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Qualifications to be a Taxi Driver

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Chris North FCII
Commercial Vehicle Insurance Technical Manager, read more

2 minutes

Written: July 04, 2024

Close-up of a London black cab with the taxi sign lit, reflecting red neon lights outside a busy venue at night

It’s important to note that there are no set qualifications that all applying taxi drivers must take. Instead, the qualifications to be a taxi driver will vary depending on your local council’s requirements.

The following are some of the qualifications you might need to take:

  • A driving test, to ensure you are a safe and competent driver

  • A knowledge/Cabology test

  • An English and maths qualification

  • A taxi driver theory test, including key questions on vehicle maintenance, road signs, hazards, etc.

Qualifications to be a PHV taxi driver

You will need to take the following qualifications to be a private hire vehicle (PHV) taxi driver:

  • A topographical assessment (to check your understanding of maps)

  • A speaking and listening assessment

  • A Safety, Equality and Regulatory Understanding (SERU) assessment to test your reading and writing skills.

Learning The Knowledge

If you want to earn your London taxi driver licence, you’ll need to take the famous ‘Knowledge of London’ test, which has come to be known simply as 'The Knowledge.'

Learning ‘The Knowledge’ can seem a daunting task, but remember that it’s necessary and will serve you well once you get your licence; after all, black cabs can be flagged down by anyone at any time, so you need to have a comprehensive understanding of London’s road and streets.

Learning ‘The Knowledge’ is no brief endeavour. It takes most prospective students around three to four years to get to a place where they’re ready to take the test, so you’ll want to make sure this is the right path for you.

Taxi insurance from Everywhen

Taxi driving usually involves covering a far higher mileage than a standard car driver, often at unsociable hours and in built-up areas. This increases the risk of an accident and therefore it is hugely important that you are properly covered.

Taxi insurance includes motor insurance and passenger liability insurance as standard in every policy. This ensures that you and your passengers are protected should anything happen whilst you are working.

See our taxi insurance page for more information, get a quote online or call us on 01903 875 420.

Taxi fleet insurance from Everywhen

If your firm grows to have more than four vehicles we have a multi-vehicle policy, or for five or more taxis we can cover you using our taxi fleet insurance.

Complete our enquiry form for a call back or call us on 01903 875 420.

chris-north.jpg

Chris North FCII

Commercial Vehicle Insurance Technical Manager

Chris is a respected industry leader with over 40 years' experience, who has worked in the insurance industry in a variety of roles, accumulating a wealth of knowledge. He is a longstanding Fellow of the Chartered Insurance Institute (FCII).

Chris is a respected industry leader with over 40 years' experience, who has worked in the insurance industry in a variety of roles, accumulating a wealth of knowledge. He is a longstanding Fellow of the Chartered Insurance Institute (FCII). He is currently Technical Manager for Everywhen's motor division, providing expertise on all matters relating to motor fleet insurance, in particular haulage and self-drive hire fleets.

Chris is responsible for providing this specialist team with technical advice, not only about the usual motor, liability, property and goods in transit covers, but also increasingly crucial covers such as directors’ and officers’ liability insurance and cyber threat insurance. His role also includes bringing forwards new initiatives for transport-related businesses, in particular those of a risk management nature given the importance Everywhen places on the maxim that ‘prevention is better than cure’.

Everywhen combines regional care with national reach, deep sector knowledge and strong insurer relationships to deliver tailored solutions across 55+ schemes. We help our clients navigate everyday and emerging risks with confidence, always and at all times.

The information contained in this article is based on sources that we believe are reliable and should be understood as general information only. It is not intended to be taken as advice with respect to any specific or individual situation and cannot be relied upon as such.