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What to Look For: Helping you find the Perfect Taxi

citroen C4
Searching for the perfect taxi: The Citroen C4 offers good economy

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21 April 2016

STARTING a new taxi business is a difficult but rewarding step. However, it’s also one that’s fraught with danger; particularly if you’re a one-man operation. As such, choosing the correct car as a perfect taxi is vital and it’s essential to check what the local authority will approve.

By choosing the correct vehicle, you’ll be able to ensure that you’re able to deliver a fast and reliable service to your customers that will mean they come back time and time again.

Here are the top three factors to look for in a car you’ll use as a taxi.

Economy

As a taxi driver, your highest level of expenditure will probably be your petrol costs. After falling below £1 a litre, prices have now begun to spiral once more, with the cost of a tank in an average sized family car now around £40-£50.

With costs looking set to increase further, fuel could seriously eat into your profits and, as a result, you’ll need to limit this cost. The simplest way to do this is to buy an economical car. As such, why not look for one of the following – but bear in mind your paying passengers’ comfort too:

  • 1st    Peugeot 208 1.6 BlueHDi – 94.2mpg
  • 2nd= Ford Fiesta 1.5 TDCi ECOnetic – 88.3mpg
  • 2nd= Hyundai i20 1.1 CRDi Blue – 88.3mpg
  • 2nd= Peugeot 308 1.6 BlueHDi – 88.3mpg
  • 2nd= Renault Clio 1.5 dCi 90 ECO – 88.3mpg
  • 2nd= Vauxhall Corsa 1.3 CDTI ecoFLEX – 88.3mpg
  • 7th= Citroen C4 1.6 BlueHDI – 85.6mpg
  • 7th= Kia Rio 1.1 CRDi 1 – 85.6mpg
  • 7th= Renault Clio 1.5 dCi 90 – 85.6mpg
  • 7th= Vauxhall Astra 1.6 CDTi 16V ecoFLEX – 85.6mpg

Statistics from Auto Express.

Reliability

Secondly, if your car is off the road then there’s no way that you can earn any money. As such, picking a car that’s reliable is also incredibly important. Even if your car is only in the garage overnight, it could cost you two days’ earnings. As a result, you’ll have to pick a car known for its reliability, such as:

  • Lexus NX MkI
  • Lexus IS MkIII
  • Honda Jazz MkII

Statistics from Auto Express.

It’s also advisable to select a new car rather than a used one. This is because, if something goes wrong, you’ll be able to get it fixed under the warranty, at no cost to you.

Size

Although three-door cars are often much cheaper than their five-door counterparts, you’re much better off selecting the larger option for accessibility for passengers as well as their comfort and luggage space. It also means that you can fit five people in the car comfortably, which makes your taxi a better option for many.

Insurance Costs

Finally, look to reduce your overheads, too. Keeping your fuel costs low will undoubtedly help, but you’ll also need to think about insurance costs, as these could be huge. To limit the cost, look for specialist taxi insurance.

Read our article here to discover the different types of taxi insurance available in the UK.

Specialist insurance like this will not only help you find the cheapest possible deal, but it will also ensure that you’re covered in every eventuality, so that your business with the perfect taxi is covered and protected.

To conclude, finding the correct taxi is vital to your business, but following the advice should help you.

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