COULD YOU BE A TAXI SPECIALIST? Several ways cabbies can target specific niche markets
All taxi drivers are looking for efficiency in the way they work. Whether it be keeping costs down or looking for ways to increase their revenue throughout their working shifts.
Whilst the bread-and-butter purpose of a Hackney Carriage taxi is to take the public from A to B, there are other opportunities that can supplement earnings too.
Depending on where you are licensed and the number of cabbies already looking to exploit potentially money making niches in the region, adding another string to your bow could be worth exploring.
Airport and other long journey specialists
All Hackney Carriage drivers can offer a pre-booked service if they wish. Some drivers set up their own website and advertise their services for more lucrative airport work at a price that suits them.
Targeting popular destinations like airports, ferry ports and tourist attractions further afield can be a great way of maximising income.
Corporate account contracts
There are two ways you can look for and serve these contracts; via an operator who tenders for the contracts or tender the contracts yourself.
Businessesbigandsmallusetaxisforawholeraftof different reasons; safe night-time travelling for employees finishing late or transport to meetings or airports when required are just some.
The contracts usually guarantee regular work, but they are fiercely fought for and can sometimes mean offering some sort of reduced price to clinch the deal. Drivers and operators must weigh up the benefits of regular work against revenue often less than the meter.
School contracts
Across the UK thousands of taxi drivers are contracted to take children to and from school during term-times.
Wiltshire Council recently put out a plea calling for more licensed taxi drivers in the area to consider vital special education contracts worth over £250 a day which remain unfulfilled.
Taxis are seen as an essential part of the transport network throughout the UK, providing a valuable service to the local community. Given the well reported shortage of taxi drivers, this niche market which guarantees daily fares could be the answer where you work.
Hospital and health care contracts
The coronavirus pandemic saw taxis utilised as a safer means of transport and as funding across the NHS remains tight the reliance on taxis remains.
Taxis in Scotland are currently being used to transport patients in non-threatening conditions to hospitals in a bid to ease NHS Scotland’s ambulance crisis.
In rural areas of the UK the use of taxis to transport people to and from GP surgeries and health centres could provide a significant amount of steady income whilst also helping out the community you reside in.
Approximately £460million is spent on Non-Emergency Patient Transport Services (NEPTS) delivering 11-12 million patient journeys each year.
Social care budgets remain a hot topic across the UK, but helping people pay for vital transportation needs like taxis remain a necessity for many.
Local authorities in your region will all tender contracts looking for taxi drivers and operators to fulfil regular journeys helping those with mobility or disability needs.
The London Taxicard scheme is a perfect example of a wide-scale subsidised service which offers door to door journeys in licensed taxis and private hire vehicles for London residents who have serious mobility or visual impairments. It is funded by the London boroughs and TfL, and managed by London Councils on their behalf.
In smaller cities and regions drivers should contact their local authorities and care homes to see whether there is a demand for their services.
Tour guide offerings
Very few people know a city better than a taxi driver in the region so why not use that skill to maximise your earnings?
Dependant on the level of service offered some taxi drivers can command up to £300 for a three-hour tour of London. With the right marketing and tour guide training this can quickly become a viable and lucrative addition to the bread-and-butter taxi work.
Wedding car services
The wedding event market can be VERY lucrative. Again, the right level of marketing is required to advertise your services, but if you have a unique vehicle that fits the bill for weddings, and you are prepared to offer an ultra-professional service on the day, you could be quid’s in.
Attending wedding venues and wedding fairs to strike up partnerships with established wedding businesses is a great way to get your business moving in the right direction quickly.
There are of course LOADS more niches and most importantly demand for other services that can be pounced on by entrepreneurial cabbies. Find the right market and it could be both fun and lucrative.
