Many people are facing tough financial times here in the UK at the moment including taxi drivers. With rising gas and electric prices, increased council tax bills, a rise in National Insurance contributions, higher interest rates meaning mortgage repayments have gone up for a lot of people never mind a rise in the cost of putting petrol or diesel in your vehicle.

So, any way that you can increase your income as a taxi driver has got to be welcomed. There are a number of things that you may be able to do to help achieve this with one of them being if you “go that extra mile” for your passengers. No, we don’t mean taking them an extra mile in your taxi by going a longer route!

Before setting off to pick up your passenger, why not send them a text or give them a quick call to let them know that you are on your way. This will give them peace of mind knowing that you are definitely still picking them up if the booking was made a few days ago.

When you arrive at their home or business premises don’t just sit in your taxi waiting for them to come out – go and knock on their door or go into the business premises to let them know you are waiting.

When they come out, open the doors to the taxi and once they are in close the doors behind them. If they are going on holiday then offer to carry the luggage to your taxi and put it in the boot.

Before setting off with your passengers on board ask them if they are comfy and if they would like the radio on and if so is there a particular station they would prefer to listen to.

If you are taking your passengers a long distance perhaps when doing an airport transfer why not offer them a small bottle of water to drink during the journey. Offer to stop at a service station for a comfort break.

So, why are we suggesting the above things? Well, your passengers are more likely to give you a tip or an even bigger tip than they had intended. They are more likely to use you again. They are more likely to recommend your taxi service to friends and family. All of these things would increase your income that is something you will no doubt appreciate.