Nurse steers towards new career as taxi driver

Charlotte Hyde saved lives and cared for people on a daily basis as a nurse – but it is the taxi industry that is really in her blood.

Based in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, Charlotte’s dad runs a taxi base and having reached a crossroad in her life, getting behind the wheel was the natural choice as she looked to make a change.

And Charlotte is glad she got in touch with Patons to help get her on the road with her first private hire taxi insurance policy in November.

She said: “I have enjoyed my career as a nurse and I love caring for people, but the past few years have been really tough with Covid and I felt I needed a break from it.

“I wanted to do something completely different and as my dad runs a taxi base, it seemed the natural thing to do.

“I would help my dad with things like admin, but then I thought ‘why not start driving?’

“I am just starting out as a driver and have to build up experience. Getting the right insurance that was affordable was crucial and Patons went through everything to make sure I got what I needed.”

And Charlotte has enjoyed her first few weeks on the road as a private hire driver, adding to the number of females in the taxi fleet.

She said: “When I first thought about doing this properly, I thought about safety and a few friends had also mentioned it. But as a private hire driver, bookings have to be made in advance and you have a point of contact so I feel safer than I would do operating a black cab and pulling up at a taxi rank on my own, not knowing who was getting in or where they wanted to go.”

Even though it is just a few weeks into her new venture, Charlotte is enjoying the freedom and variety of being a private hire driver.

She said: “It is a completely different environment and pace to nursing and am really enjoying it. It is great meeting people and going to different places.

“In nursing, you care for people who are seriously ill and meet relatives who are going through bad times, but now I’m meeting people who are looking forward to going to the shops, going out for a nice meal or catching up with friends and family.”

By using a taxi insurance broker like Patons, there are different options open to Charlotte and other new drivers. Taxi insurers typically provide three levels of cover – third party, third party, fire and theft and fully comprehensive. The legal minimum requirement is third-party cover, which all drivers have to take out in order to operate a taxi.