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Self employed taxi driver

  • 26-09-2014 12:49PM
    #1
    newventure
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9 ✭


    A few questions for people in the know.
    How much is the licence?
    Is it just 250 for the year?
    Also how new has the car to be when entering?
    I read that it is 10 years but I see lots of cars around that are older.

    Thanks


Comments

  • #2
    Crusades
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 152 ✭✭Crusades


    €6,500 for a license.

    The regulation is very strict - the slightest problem and you're off the road.

    9 years is the maximum age for a car IIRC. I understand that existing drivers were given a bit of leeway (up to 14 years).

    I would advise strongly against doing this job.

    The pay is low, you are all the time in close contact with a$$hole customers, you have to work *very* unsocial hours and it is quite mentally strenuous (you have to actively mind your mental health - exercise, healthy eating, not letting a$$hole comments from the back seat affect you in any way).

    You also have to do a fair bit of paperwork - tax returns and regulatory box-ticking. If you don't do this/forget to do this/are too lazy, you will get zero sympathy and a large fine.

    If you are off the road for whatever reason (crash, sick, etc.) there is no fall-back.

    Most people still in the game now are:
    - immigrants on "student visas"
    - people on welfare (council house/rent paid for) who underdeclare their taxi income
    - taxi drivers who are at retirement age and do it to keep themselves busy (the gaff in Finglas/Raheny/Ringsend/Walkinstown is long paid off)
    - fools

    Lots of blokes about who are locked in to car purchase agreements. They can't afford the baloon payment and keep driving to keep up appearances - one day it will all be great. Or so they think.

    My only suggestion is to investigate electric cars. If you're up at the crack of dawn, you could charge her up between 10 and lunchtime. And back out again for the evening rush hour.

    I haven't done the numbers, but I understand electricity is only a fraction of the cost of diesel.

    The problem for most taxi drivers is that you cannot purchase electric cars on finance plans - they explicitly prohibit the car being used as a taxi. It will come back in 3 years in bits. Hardly any taxi drivers can afford to purchase their vehicles outright. And even if you could, it's a huge risk that may not be worth it.


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