In fact, this season they are officially called County Insurance Ainsdale Cricket Club! The County Insurance logo is on the front of the shirts, and the insureTAXI logo is on the back of the shirts.

To add to this excitement, Ainsdale Cricket Club have pulled off a major coup and managed to secure the services of the one and only Wasim Jaffer for the whole of the season!

As you can see from the link, Wasim has played 31 tests for India as an opening batsman and currently represents Mumbai also. So as you can imagine, County Insurance Ainsdale Cricket Club are delighted to have Wasim on board for this season and presented him with a courtesy car for him to use during his period in England.

Wasim Jaffer, famous Indian cricketer, is presented with his courtesy car from Kevin Catteral, Sales Director of insureTAXI

Welcome on board to Wasim and we hope you enjoy your season at County Insurance Ainsdale Cricket Club.

The first game was on Saturday and Wasim opened up his account with a century, scoring 113 runs – which is a promising start! Unfortunately this was on the losing side but it was only the first game of the season so a long way to go.

County Insurance have placed advertising boards around the ground, including some insureTAXI versions promoting our Private Hire Insurance and Public Hire Insurance.

County Group – sign promoting our Insurance and Financial Services at Ainsdale CC

If you know anyone that follows cricket, please forward them this link so they can follow the results we will post here – and we are delighted to offer a 10% discount on any insurance policy to celebrate our sponsorship. This includes personal and business insurance, as well as our taxi insurance policies.

Click here to go to our quote page or call 0800 148 2828 or 01704 530239

Your opinions really do matter to us. Our taxi insurance team are dedicated to providing first class service and we hope to use the findings to get to know our market better and further improve what we do.

As a thank you for your time and effort, you will be entered into a prize draw where you will have the chance to win A YEARS FREE TAXI INSURANCE or a 50” SAMSUNG FULL widescreen TV! 

PLUS we will also email the results including our full analysis and commentary to everyone who takes part.  That way, you can compare your experiences to others working in the  industry

As well as collecting some useful taxi driver data regarding things like fuel costs and shift patterns etc. we also want to know about your funniest memories, strangest passengers and the most boring conversation topics you’ve encountered on the job.

There will be further prizes for our favourite stories and quotes which will be anonymously published on insuretaxi.com and our social networking pages (Twitter & Facebook).

Whatever your motivations may be, all you need to do is follow the link below which will take you directly to our survey.

There are 30 questions in total (most of which are multiple choice) and should only take 10-15 minutes to complete. So what are you waiting for?

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/insure-taxi-survey

For your chance to win get back to us by Friday 31st May 2013.

We can’t wait to get the results!

In the meantime, if you would like advice regarding your taxi insurance call our team on 0800 142 2828. We are always happy to help!

Due to spending a lot of time behind the wheel, Taxi and other business drivers are also more likely to be involved in an accident than those driving for social and domestic reasons.

For this reason our taxi insurance team decided to bring you some tips for avoiding blame accidents. Remember blame accidents or accidents where you cannot prove the third party is wrong COSTS YOU MONEY!

• AVOID TAILGATING-travelling too close to the vehicle in front could prevent you stopping in time.  Some drivers have also been using harsh breaking in strange places such as roundabouts in a bid to claim compensation. Do not fall victim to this!

•  PULLING OUT-pulling out of a minor road and not seeing another vehicle travelling past make for a significant proportion of blame accidents. Even if the other vehicle was speeding, unless you can prove this you will almost definitely be held liable.  Always make sure windows are clear of condensation or frost and wait until you are certain it is safe before pulling out.

• SPEED-although we appreciate that taxi drivers are extremely busy, it is much better to make a client wait a few minutes longer then travel so quickly you are  involved in an accident. Where possible always plan your time so you can avoid rushing and only agree to jobs that are realistic within your schedule.

• OVERTAKING-be patient and don’t overtake in dangerous places such as the brow of a hill or near junctions. If an accident is caused whilst overtaking it will be very difficult to prove that the other party is at fault!

What should I do if I have an accident?

Don’t Panic!  Gather as much information as you can (registration number, number of passengers, witness details etc.) and if possible always back this up with photographic evidence-using a smartphone is fine!

Call insureTAXI on 0800 142 2828. Our dedicated staff will be on hand to support you through the claims process.

Our aim is to get you back on road as quickly as possible so that you can continue earning. insureTAXI is a partner of Kindertons (leading accident management specialist) who in the past have provided our taxi drivers with a replacement vehicle in just a couple of hours.

One consumer segment that the model has so far proved extremely popular with is taxi drivers.   After all, when you consider how much time you spend behind the wheel, why shouldn’t you want to make the environment as comfortable as possible?

In addition, your vehicle is also helps you earn a living and it always pays to demonstrate a professional image to clients.   That’s why, popular magazine ‘Cab Direct’ recently paired up with the brand to build a custom designed version especially for taxi drivers.

So what is it that so attractive about the M8 convert?

One of the main features that appeals to drivers of the M8 is its spacious driver’s compartment. In itself, this offers many practical benefits including ample storage space and a handy centre console for all your belongings.

The driver’s seat has also been re-designed for maximum safety and comfort, offering multiple adjustment options so you can achieve your ideal positioning.  Plus, taxi passengers benefit from a quick release door, sliding windows and air conditioning that make for a pleasant journey in any weather.

The 4-cyclinder Euro 5 CDi diesel engine delivers both power and receptiveness, also making the M8 the ideal economical selection.   In fact, not only does the new M8 drive brilliantly but so far many customers have been impressed by how quickly they have noticed a return on their miles per gallon.

Referring to his recent purchase of the M8 Robert Rayner, a taxi driver of 31 years adds: ‘“I’ve been really impressed with the overall specification and the taxi features of the M8 cab. The twin electric side-steps are particularly useful for older passengers and the wheelchair accessible ramp is really easy to use. It just clicks together to make wheelchair work no problem at all – it’s a vast improvement from what I had before.”

For a taxi insurance quote on the M8 or any other vehicle call us now on 0800 142 2828. Alternatively, you can read more about taxi insurance or obtain a quote online. 

The pronouncement of making the security cameras mandatory came after a series of violent attacks on taxi drivers in South Yorkshire. A victim of this recent epidemic includes Mr Arshad Mahmood, who was left blind in one eye after he was assaulted by a passenger with a glass bottle near Sheffield City Centre.

The new regulation which would cost taxi drivers around £500 each, has been imposed with the intention of ensuring safer working environment, in particular for those carrying out services late at night and where passengers may be under the influence of alcohol.

However, the GMB union has written to Sheffield Council stating that they will consider taking legal action if this policy isn’t revised and suggests that the decision to install CCTV should be left with to the choice of the individual taxi driver. A spokesperson for GMB also stated, ‘In any event we are also considering organising a large protest by both private hire and black cab drivers in Sheffield to show our dissatisfaction with this decision.”

Will cameras improve safety?

Current Chairman of Sheffield Taxi Trade Association Hafaes Rehman, agrees with the opinion of the GMB in that security camera installation shouldn’t be made mandatory for all but should be a personal choice.

He says, ‘“We’re all adults. If anyone feels it will enhance their safety they should install one, but not have it actually forced on you just because people think it’s a good idea,” he said.

On the other hand Councillor John Robson, the chairman of the council’s licensing committee, described findings of a CCTV trial in 2007 as “overwhelmingly amazing” in its ability to improve driver safety.

He said: “One in seven fares prior to the trial resulted in an incident – whether that was verbal abuse, threats of violence, physical assault, a dispute over the fare, people running off without paying or damage to the taxi.

“During the trial that figure reduced to less than one in 100. Surely the figures speak for themselves.”

If your considering having CCTV installed in your taxi this could reduce your insurance premium. Find out how much you could save by getting a quote online or by calling 0800 142 2828

The company launched the app late last year in order to alleviate the pressures of high call volumes and to make it easier for customers to secure a lift home during the busy festive period. CEO Jeb Corby says ‘”It’s a phenomenal improvement on our service; people who use the app will have their lives made so much easier.”

According to a news release from the company, information from trip request will go directly from the app to C&H’s computer system.  After a passenger has input their location and required destination they are then assigned a cab number. This allows them to track the cab and keeps them updated on arrival time. Customers also have the security of knowing that when a cab arrives it is there for them.

The app has been an exciting step for the forward thinking company, who also provided free taxi’s to customers on New Year’s Eve  in a bid to keep drink drivers off the road. Referring to the latest innovation to their service, Corby said, ‘”It’s just us keeping up with or ahead of the times.’

However he also makes it clear that the purpose of the tool is not to improve the speed in which a taxi will arrive but just to make the whole booking process more convenient.  

 ”One of the big things in the taxi industry is that people want to do things quickly,” he said. Unfortunately, the app will not make a taxi arrive more quickly. However the other thing is, people want to know what’s going on with their taxi. They’ll call and call wondering where their taxis are now they don’t have to do that.”

The taxi insurance team at insureTAXI like to keep updated with interesting news articles that affect our taxi drivers whilst also working hard to offer fantastic taxi insurance quotes online and over the phone.

Fleet policies usually start at 3 vehicles, and can be as large as 200+.

It takes a lot of hard work to obtain rates from the underwriters, who are keen to understand claims history and any associated risks when insuring a fleet. After all, there are many cars and drivers to consider, covering thousands of miles and often a vehicle can be on the road for many hours each and every week.

After the rate is obtained and the policy incepted / renewed, that’s where the work starts!

Ask any of our team pictured below, the fleet owner/manager expects them to be available on their mobile 24 hours a day to change vehicles/drivers etc. Managing a fleet, especially larger ones based in cities, is a time consuming business.

You need someone that really knows what they are doing – thats why we have a dediciated fleet team, who have all graduated through the ranks of taxi insurance.

Call our fleet team to find out more on 0800 142 2833 or read more on the link below

http://www.insuretaxi.com/taxi-fleet-insurance/

So, what does a “Development and Distribution” Director do?

Well, in our case, his sole role is to secure brand new taxi insurance schemes across the UK. In the last 12 months, we are pleased with the additions insureTAXI have made to our panel – its probably one of the strongest line ups we have had in all of years of trading.

At the same time, it is also important to work closely with our longer term partners  – giving feedback from our customers and insurance advisors on how their rates and policy benefits can be improved for the benefit of all.

So following on from our blog/tweet of yesterday, you get the best of all worlds with insureTAXI.

• Great rates
• Fantastic Service
• Large panel of insurers

You’re taxi insurance policy could not be in safer hands!

December is always a quieter time as sorting out insurance doesn’t often take priority over Christmas shopping (!), however January then sees a mad rush as those people that have left quotes to the last minute rush to get their insurance sorted!

Luckily, we have a big team here at insureTAXI and can turn around a quote in about an hour having received a call or internet submission. This is impressive given that each advisor has about 10-12 taxi insurance schemes to work through, and perhaps a call or 2 to the underwriter to try and negotiate a lower rate

So, if you need a quick turnaround, call our team on 0800 142 2828 and we’ll get you the best price available in about an hour.

November and December are funny months for taxi insurance. Aside from providing quotations for experienced taxi drivers as usual, we always have high demand for taxi insurance quotations for new drivers – especially those that are considering some private hire work around the Christmas period to earn some extra income.

January should see a return to “business as usual” to some extent, although you never know what is around the corner!

We always welcome any new business quotation, but please note we only do annual taxi insurance policies (payable monthly by DD if preferred) and cannot provide weekly or monthly insurance policies.

The simple reason for this is that we prefer to focus all our energy on providing the very best private and public hire annual insurance policies, backed by excellent customer service all year around. These policies are much better value, allow you to accumulate no claims discounts and are much simpler on the administration side.

Once again, a very happy new year to all and we look forward to being of service in 2013!