Private Hire Insurance

Private Hire insurance is specifically designed for drivers who are licensed to carry passengers for hire and reward, but must be pre-booked with a private hire operator.

If you drive passengers for a living, standard insurer’s car insurance policies are not adequate and you need a specialist motor insurance policy.

Typically, such a policy will cover your vehicle in the event of a fire, theft and any accidental damage occurring. Extra cover is often available for:

• Use on the continent within the EU (social domestic and pleasure use only)
• Motor Legal Expenses and Claims Management
• No Claims Bonus from 1 year +
• Unlimited Windscreen repair or replacement
• Public Liability in case a customer incurs an injury whilst in your vehicle.
• Cover of Carriage of Celebrities

The majority of these benefits come as standard at Plan, and could prove invaluable should the unexpected occur.

Private Hire Insurance is designed for professional drivers who take private bookings to carry passengers from place to place for the purposes of hire and reward.

If you are a minicab driver, you pick up customers when the journey has been booked in advance, and therefore you need a specialist insurance policy to protect you, your car and your customers.

Private hire insurance is specifically designed to protect you against any risks you may face as a professional driver, regardless of whether you are at fault or not.

To discuss your insurance requirements further, contact a member of our team on 0800 542 2743 or request a Call Back and one of our staff will get back to you as soon as possible.

* Lines are open Monday-Friday from 9am to 5.00pm, excluding weekends and bank holidays. Calls to 0800 number are free from landlines and mobiles.

At Plan Insurance Brokers, we understand our private hire clients may have another professional driver occupation, which may require a different type of car i.e. a car suitable for a chauffeur.

Because of this, we have worked with our insurer to offer a hugely competitive second vehicle discount, giving you the convenience of insuring multiple cars on one policy.

A typical Insurance policy can be arranged to cover:

• Protected no claims bonus – from 1 year upwards
• Flexible payment options to help you spread the cost of your insurance
• Public Liability Cover – in the event of a client or member of the public having an accident in your vehicle or place of work
• Employers Liability – if you employ any staff, this is necessary by UK law, even if they are only part time volunteers
• Nationwide breakdown cover including home-start available.

The cost of private hire insurance will vary greatly from insurer to insurer. Insurers will often have a section of the market or an area of the country where their rates are most competitive.

An insurance broker will compare private hire insurance policies on your behalf. Usually, a specialist private hire insurance broker will have access to a number of policies from various insurers that you will be able to choose from.

It’s worth remembering that cheap doesn’t always represent good value. It’s most important to make sure you have good quality cover in place. Your vehicle isn’t just your means of transport, it’s your business.

For most people, having their vehicle off the road results in a degree of inconvenience, such as having to use public transport. Being without your vehicle for you will more than likely mean that you’re unable to earn your livelihood.

Using their expertise, an approved insurance broker should recommend the appropriate level of cover that you require. They should also be able to offer optional extras to ensure the cover is tailored to suit your exact needs.

Not only does this give you peace of mind that you have the right protection in place, but it can also save you money as you’re only paying for the cover that you need.

You may require supplementary products to your Mini Cab Private Hire Insurance, such as:

• Guaranteed Courtesy Vehicle Cover
• 24 Hour Roadside Assistance in the UK mainland including home-start
• Employers Liability (a legal requirement if you employ anyone in the UK, even if they are part time volunteers.)
• Cover for a private hire base office 
• Multi Car Policies – if you own more than one vehicle

As a professional driver, you spend more time on the road. Statistics show this means you have a higher chance of having an accident or needing repair work done on your vehicle.

As your vehicle is your livelihood, you may wish to inquire about guaranteed courtesy vehicle cover.

If you’ve been involved in a fault accident that has incapacitated your vehicle, this cover will provide a courtesy vehicle so that you can continue running your Private Hire business.

Without it, you will only be entitled to a courtesy vehicle if your insurer believes they can recover the vehicle hire costs from the third party insurer. This is often only the case following an incident that is clearly non-fault at the outset of the claim process.