Guides
Guides for taxi and private hire firms
Plain, checked answers for owners and for people setting up a firm: what the law asks of you, what the software does, and what grows a booking line. Written by Joe, the founder of Dispatch AI.
Booking and dispatch software
All dispatch software guidesHow booking and dispatch systems work, what to ask before you buy one, and where a phone agent fits in a taxi or private hire office.
- What is an AI taxi dispatch system? A plain guide for UK firmsWhat an AI taxi dispatch system does in 2026, which jobs the AI handles and which it doesn't, and how to judge one for a UK taxi or private hire firm.
- How to choose the best AI taxi dispatch system in 2026How to choose an AI taxi dispatch system in 2026: what best means for a 5-car or a 60-car firm, eight tests to run in one afternoon, and the red flags.
- AI phone agent for taxi firms: how it answers and books a jobWhat an AI phone agent does on a taxi booking call, step by step: your fixed prices, regular callers, odd calls, and the divert (15 seconds on a BT line).
- Taxi dispatch software in the UK: what it does and what to look forWhat taxi dispatch software does, the booking records UK law expects it to keep for 6 months or more, cloud or on-premise, pricing, and what to test.
Starting a taxi or private hire firm
All starting a firm guidesLicences, insurance, vehicles, drivers and money: the steps to set up a taxi or private hire firm in the UK, in the order you take them.
- How to start a taxi company in the UK: the steps in orderThe 10 steps to start a taxi or private hire company in the UK, in order: licences, drivers, vehicles, insurance, premises, records and tax, with sources.
- How to get a private hire operator licence in the UKHow to get a private hire operator licence: the documents, the fit and proper test, fees from 5 named authorities, the 5-year term and how long it takes.
Ride-hailing and Uber-style apps
All ride-hailing apps guidesWhat it takes to launch an app-based ride service in the UK, what the law treats it as, and what building or buying the app really involves.
- How to start an Uber-like business in the UKIn the UK, Uber is a licensed private hire operator. The licences, drivers, insurance, app and costs you need to start a business like it in 2026.
- How to start a ride-sharing app in the UKRide-sharing in the UK is either licensed private hire with shared fares or lift sharing at cost. The licences, rules and business models for 2026.
Growing a taxi firm
All growing a firm guidesMore bookings, better accounts, drivers who stay and a firm customers ring first: practical ways to grow a taxi or private hire business.
- How to grow a taxi business: practical ways that work10 practical ways to grow a UK taxi or private hire firm, from answering the calls you already get to accounts, airport work, drivers and pricing.
- How to get more taxi bookings8 ways to get more taxi bookings, easiest first: answer the calls that ring out, fix Google, ask for reviews, take WhatsApp and web bookings.
Talk to Joe
Book a free booking review and Joe will ring you to fix a time
The booking review is free and takes about 30 minutes, on the phone or a video call. Joe looks at how your calls, nights and bookings work, works out your missed-call sum with you, and you hear the phone agent book a job. It helps to have a rough idea of how many calls ring out on a typical day and what a typical job is worth to you.
- Ring the demo line first 07888 862017 What to try
From Joe, the founder
I'm Joe, the founder of Dispatch AI. We built it for the calls a busy office can't get to, like the one that rings out while you're on another call or comes in at two in the morning after everybody's gone home.
Your controller still runs the office. The phone agent only gets the calls nobody's free to take, and anything odd comes back to you.
You'd be one of our first operators, so I won't quote you numbers we haven't counted. That's why every offer lets you watch it book jobs on your own line before you pay for a plan.
You deal with me, the founder, directly. Ring the demo line tonight, and if you think it's worth a proper look, book a free booking review and I'll ring you to sort out a time.
Joe Founder, Dispatch AI
Thanks, we've got your request.
Joe will be in touch to fix a time for your free booking review.