario's and potential new ventures and of all that I came up with i really fancied starting out on a new road (no pun intended) of offering airport runs in a half decent car (Audi A6 Avant / Merc E Class).

I'm based in Hertfordshire (on the Bedfordshire border) so Luton, Stansted, Heathrow & Gatwick are all easily doable.

My problem comes that the local council will only accept vehicles of 5 years or newer.
My budget doesn't allow me this luxury with the type of car I was looking at.

I took £16,000 from the business with me when I closed (no debt to anybody) but to allow myself a 'buffer' I'm a little reluctant to use all that.
Taking loans isn't really me, nor would I be comfortable be with for an unproven venture.
Buying a car outright means I can re-sell it should things not work out.

I guess I'm just using this post to sound things out, make sure I haven't missed anything obvious as I'm at a bit of a loss at which direction to turn now.

Thanks for listening.
Any help / tips / ideas would be greatly welcomed.
Rob

[randlemarcus]

Financing a car doesnt mean you can't sell it on if needed, you just need to clear the finance before the ownership transfers. It might work for you, it might not.

My (based purely on being a middle aged old grump) advice on entering a low barrier to entry, fairly crowded marketplace is to see if you can find an existing service, and work for them, then they pay you to learn the business, and all it's foibles.

[stevemcs]

Not everyone cares about the car, cost is the main factor around our way.

I'd be looking into insurance and then something Mondeo, Superb size - preference being on the Mondeo

[djc206]

Do you need to be registered through your local council? Down our way every man and his battered old Prius gets their ticket from New Forest District Council and then work the whole area.

[Ussrcossack]

I'm not sure if the Private hire rules have changed but you used to be able to apply for a licence in another local authority.

I never liked the idea as some authorites had less checks, back ground etcetera.

Might be worth looking at if you can still do it and the vehicle age isnt enforced

[The jiffle king]

Getting an 8 seater around here is really tricky and they are well used on airport runs. Not saying that is the right move, but you have to book weeks in advance for one with my local firm

[Robw73]

djc206 said:

Do you need to be registered through your local council? Down our way every man and his battered old Prius gets their ticket from New Forest District Council and then work the whole area.

Trust me, North Herts has battered old beasts sitting in their taxi ranks too................... but as long as they were registered before hitting 5 years old, they can run them forever, regardless of age, mileage, safety!

I was looking at a 61 plate A6 Avant, immaculate, 70,000 miles from new.................. none of that matters as it's older than the specified timescales allowed! Crazy!

[djc206]

Robw73 said:

Trust me, North Herts has battered old beasts sitting in their taxi ranks too................... but as long as they were registered before hitting 5 years old, they can run them forever, regardless of age, mileage, safety!

I was looking at a 61 plate A6 Avant, immaculate, 70,000 miles from new.................. none of that matters as it's older than the specified timescales allowed! Crazy!

Well all I can say to that is they aren’t so stringent around here. Worth looking at other councils to see if they’ll licence you with something older but still in good condition like you’re looking at.

[Robw73]

The jiffle king said:

Getting an 8 seater around here is really tricky and they are well used on airport runs. Not saying that is the right move, but you have to book weeks in advance for one with my local firm

This was my exact first game plan.
Simply can't afford one.
They are big money (well big money for somebody like me)

[ZedLeg]

stevemcs said:

Not everyone cares about the car, cost is the main factor around our way.

I'd be looking into insurance and then something Mondeo, Superb size - preference being on the Mondeo

That, get a Skoda Octavia or Superb and get going.

[RedAndy]

most coucnils have a clause in the licensing that allows "specialist" vehicles to be licensed such as classics .. if you can convince the committee that their normal (yet very sensible guvnor) blanket rule is not always right. Our council is quite happy to hear and often allows breaks from the norm for justified reasons. For example if you were running an Inspector Morse jag as your business gimmick thing... they'd quite possibly be ok with that. worth an ask with the licensing team manager AND the Portfolio Holder Member in charge of Licensing (former is a paperwork junkie, latter is the one you can arm twist by sucking up, and not to be confused). They'd probably quite like you to offer them coffee and cake at your local ethically sourced youth run cafe...

[Desiderata]

djc206 said:

Well all I can say to that is they aren’t so stringent around here. Worth looking at other councils to see if they’ll licence you with something older but still in good condition like you’re looking at.

This.
I have relatives who run a taxi business in Kent, all vehicles licenced in Wolverhampton. They apparently are less fussy there.

[Robw73]

Desiderata said:

This.
I have relatives who run a taxi business in Kent, all vehicles licenced in Wolverhampton. They apparently are less fussy there.

Messaged you.

[MrBig]

Desiderata said:

This.
I have relatives who run a taxi business in Kent, all vehicles licenced in Wolverhampton. They apparently are less fussy there.

Indeed. Wolverhampton seems to have become the Nassau of the private hire vehicle world. (I am aware that's probably the only time in history both have been mentioned in the same sentence!)

[quinny100]

One way around the age thing is to buy a car that’s already plated, but you’ll need to have a drivers badge issued by the same authority for the same vehicle type (hackney or private hire) although you can usually get a dual badge which covers both.

Starting out you could get your badge and drive someone else’s car - either through a firm or an agreement with another driver.

I know a few people who do airport runs, and the best way to maximise your return is to buddy up with 2 or 3 other drivers, advertise together and share the work out between you. You will only make a reasonable living if you almost never operate a leg empty - so you want to always have a pick up within an hour or two of a drop off. Secondly, you’ll end up turning away a lot of business as an individual because you can’t cover both legs for a customer. Thirdly, you need backup in the event of a problem with your vehicle/customer flights delayed etc. The flights thing prevents you from booking too many jobs close together.

All the people I know who do it are retired and do it to supplement their pensions. I’m not sure it stacks up as a primary source of income. A lot of taxi drivers left the job with COVID and found easier ways to make a living, mostly courier work. If you don’t have much capital, and old van delivering for Amazon or Hemes might be a better option.

[Truckosaurus]

A chap I know retired early and started doing Uber on a part time basis. He's in Croydon so has easy access to London and airports. He picks the hours he works as he feels like it. Once he got going and passing out business cards he started booking direct for airport runs. (Use Uber to find a punter for the return leg on drop offs)

He had to swap his car for a hybrid Corolla, which might be the best option where ever you are in the country - suck up the fact you have to get finance of some sort.