
For those beginning out in the mini-cab market, we generally suggest that you rent a mini-cab before buying a mini-cab so that you get used to a new job and reduce the upfront expense of having a PCO license. Any car you use would need to be a registered private hire vehicle (PHV).
For a while then, you may continue to either use your car or purchase a new one, but from January 2012 onwards, new regulations were put in force that placed limits on the age of the vehicle which are as follows:
So be mindful of the above that if you are buying a vehicle that already has a PHV license, it would only have a reasonable amount of time left in it as a mini-cab when it comes to its 10th year, so a vehicle on the ’05 plate will only be licensed until 2015.
Apart from the mentioned conditions, PCO cars need to be efficient, regardless of age. Generally, you need to go through a process to obtain the PCO license for your PCO car and claim there is no serious problem with your vehicle. Here is what you have got to do in the process:
Whether you rent, buy a new, or buy a used car to join a PHV operator, you need to obtain a PHV license. As a result, it makes sense to buy or rent a car that already maintains a PHV license. Therefore, you can quicken the process more effectively.
Note that many people, especially recent members, may confuse the process and assume that as soon as they get the PHV license, they are eligible to join a rideshare app to work. The point is the PHV license is what is awarded to your car and doesn’t clarify your skills in driving. Then, you have to pass a few more steps, too.
So, from the car’s point of view, there are three ways to do it.
Thus, buying a brand new car would give you the full 10 years of use as a private hire driver. You’re sure to rack up a decent amount of mileage so the selling price of a new car will drop significantly. Logically, all existing cars will be phased out and all PHVs will fall into the current age range of no more than five years of age.
It can be concluded that, if you can’t afford to buy a brand-new car, renting would be the best choice. In the coming sections, we will mention more about PCO cars.
You will need to present the following initial documentation when you take your car in:
To acquire a PHV license, the car must satisfy the following criteria:
You wouldn’t need to be the driver of a vehicle you’re using to drive a PCO. As long as your PHV license is valid and you employ and reward insurance, you’re ready to go.
Many people think that on-demand drivers have their own Uber vehicles and other ride-share applications. Although this is still possible, more drivers are hiring their private rental vehicles. Let’s see the pros and cons of hiring a PCO vehicle.
As part of your license, you need to have your car MOT (Ministry of Transport) checked every 6 months. The first MOT is equivalent once you get your PCO-licensed car or even when your car is re-licensed. The MOT should not be older than fourteen days or will be rejected. What is going to be checked through a MOT test on your car include:
If you don’t know much English, you will fail the test and then, you can’t get the license. We highly recommend you be prepared before taking the test, since this part can impressively affect your total PCO score.
How long can I license the vehicle?
Once everything is OK with your vehicle, from the age to the efficiency, you can license your vehicle for 5 years and only MOT tests need to be considered.
Where can I get the PCO car licensed?
Check the official website of TfL to find the closest center to get your car licensed. You can take the PCO test in the same center if it was mentioned in the list of their tasks.
We have diverse EV Fleet to offer for PCO drivers in London.