Taxis are an important part of any town or city's transport system. Taxis have a licence plate and roof sign that states they are a taxi. As a taxi driver you might be booked in advance, wait on a taxi rank or pick up passengers while on the move. You could combine normal ‘pick-up' jobs with prearranged contracts such as regular trips for schoolchildren or those unable to drive. You might also make longer-distance trips such as taking people to airports. The other type of passenger transport is a private hire vehicle. As a private hire driver, you can only collect passengers who have pre-booked through your operator. You cannot be flagged down in the street.

When working in a taxi or private hire vehicle, you would:
• take job details over the radio from the operator at the office or by an in-car computer
• help to load and unload passengers' luggage
• assist passengers with any physical conditions that make it difficult for them to get in and out of the vehicle
• take payments
• keep the vehicle clean and roadworthy
• keep accounts and records, if self-employed.

Working conditions and skills
You would spend most of your time on the road, sometimes in heavy traffic, and you would be constantly on the move. The job allows you to choose your hours, but you will find more work in the evenings. You would work between 40 and 60 hours a week if full time. In the UK, 17% of taxi drivers are employed full time, 17% are employed part time and 66% are self-employed. As well as being a skilled driver, you need to be good at communicating with people and helping customers. You must be tactful when dealing with problems and have good time management and numeracy skills.

Requirements
You will need a special licence from your local authority to be a taxi driver or private car hire driver. For this, you usually need to be over 21 years old, to have a clean current driving licence and to have been driving for at least 12 months. You may also need to pass a test of knowledge about the local geography. If you are using your own vehicle, it will also need a special licence.

Many employers value additional driver training which could include the Advanced Driving Test offered by the Institute of Advanced Motorists. Evidence of basic mechanical skills, such as RQF level 4, would also be welcome.