Professional Driving

What Does it Mean?

Being a professional driver means:

  • Taking care of your passengers, yourself, and your vehicle

  • Planning ahead and adapting to road and traffic conditions

  • Maintaining good observation skills

  • Staying in full control

  • Anticipating events before they happen

Your vehicle must always be under control. Drive with skill, plan ahead, and make sure you travel at an appropriate speed for every manoeuvre.

Environmental Awareness

If you are waiting for a fare and expect to be stationary for more than a few seconds, switch off your engine. This reduces emissions and noise pollution.

All drivers should operate their vehicles in an environmentally responsible way. For professional drivers, setting a good example to other road users is especially important.

Seatbelts

Wearing a seat belt is always the safest option. However, taxi drivers have certain legal exemptions:

  • Hackney carriage drivers are not required to wear a seat belt while on duty.

  • Private hire drivers are exempt only when carrying fare-paying passengers.

Communication & In-Car Equipment

Using in-car equipment must never distract you from driving safely.

  • It is illegal to use a hand-held mobile phone or similar device while driving.

  • Do not use a hand-held microphone while the vehicle is moving—stop in a safe place first.

If your taxi has a radio or telephone system, only use it with a hands-free microphone and be aware that even hands-free use can distract you. It is safest to avoid making adjustments or calls while driving.

Tiredness & Distractions

Professional drivers often work long hours. Even though your hours are not legally restricted like those of bus or coach drivers, you must ensure you do not become exhausted. You have a duty to protect yourself and your passengers.

  • Take at least a 15-minute break every 2 hours

  • Stay alert and able to concentrate throughout your shift

  • Plan rest periods, especially if you expect a long journey later in the day

You must not stop mid-journey with passengers, so plan ahead to avoid fatigue.

Factors that cause tiredness include:

  • Time of day – alertness drops between midnight–6am, with a smaller dip between 2–4pm

  • Lack of sleep

  • Glare from oncoming headlights

  • Limited lighting, which strains your eyes while scanning for signs, premises, or other vehicles

Remember: tiredness can kill.

Passenger distractions:

  • Passengers talking among themselves can distract you—stay focused

  • Passengers may chat with you, especially visitors. Be polite but maintain concentration

Common Taxi Manoeuvres

Taxi drivers frequently need to complete certain manoeuvres more often than private motorists, especially:

  • Pulling over at the roadside

  • Turning in the road

Stopping at the Roadside

Ensure that:

  • You stop close to the kerb in a safe, legal, and convenient place

  • You apply the parking brake and select neutral before passengers open doors

  • Passengers can fully open doors without obstruction

  • You assist passengers with luggage or access needs

  • All passengers are seated comfortably before moving off

Turning Your Vehicle Around

You may need to turn the vehicle around regularly, for example after dropping a passenger.

Choose the safest method:

  • A U-turn

  • Using a junction to swing around

  • Turning using forward and reverse gears

  • Reversing into a side road on the left or right

Do not:

  • Reverse from a side road into a main road

  • Use private driveways

  • Mount the kerb

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