Could an Uber Private Hire Taxi in Lichfield Be the Ultimate Side Hustle?
An Uber driver parked up waiting for an app fare notification outside of the Old Friary School in Lichfield.
Most people would’t say no to a bit of extra cash to help with the cost of living crisis.
So how about becoming a private hire taxi driver and working for Uber in the Lichfield district?
Think of the possible benefits-
A job with flexible working hours that you can clock on and off when you want.
No large capital investment as you already own a car.
Be your own boss, just pick jobs when they pop up on your phone.
Sounds ideal doesn’t it? The reality though is rather different.
You can’t just log on to the Uber Driver app, enter your details and start driving. All Uber drivers have to have a private hire licence from a recognised Local Authority. Your vehicle also has to pass a compliance test to be licenced for use.
Currently (July 2024) to get a Lichfield Private Hire licence you have to
Verify your identity with HMRC
Pass an enhanced DBS check
Have a valid UK driving licence that meets LDC’s standards. (No convictions etc)
Have a medical certificate issued by your GP
And.. here’s the biggie
Pass a two hour topographical test of the local area. An examiner will sit with you and ask you to drive the shortest distances between any of the 63 set points across the region. (Think the edge of west Burntwood to Drayton Manor, Blithfield to Bassets Pole.) It’s actually harder than you think as you probably drive in a radial pattern from your house.
So, after going through all of that and getting your vehicle licenced, can you start earning with Uber?
No. Because your Lichfield Private Hire taxi licence isn’t recognised by Uber.
So how come Lichfield is now saturated with Uber drivers?
The explanation is slightly complex and takes advantage of the 2015 taxi deregulation act. This allowed ‘cross border’ hiring, meaning a driver can work in another area and not be confined to just their local authorities’ borders.
An Uber driver parked up very close to the Lichfield City railway station taxi rank.
The north west Uber district that encompasses Lichfield is comprised of not only the West Midlands, but Liverpool and Manchester as well. That means that any Uber driver from that large area can park up in Lichfield and get work. Check an Uber’s licensing plates next time you see one in Lichfield.
There are no Lichfield plated Uber drivers, they are probably from Wolverhampton or Birmingham where the requirements to get a licence are not as strict. For example getting a Wolverhampton licence is a 6 hour briefing followed by a multiple-choice test at their licensing office. There is no physical driving test.
So could a Lichfield driver get a Wolverhampton or other local licence? Yes and if you really want to do Uber that’s your only option at the moment. There are changes on the horizon though.
Various members of the Labour Party have committed to changing the cross-border loophole. We have also heard of licensing officers stationed at the busier airports laying down the rules in their most stringent of interpretations regarding operating borders.
Then, couple that with the fact that not only is Uber oversubscribed with drivers, now that it has achieved dominance in certain areas, it is squeezing down the cut the driver gets of the fare. There are Uber drivers out there struggling to make minimum wage.
So to go back to the original question we posed. No, at the moment Uber isn’t a great side-hustle for any Lichfeldians out there.
Lichfield District Council is currently putting together a new taxi policy. The existing one doesn’t even mention app-based operators, so we shall see if they clamp down on out-of-town drivers or open everything up to everybody.
We will keep you posted.