How much is a mini cab from Heathrow to Golders Green?

In London is the mini-cab/private hire industry over-regulated?

• Before licensing regulations came into force in London, when I was short of money I could take my car out and do some cabbing for a local mini-cab firm. Since the regulations came into force you now have to: Apply for and obtain a TFL PCO PHV Driver License. This requires submitting a general application form; a CRB application; taking and passing a DVLA D4 type medical; taking and passing a topographical test. There are fees these. You must than obtain a TFL PCO PHV Vehicle License for the vehicle you intend to use - this is obtained by booking in and than taking a the suitable car with a new MoT to a registered test centre for a PHV Vehicle test. There are 4 of these test centres in London. If it passes you have to pay £100 for the TFL PCO PHV Vehicle License which lasts a year. To use the car for cabbing you must have this license and the MoT has to be less than 6 months old. These licenses take a while to process. Applicants must be at least 21 years old. Bus drivers have to be over 18!

• Answer:

  Yes and no. The lobby for regulating London's private hire industry (mini-cabs, taxis) were concerned about passenger safety. Before regulation, mini-cabbing was a job anyone with a driving license could do. If you had a suitable car you could start work straight away. The ease at which employment could be gained attracted all sorts of people eg: those who already had employment elsewhere and wanted to earn some extra cash part-time for example; those seeking work elsewhere and just wanting to cab until they find something more suitable. Most cabbies were good honest people but unfortunately, with fierce competition for drivers, many firms did little checking on the suitability of or character of applicants and many undesirable persons became cabbies. On release from prison, many ex-offenders such as convicted rapists became cabbies. Unfortunately, shortly after regulation came into force in London the number of drink-drive convictions and road traffic accidents increased. This was possibly the result of more people taking risks due to the shortage of cabs: there were never enough to suit the demand on a Friday or Saturday evening even before regulation.