What Does a Taxi Driver Do?

Driving with Purpose

Aberdeen taxi drivers play a crucial role in transporting passengers promptly and courteously. From accepting bookings via in-car terminals to loading and unloading luggage, and chatting to passengers, the duties are diverse.

Handling Payments and Safety

Uncover the financial aspect of the job, from handling cash to card transactions. Also, delve into the responsibility of maintaining a clean and roadworthy vehicle while adhering to health and safety procedures.

How Much Does a Taxi Driver Earn?

Earning Potential

The beauty of being a taxi driver lies in the hands of the driver. Explore how working hours directly impact earnings, with weekends being the busiest. Discover the freedom of being self-employed, allowing you to shape your work life around your personal life.

Self-Employment Benefits

Unearth the advantages of being self-employed, where you keep all your earnings and pay a fee for using a taxi operator’s platform. Understand why this flexibility appeals to many taxi drivers in the UK.

Why Become a Taxi or PHC Driver in Aberdeen?

Be Your Own Boss

Explore the exceptional booking platform offered by Aberdeen Taxis and our partner – SafeKab, providing access to diverse runs. Learn how this opportunity allows you to be your own boss, earning on your terms without sacrificing income.

Meet New People

Discover the joy of meeting interesting people daily. As an Aberdeen taxi driver, you’ll engage with diverse passengers, making the job not just a career but a social experience.

How to Become a Driver

Requirements

Uncover the essential prerequisites to becoming a taxi driver in Scotland. From age and driving experience to knowledge tests about Aberdeen, understand the steps needed to secure a special license from the local authority.

Approval Process

Delve into the details of the approval process, including a medical examination and background check through the Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme run by Disclosure Scotland.

Skills and Qualifications

Enhancing Your Profile

Explore additional skills and qualifications that can boost your career as a taxi driver. From advanced driving tests to basic car maintenance skills, understand how these add-ons can make a significant difference.

Customer Service Matters

Recognise the value of customer service experience and a positive disposition. Even without formal experience, a personable temperament can elevate your career in private car hire.

How to Apply to Be a Taxi Driver

Join the Ranks

Aberdeen Taxis is actively seeking both experienced and new taxi drivers. Learn how to initiate the application process by contacting us via phone 01224 200200 or sending an email.

Conclusion

Becoming an Aberdeen taxi driver opens doors to flexibility, independence, and a unique social experience. In a world where stability is rare, this career change might just be the gear shift you’ve been waiting for.

FAQs:

1. Q: Can I choose my working hours as a taxi driver?
   • A: Absolutely! Being a taxi driver allows you the freedom to decide when and how much you want to work.
2. Q: What if I don’t have customer service experience?
   • A: While helpful, it’s not mandatory. A personable temperament and positive attitude can make a significant difference.
3. Q: Are there age restrictions to becoming a taxi driver?
   • A: Yes, you need to be at least 21 years old to apply.
4. Q: Can I apply if I don’t live in Aberdeen?
   • A: Generally, you need to apply for a special license from the Council, so residing in or near Aberdeen is advisable.
5. Q: How do I prepare for the knowledge test about Aberdeen?
   • A: The test typically covers local geography and key locations; familiarise yourself with the area to succeed.

The post Fancy a Career Change? Become an Aberdeen Taxi Driver! appeared first on Aberdeen Taxis.

The last few years have been a tumultuous, complicated time for many of us. Between pandemics, wars and global climate emergencies, there’s not been much you can rely on. That is, except for the taxi industry. Even throughout the lockdown, Aberdeen Taxi drivers were transporting passengers to appointments, to supermarkets and pharmacies for supplies, and even transporting vital blood and other essential supplies to hospitals, GPs and everywhere that needed items delivered.

Aberdeen Taxis operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year servicing the needs of residents and visitors to the great city of Aberdeen.

You could be a part of that essential infrastructure that keeps Aberdeen running, no matter the global events that surround the city.

Read below to find out why being an Aberdeen taxi driver might be the change of career you’ve been looking for!

What Does an Aberdeen Taxi Driver Do?

You will already have an idea of what a taxi driver’s duties may be, but here is a wee list of the main duties associated with driving a taxi in Aberdeen:

Taxi driver’s duties include:

• Driving passengers to their destinations in a prompt, courteous manner.
• Accepting bookings from an operator at the office. Usually via your phone or in-car terminal.
• Taking advance pre-bookings and populating taxi ranks for ad-hoc jobs.
• Help to load and unload passengers’ luggage.
• Take payments, both cash and card.
• Keep the vehicle clean, and roadworthy, and adhere to all health and safety procedures and any local COVID-19 hygiene measures.

How Much Does an Aberdeen Taxi Driver Earn?

The great thing about being a taxi driver is that your earning potential is in YOUR hands. How much you earn as a driver purely depends on the number of hours you decide to work. A full-time taxi driver could work from 40 to 60 hours a week, with the weekends being the busiest period.

As a driver, you can also choose to be self-employed, where you keep all your earnings and pay a fee to use a taxi operator’s platform for passenger bookings etc. Being self-employed means, you can choose when and how much you work, giving you greater freedom. Most taxi drivers in the UK choose to be self-employed, giving them the freedom to work as much or as little as they choose. They work driving around life, rather than work life around work! 

Why Become a Taxi or PHC Driver in Aberdeen?

Be Your Own Boss

Becoming a PHC or taxi driver in Aberdeen means you’ll have access to Aberdeen Taxis’ exceptional booking platform. This will give you access to quality runs ranging from Airport transports to school runs and everything in between.

Become your own boss and earn on your terms without having to sacrifice your salary!

Meet new people  

You’ll meet all sorts of interesting people as you drive them to their diverse destinations. You’ll get the chance to chat and serve all sorts of people, so if you love meeting new folk, being a taxi driver in Aberdeen could be the job for you!

How to Become a driver

To become a taxi driver in Scotland, you will need the following:

• You’ll need to be at least 21 years old
• Have a clean current driving licence
• Have been driving for at least 12 months
• You will need to pass a test of knowledge about the Aberdeen area
• A PHC driver does not need to pass a knowledge test

You will also need to apply for a special license from the Council to operate as a taxi driver. Also needed is a medical examination to make sure you’re fit enough to work as a taxi driver in Aberdeen. You will also need to be approved for the Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme run by Disclosure Scotland. This is to check on any previous convictions that may exclude you from being able to become a taxi driver or PHC driver.

Skills and Qualifications That Would Help You

Any additional driver training like an Advanced Driving Test would be of great use in your role as a cab driver.

Basic car maintenance skills are a huge plus. This will help keep your car on the road and the maintenance costs down.

Customer service experience is a great help, but just a personable temperament and positive disposition can help your career in private car hire enormously.

How Do I Apply to Be an Aberdeen Taxi Driver?

Aberdeen Taxis are currently looking for both experienced and new taxi drivers. Contact Aberdeen Taxis on 01224 200200 or send the team an email about how they can help you join their ranks and get your taxi driving career in Aberdeen off to a great start!

The post Change your career: Become an Aberdeen Taxi Driver appeared first on Aberdeen Taxis.

Traveling to Scotland isn’t any different. You will see dedicated workers here who are friendly and helpful enough to deserve a little bonus from you. And among the most hard-working tourism employees in the country, you’ll find the Aberdeen taxi drivers to deliver one of the best services to help you make the most of your Scottish trip.

On your vacation, the taxi drivers can play a big role on turning your vacation into a smooth and memorable one. How?

For one, local drivers can take you around and share their knowledge of the city or take you to best spots that you cannot Google. They can help you arrange your itineraries too without extra charge and recommend a couple of interesting events to see during your stay.

There are a lot more reasons why they should get a little extra on top of your payment for the ride. And if you ever find yourself still questioning whether you should give your taxi driver a tip or not; or whether you’re tipping your driver the right way or not; here’s a checklist we developed to help you sort things out.

Checkbox 1 – Does your driver deserve it?

From your first pick up point to all the extra stops you asked him or her to bring you to, did you experience a smooth ride all the way? If yes, then he absolutely deserves a tip.

Many riders aren’t sure about how they can tell whether their ride was smooth or not most especially when they are not familiar with the Scotland traffic. The months of June-August are extra busy months and if your driver managed to get you to your stopovers without making you feel impatient, then yes, you should tip.

Checkbox2 – Did your driver help you unload your luggage and shopping bags?

If your taxi driver has been extra helpful by carrying your entire luggage from the airport taxi queue to the trunk, and from the trunk then off to your aberdeen hotel lobby, then you can consider giving at least 10% tip.

If you decided to hire your aberdeen taxi driver for one whole day of wandering around the city, taking you from one souvenir store to visitor attraction, then it’s another prompt for you to give a tip.

If he provided  friendly conversation and offered other services to make your tour a pleasurable experience, then it’s a good practice to reward them for going an extra mile.

Checkbox3 – Ride Quality

You have to gauge the ride quality and tip accordingly. Does your aberdeen airport taxi have what you would expect? Was it fresh inside the cab? Does the interior look like it has been well-maintained? Was you driver presentable? These can be your standards for knowing how much to tip.

If the taxi has an “okay” grade, you can give 10% for tip. If the experience is “standard” then you can give 15%. But if you think the ride experience was excellent, then we recommend giving your driver at least 20% tip.

And if they gave a poor service or if the taxi wasn’t pleasing at all, then don’t give a tip. This will tell the driver that they are either providing services that are below standard or their vehicle gives bad vibes to passengers. This will, at least, encourage them to do improvements.

Checklist 4 – Are the routes the right path?

I know this means extra effort on your part but knowing whether your taxi driver is leading you to the right path or driving you in circles just so he can get extra income from the meter count should dictate whether he deserves a tip or not. This should help you decide, too, whether he is trustworthy enough to be hired for your day tours or not.

Like I mentioned, it is the best idea to hire a local taxi driver who knows the ins and outs of the city and nearby towns. They can find the quickest and shortest possible route to get you to places. They can give you helpful tips too on how you should reach your destination when you need to do some walking. But you should pay attention on who you hire. Otherwise, they might become the reason why you didn’t enjoy your trip.

Do your homework before you fly to any country you are planning to visit.

It pays to read reviews and travel tips to know if hiring a taxi in that specific destination is a better idea than renting a self-driven car or taking public transport.

You can also Google “taxi near me” and choose from the result the one with the highest rating.

In aberdeen, Scotland, one of the most recommended taxi-hailing companies is aberdeen Taxis. It recruits courteous and hospitable drivers who are also very professional when delivering their service.

A lot of tourists are already booking their rides with Aberdeen Taxis and in its 60 years of serving locals and tourists, it has already become the go-to of most commuters. If you ever book your ride with the Aberdeen Taxis and find your ride overall impressive, then remember that tips should range between 10% and 20% of the fare. If your journey was of poor quality, don’t tip and please drop us a line on your experience.

The post When And How To Tip a Taxi Driver. appeared first on Aberdeen Taxis.