How to Get PCO License in London

PCO refers to private carriage officer which is a license needed by all transport providers. It is an important requirement to drive a vehicle in London.  

What is the PCO License?

Whether you run a car rental business and want to enhance your business, you are a freelance driver who has started a new car rental firm or you run a courier service, you require to have your vehicles PCO licensed to operate legally in the city centre. The terms by the private carriage officer are that the car is under 10 years of age and that it satisfies very stringent emission norms. A great majority of PCO drivers are using hybrid cars so that they can manage their costs down, decrease their carbon footprint and reach PCO terms moving ahead.

Steps to get PCO License:  

If you are looking for your career as an Uber driver, then you need to have a PCO license. Before you can professionally run a car as a PCO driver, then firstly, you will require to get a private hire licence. It would be helpful for you to know the steps to get a PCO license in London.

Know the age requirements for PCO license: To get a PCO license, you must be 21 years old to apply for this license.

Ensure that you have the valid driving licence: Surely, if you want to be a professional driver, then you understand how to drive a vehicle. Also, you need to make sure that you have a valid driving licence or state driving licence which is at least three years old.

You must be able to operate in the UK: This is one of the required factors to get a PCO license.

Register online for license: Registration is important because it is the initial step to getting started. For this, you will need to provide some details and a photo of your face. If you have resided elsewhere for more than three months in the past then you may also, be required to fill out this information when you register.

Language test: As you may remember, it is introduced tests to confirm that you have a practical understanding of the language.

A background check and how it works: These background checks also known as DBS checks which is a way of ensuring that a private hire driver is a reliable and good person. This essentially indicates that they want to recognise if you have any history of the criminal movement in the past.

Once you have registered on the website you will be provided with a code. After that, you will be asked to give this code to their service provider, who will ask some more extra information from you before performing the checks.

You will have to perform a medical test: Although there are a lot of tests and checks after this is done, all will be worth it for you. Also, it is a good idea to ensure that your health is in great state. You can get the guidelines on the website. This is for the doctor to fill in, but it is a useful approach to understand what they are usually looking for in these tests. You will need to schedule a meeting with your doctor, who must be ready to make this report, and confirm that you are eligible for work.

Application charges: You can get a rough idea of the average application will cost from the transport office.

There are so many benefits of PCO hire in London over purchasing a new vehicle and the first advantage is that you get to experience a more modern vehicle. By decreasing maintenance, you can save more money and enjoy your rides as you wish to. Because vehicles are not permitted to be older than ten years of a lifetime when it comes to PCO registration, you can enjoy a modern design that you understand you can rely on and trust.