Taxi Driver Online

I have recently decided to get out of the office life and want some of the freedom(?!) of becoming a private hire driver.

Can you advise on following options please:

a) Buy my own car and work self employed for a firm

I have some capital and need to buy a car for the family anyway.

b) go and work for a company that gives the car as part of the deal

There is a firm in london called Addison Lee who provide the car for a fixed fee of £70 week, they claim I could earn around £700 week clear - is this standard?

Whats the best in terms of income / flexibility etc.

Any thoughts??

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Jaimito

I would check out as many firms as you can, and maybe have a chat with some of the existing drivers.

From experience the firms will slightly (or maybe not so slightly) exaggerate the money they think you will earn. But try one firm, and if it doesn't work out, go to another.

You could of course spend three years of your life riding a moped, and get a London cab license. But you will have to put on 10 stone to become a fully paid up member.

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IDFIMH

Or you could do it on a bike, and lose a few stone instead.

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Taxi Driver Online
www.taxi-driver.co.uk

I think that in general terms you'll make more with your own car, but it's quite a simple business to do the sums, and of course if you rent a car but can't use it privately then you'll have the added expense of running another car.

It might be a good idea to drive a company car to start with, then you can always put your own on, and it's unlikely that you'll have any long-term committment to a company car.

As for the earnings figures, who knows - you might have to work 80 hours, and every Friday and Saturday night to make the figures that are claimed.

You say the Addison figures are net, but I'm sure some firms advertise gross figures, then you have to take off at least £300 for car, radio, insurance, fuel, maintenance etc.

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Taxi Driver Online
www.taxi-driver.co.uk