How to Become a Cab/Taxi Driver in India?

Being a taxi driver in India comes with its perks. You can have flexible working hours as you deem fit, and it does not require formal education. In other words, it allows you to be your boss.  

To become a cab or taxi driver in India, you must have proper certification and training and meet certain requirements. This may vary slightly depending on the state or city you wish to work in. Upon clearing the process, you can work for a taxi company or drive your taxi.  

So, if you are among the ones looking for “how to become a cab/taxi driver”, you have come to the right place.   

Without further ado, let’s dive in to understand how to become a private hire taxi driver. 

If you own a car, you can drive it and provide taxi services in India. However, it requires you to meet a few requirements.

• Education: In India, you must pass the 8th standard to drive any transport vehicle. You need the same to provide cab services on your own.
• Age: The minimum age for acquiring a driving licence in India is 18. So, you must meet this age mandate to drive your car and provide taxi services.
• Licence: You need a valid private or commercial driving licence to become a taxi driver in India.
• Vehicle Certification: In India, you need a vehicle registration and a third-party liability insurance policy to drive your car. The same applies to taxi drivers. You should always carry your driving licence, registration and insurance documents while driving your taxi. 
• Driving Experience: The driver must have a minimum driving experience of 2 years. If not, you must undergo driver training under the cab aggregator for 15 days.
• Medical Checkup and Verification: You will have to undergo a complete medical examination, the cost of which shall be borne by the Aggregator, and complete police verification.

In India, you can become a cab driver even if you don’t own a car. You can work for a company that provides taxi services in the region. In this case, the company will provide the vehicle, however, you need to meet the following criteria:

• Age: In India, you need to be at least 18 to obtain a car driving licence. The same rule applies in the case of a cab driver as well.
• Education: You need to have completed your education at least till the 8th standard to drive a taxi in India. 
• Licence: To work for a taxi service provider, you must have a valid private or commercial driving licence mandatorily. In this case, the preference for the required driving licence varies from one company to another.
• Examination: The company can conduct examinations to test your driving and behavioural skills. Tests cover topics like routes, boundaries, landmarks, customer service, etc. You need to pass those tests accordingly to qualify as a driver for that company. 
• No Felony Conviction: Although it varies from company to company, it is safer not to have any previous felony charges within the past 3 years.
• No Unpaid Tickets: To qualify as a driver for a taxi service provider, you should not have any unpaid traffic violation tickets.
• Driving Experience: A minimum driving experience of 2 years is required. If not, you must undertake driver training under the cab aggregator for 15 days.
• Medical Checkup and Verification: You will also have to undergo a complete medical examination, including eye check-up, etc., the cost of which shall be borne by the Aggregator, and complete police verification.

Regarding cab service providers in India, various cab services have made their mark significantly in this industry in India.

To start as a cab or taxi driver without a car in India, you must have the correct documentation and meet the following criteria:  

• Valid Commercial Driving Licence (Yellow Badge); for some Private Driving License also works
• Aadhaar Card
• PAN Card
• Bank Details (Cancelled Cheque/Passbook)
• Four References (Including Phone Numbers and Addresses)
• Permanent and Current Address Proofs

However, if you own a car and want to drive it under the cab aggregator’s name, you will have to provide the following additional documents:

• Vehicles Registration Certificate
• Vehicle Permit
• Valid Car Insurance Policy Details
• Valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) Certificate

You can also visit specific cab aggregator websites like Ola and Uber to know their exact process for working as a driver with them.

Note - These requirements are general and may vary depending on the cab service you choose to drive for. 

To get started as a cab or taxi driver with a taxi company, follow the given steps:

1. Sign up Online

Visit the official website of the cab aggregator you want to work with and go to their Sign-Up page. Provide your contact details and the city you wish to drive in and provide information like if you own a car or not.

2. Share the Required Documents

To set up your account, upload copies of the required documents, as mentioned above in this article.

3. Pass the Test

Depending on the cab company, you must pass the examination and/or driving test and background check before starting as a cab/taxi driver with them.

If you are working as a driver with a cab aggregator in India, you have to comply with the following conditions during operations, as per the Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines 2020:

• The driver is liable to health insurance by the Aggregator up to ₹5 lakhs and term insurance up to ₹10 lakhs with base year 2020-21, which would be increased by 5% each year.
• The driver cannot work for an aggregate of 12 hours in a day. Upon extending the time limit, drivers are given a mandatory break of 10 hours. 

The duration of becoming a taxi driver depends on several factors, such as:

• Tests (if you are working for a company)
• Private to Commercial Licence Conversion (if required)
• Company Policies (if you are working for a company)
• RTO and State Government Approval

Therefore, we cannot specify exactly how long it takes to become a taxi driver. However, it may take up to 10 working days. 

If you wish to buy a car and provide taxi services, and are considering applying for a car loan, ensure checking online car loan EMI calculator to help you with the loan calculations even before applying. Going through this article will help you better understand how to become a cab driver.  

Now that you know how to become a cab or taxi driver, let’s find out some attractive traits of a successful cab driver:

• Good Understanding of Traffic Laws
• Customer Service Skills
• Reliability
• Hand-Eye Coordination
• Initiative
• Patience
• Good Communication Skills

Keeping these qualities in mind, you can surely become a successful taxi/cab driver.

Also, remember to secure your cab with taxi insurance to remain financially protected during any mishap or unfortunate event. Having at least a third-party car insurance is mandated by law in India.