Public Carriage Office (PCO) car hires are now in demand as vehicles that are older than five years old or do not meet Euro 4 emission regulations cannot be hired as a private hire vehicles (PHVs). Anyone who has a PCO vehicle over ten years old can either hire a new PCO vehicle or maintain a new car and licence it.
A Great Opportunity for Mini Cab Drivers
When a driver chooses to hire a PCO car, he or she does not have to seek the funds to purchase a car that is less than five years old or service it and license it. Instead, all he or she needs to do is to make sure that the car is filled with petrol. As a result, if you want to work as a mini cab driver, you have a great opportunity available to you when you elect to drive a PCO car hire vehicle.
Not only do you get to drive a vehicle that is less than five years of age but you do not have to put down a down payment or upfront costs. You are also not responsible for the maintenance costs for operating the car. Naturally, it is a good idea to check with the hire company about its conditions and terms for hiring a vehicle.
You Do Not Own the Car; However, Your Expenses Are Reduced
Drivers also like the fact that they do not have to pay out any costs for licencing the car nor are they responsible for taxes or Ministry of Transport (MOT) testing. With that being said, you will find a couple of disadvantages to offset the advantages as well. One of the disadvantages is the ownership. You do not own the vehicle. Because the car is not yours, you also cannot purchase full comprehensive cover.
In practical language, if you choose to take on a London PCO hire, you need to gather some documentation to rent the vehicle. It is always good to ring the company first before you collect the needed paperwork. However, typically, a PCO hire company will need the following:
- You driving licence, including photo card and paper
- Your Public Carriage Office (PCO) licence
- Two proofs of your residential address that are current or issued within the last three months
Don’t Forget the Cash Deposit
You can provide proofs of address in the form of utility bills, bank statements, credit card bills, or similar invoices. Once you have all the paperwork gathered, make sure that you have the requested amount for the cash deposit as well. Rent should be paid for the month or week in advance.
When figuring the pricing, PCO car hire companies base their cost on a number of criteria. These criteria include the age of the vehicle, its make and model, and the fuel type. You will pay more for hybrid vehicles or cars that run on diesel than what you will pay for petrol-fuelled vehicles. The price will also be contingent on whether a car’s transmission is manual or automatic.
