taxi insurance - difference between taxis and private hire insurance

Taxi insurance is a very broad market. Most drivers and even customers are not even aware of the difference between a taxi and a private hire vehicle. Most insurers will set up a policy for a private hire driver and provide hire and reward taxi insurance. For taxis such as hackney carriages, the policy would however more or less be the same, but with a bit of a difference. Hackney carriages are allowed to pick up fares from the street without a booking, whereas private hire vehicles will have to be booked through an operator for a booking to be accepted and the insurance to be valid. Most councils are aware of this in the UK, however the word "touting" is very common in the UK in many towns as private hire drivers try to pick up fares without a prior booking which is by law illegal. It happens everywhere in the country, and council officials are getting tighter on this as it is affecting the business of hackney carriage drivers, so called black cab drivers in the UK. Due to touting in the streets by private hire drivers, customers are taking private hire vehicles without knowing that they are not insured unless they make a booking through the private hire operator. Always use a licensed taxi wherever you are. If you are in the street you should always use a licensed black cab if you woud like to hail a taxi, but always book through the office if you want a private hire vehicle.

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