Choosing the right Private Hire Operator is essential

At the very least, you must ensure the company you use is safe and competant. Give your senior executives peace of mind and use an ISO 9001 accredited service.

Follow these guidelines and you'll be working with a great company in no time!

Background

Prior to 2000, very few laws and regulations were in existence relating to the Private Hire industry. Anyone could become a Private Hire driver and/or Private Hire Operator. Like many sectors, regulation was desperately needed. The regulations that followed sought to protect the public in their dealings with the Private Hire industry, which can only be a good thing, especially when we’re takling about your safety.

Since that time, the industry has become heavily regulated and the law can often be confusing. Let us try to breakdown the main points. There are three main licenses within the private hire industry.

i) A Private Hire driver’s licence - held by the actual driver

ii) A Private Hire vehicle licence - relating to the vehicle you are driven in

iii) A Private Hire Operator’s Licence - relating to the business/office/app that accepted your booking

It’s worth pointing out, that all three of the above licenses must be valid. If any of the above licence requirements are not met, your booking is uninsured and therefore illegal. This is the main reason why it’s so important to use a reputable and licensed Operator. The use of one will reduce your burden of checking each individual booking to ensure all requirements have been met.

How can you tell if the prospective company you may work with is reputable and trustworthy? The short answer is… do your research! Some of the things you might want to consider are, does the company have any reviews? Google, TrustPilot, Feefo etc. These are all great review sites. You could also check to see if the prospective company is ISO certificated. ISO 9001 (business systems) as well as 14001 (environmental systems) can be a great indicator as to the type of company you are dealing with. ISO (International Organisation for Standards).

Other points to consider:

i) If you make a booking directly with the driver, ensure he/she has his own Operator’s Licence. Less than 7% of licensed drivers have a valid Operator’s Licence

ii) Don’t assume that the individual or office you are dealing with is licensed. Ask to see a copy and check its validity on the TfL website. Click here to check the validity of any TfL licence

iii) Always ensure that the individual or business you have placed your booking with is the same individual or business that sends you an official booking confirmation. It is always a risk to receive a booking confirmation from an unknown individual or business

iv) Using a reputable Private Hire Operator also means a record of your booking is kept for a minimum of 12 months (legal requirement), just in case you want to query anything at a later date. Also, knowing who your driver is and having their contact details means lost property can be easily found

Now this is where things get slightly complicated. If a driver suggests to a customer (or vice versa) that he or she can make a booking directly with the driver, then the driver must have, in addition to the licenses mentioned above, an Operator’s Licence. There are various tiers of Operator Licenses, based on how many vehicles can be legally operated at one time. 0 to 10 vehicles, 11 to 20 vehicles, 21 to 50 vehicles, 51 to 100 etc. Corporate requirements rarely go above 100 vehicles. We have an unlimited licence which means we can operate any number of vehicles.

Without an Operator’s Licence, or any of the other licenses mentioned here, the booking is uninsured and illegal. We all know the consequences of driving without insurance and none of us would knowingly do it. You can rest assured that we will ensure all our drivers have all the appropriate and up to date licenses and documentation.