What’s special about taxi insurance in Northern Ireland?

The short answer is – nothing! Well, at least there’s nothing philosophically different about taxi insurance in Northern Ireland as opposed to anywhere else.

The big differences relate to the nature of the insurance required for a taxi as opposed to a private vehicle.

The law is clear

All over the world, the law and insurance practice both state that a vehicle used for taxi purposes (sometimes referred to as hire or reward) carries different risks to those associated with a private vehicle.

The reasons for that are hopefully self-evident.

Typically as a taxi, you’re likely to be on the road for longer and engaged in more individual journeys than a private motorist. Very possibly your mileage will be higher and more of it will be involved in town or city-centre driving that ordinary drivers.

You also will have fare of fee-paying passengers; something that there is no equivalent of in private motoring.

All these things add risk – and risk that is either not present or much reduced for private drivers.

If you’re working as a taxi business, your activities may come under one of several general types:

• a self-employed taxi driver predominantly working for others;
• as above but having your own office base and business;
• running a small business where you drive but also have others working for you – possibly as drivers or office staff etc.

Depending upon the specifics of the situation, your needs for taxi insurance in Northern Ireland may vary and this will include any legal obligations relating to the minimum type and amount of insurance required, too.

Cover varies

In the final analysis, the legal minimum cover you need for taxi insurance in Northern Ireland may be one thing. Whether that alone is enough to help you sleep easily at night is another – so thinking about some of the additional forms of cover above might be sensible.