Typical taxi driver travels 46,500 miles a year (2024)

THE typical taxi driver will travel 46,500 miles a year – the equivalent of doing more than two round trips from London to Sydney, Australia.

A poll of 250 private hire drivers found they pick up 5,750 people and listen to 13,250 songs on the radio each year, work an average of eight hours a day and experience being asked ‘how busy they are’ 5,250 times a year.

While 52 per cent have had customers try to do a runner to avoid paying their fare, 56 per cent have had encounters with people being drunk and disorderly in their car.

They will also have to deal with aggressive customers 21 times a year – nearly once every fortnight.

However, it emerged that despite this, 63 per cent enjoy meeting new people in their role, with 37 per cent considering the job ‘very rewarding’.

Sten Saar, CEO of commercial insurance provider, Zego, which commissioned the research, said: “Taxi drivers are, in many ways, the backbone of Britain.

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“It has been reported that the first ‘Hackney Carriage’ for hire was in London as far back as 1605, and ever since then cabbies have been providing an essential service on our roads.

“Taxi drivers of course need driving skills, but they also need a lot of patience and to be good with people too – it’s fascinating to see just how many people they talk to each year.”

Despite many people using taxis primarily to get home after a night out, more drivers work during the day than the evening (34 per cent vs 14 per cent).

But 52 per cent try to do a bit of both, as 54 per cent consider driving to new destinations one of the things they enjoy most about their job.

Cabbies also report taking on airport trips 18 times each month – 216 over the course of a year.

And they reckon they’ve visited 17 different cities in the course of their work, sipping around five cups of tea each day – which over a year adds up to a whopping 1,170 cups.

More than a third of the drivers polled (35 per cent) say they love their job, with just two per cent actively disliking the role.

Other reasons for enjoying it include flexible hours (24 per cent) and not having to stare at a screen all day (22 per cent), according to the OnePoll.com figures.

Sten Saar for Zego added: “Being a taxi driver is a job unlike any other.

“It’s not just about driving, it’s about being a part of your town or city, and about being a part of the community.

“We’d like to raise a toast to the cabbies of the UK, and thank them for all their hard work and dedication.”