Most taxi drivers are careful to make sure that they have the right kind of taxi insurance and that it is in date. But not all it seems, and when the law catches up to those who operate without insurance deliberately or through absent-mindedness, the results can be very bad for business.
Welsh police move in on uninsured taxis
In Wales recently, three taxi vehicles were seized by police running routine checks on a junction of the M4. The vehicles were found to have no insurance and so were confiscated according to section 165 of the Road Traffic Act, which requires drivers to produce, ‘the relevant certificate of insurance or certificate of security, or such other evidence that the vehicle is not or was not being driven in contravention of section 143.’
In a separate incident in Port Talbot meanwhile, three vehicles belonging to a taxi company were seized from a taxi rank at a bus station. Local licensing officials received a tip-off that a taxi firm in the town was operating without cover, and upon checking three vehicles found that all were lacking proper taxi insurance. Suspension notices were issued and the vehicles were later seized by police.
Do you have the right taxi insurance?
It’s not just these extreme cases of having no insurance at all though that can land a taxi driver in hot water. Not having the right type of insurance can also result in the policy being void and the vehicle being effectively operated illegally. If you’re operating your own vehicle or a fleet of vehicles as part of a commercial taxi business then you need to obtain dedicated taxi insurance to cover you.
A standard motor insurance policy isn’t enough to cover taxi driving – specialist insurance is needed to provide cover for use as a business vehicle. As well as this it is highly recommended that you have public liability insurance as part of your policy, as this will cover you in the event that a member of the public suffers injury or loss as a result of your operation of the vehicle.