chauffeur / vip / airport taxis Jobs

chauffeur / vip / airport taxis Jobs

Author
Discussion

Wilmslowboy

Original Poster:

4,315 posts

213 months

Wednesday 27th December 2023
quotequote all
Friend is thinking of returning from the states (California), where he has been a self employed private driver (2022 Escalade) for VIPs and Uber black.

He is fully qualified/ accredited (for California, I.e TCP, evasive driving, weapon carrying, unaccompanied children etc)


How easy will it be for him to pick up driving work in the UK (ideally Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool areas), are there any agencies he should register with . He is happy to do airport work, business trips etc and ideally looking to get up and running ASAP.

What qualifications / registrations will he need.
(He will have access to a near new exec car, and he still has a full valid UK driving licence)

Thanks in advance for the responses.




Munter

31,326 posts

248 months

Thursday 28th December 2023
quotequote all
I've used Blacklane app for better cars/service than Uber before. No idea on the drivers requirements. But another app for him to consider.

Monkeylegend

27,207 posts

238 months

Thursday 28th December 2023
quotequote all
He will need to be licensed by a council licensing authority and will also need an Enhanced DBS check,

If he is setting up his own business he will need an operators licence, but not if he works for a company that already has one.

His car will also need to be tested for Private Hire use, either by a local authority, or alternatively some ask for an MOT, sometimes every 6 months even for a brand new car. Some authorities will apply age restrictions on the car and some will even want them to be wheelchair accessible.

Some authorities also require standard colours so customers can easily recognise them as taxis or PH vehicles.

He will also need to have insurance for Hire and Reward which will not be cheap.

He might also be required to take a driving test and a local knowledge test.

Well that's how it used to be.

His best bet is initially to either approach a local company for a job or speak to the local licensing authority in the area he will be based, that way he will get things done properly with the correct advice.

stinkyspanner

832 posts

84 months

Friday 29th December 2023
quotequote all
What kind of exec car will he have? Most companies that use subbies will insist on an LWB S class or possibly a 7 series if they're not as fussy, no more than 3 or 4 years old

Wilmslowboy

Original Poster:

4,315 posts

213 months

Friday 29th December 2023
quotequote all
stinkyspanner said:
What kind of exec car will he have? Most companies that use subbies will insist on an LWB S class or possibly a 7 series if they're not as fussy, no more than 3 or 4 years old
Whatever is required, he has enough cash to buy the right car outright.
His Escalade when sold in the USA should net him about £90k




stinkyspanner

832 posts

84 months

Friday 29th December 2023
quotequote all
That'll get him going in a decent 2nd hand S class, or a new V class if he fancied that.. I don't know what's busier Oop North but in London he'd get on all the platforms once licensed and my experience is that my best customers found me by word of mouth and meeting other chauffeurs on jobs (as long as he's not a total nugget!)

omniflow

2,866 posts

158 months

Saturday 30th December 2023
quotequote all
He very definitely needs to figure out the rules for the car in the area he's planning to work - before he goes out and buys a car.

For example, for a first time PCO sticker in London the car either needs to be fully electric, or a plug-in petrol hybrid. Self-charging hybrids and diesel hybrids are no longer allowed. The rules would appear to be more relaxed outside London, but I would imagine that's the direction everything is moving towards.