Taking the Private Hire Vehicle (PHV) licence exam, securing a CPAM (French National Health Insurance) agreement as a taxi driver, or simply booking the cheapest ride between Uber and Bolt—these questions don’t have the same answer depending on whether you want to drive professionally or just need a lift. This guide breaks down both sides of the profession: the driver’s and the passenger’s.
Key takeaways:
- The PHV licence and the CPAM-accredited taxi licence serve different markets, with separate exams and entry costs.
- CPAM accreditation opens access to non-emergency medical transport, a market closed to PHVs.
- Between Uber and Bolt, the fare for the same journey can vary significantly depending on the time and area—comparing before booking avoids nasty surprises.
This guide is part of our broader section on shared mobility and transport, which also covers carpooling and e-scooter hire.
Requirements for working as a PHV driver
Working as a PHV driver means meeting several conditions before even taking the exam: a full UK driving licence (or French permis B) held for at least three years (two if accompanied driving applies), a clean criminal record, a medical fitness check and registration on the PHV register held by the préfecture. You’ll also need to choose a legal structure (most start as sole traders), take out professional liability insurance and use a vehicle that meets specific age and size criteria. Our page on the requirements for working as a PHV driver details each step, from the administrative paperwork to the Kbis registration, including the best order to tackle them to avoid wasting time.
The PHV licence exam: what to expect
The exam consists of two parts: a written test on general knowledge (regulations, business management, road safety, English) and a practical driving and journey management assessment. The first-time pass rate is low, often due to insufficient preparation for the regulatory section, which carries the most weight in the final score. Retaking a failed section costs time and money—two resources in short supply when you want to launch your business quickly. Our guide to the PHV licence exam lists the exact syllabus, common pitfalls on the day and resources to prepare without spending six months on revision.
CPAM-accredited taxis: a market reserved for medical transport
A CPAM-accredited taxi signs an agreement with the French National Health Insurance to transport patients to medical appointments, with partial or full coverage of the journey depending on the patient’s situation. This status doesn’t exist for PHVs: the CPAM agreement is exclusively for licensed taxis, which is why some drivers choose this route despite higher start-up costs and longer approval processes with the Regional Health Agency. In return, the accredited taxi gains a steady stream of bookings, less dependent on the peaks and troughs of an app. Our page on CPAM-accredited taxis details the approval criteria, required vehicle specifications and billing procedures with the French National Health Insurance.
PHVs vs taxis: two different ways to attract customers
A PHV can’t pick up passengers on the street or wait at a rank—every journey must be pre-booked via an app, with the price confirmed before departure. A taxi retains the right to cruise for fares: it’s still the only option for hailing a car on the street or from a rank, which matters for passengers without a smartphone or those in a hurry leaving a train station. This difference affects the business model: the entry cost for a PHV licence is generally lower than for a taxi licence, especially in large cities where taxi licences can sell for high prices between individuals. However, competition between PHV platforms drives down earnings during off-peak times, whereas an accredited taxi or one at a rank maintains a more stable flow. For a passenger in a rush with no time to book, a street taxi still has the edge; for a planned journey with an upfront price, the PHV wins.
PHV or taxi for a business trip
For a business meeting planned several days in advance, a PHV often has the advantage: the price is fixed at booking, the invoice is sent by email, and many companies have a corporate account that consolidates all team travel on a single expense report. An executive juggling multiple meetings in a day knows exactly what each journey will cost before getting in the car. Taxis remain useful when plans change at the last minute: a cancelled meeting, a delayed train, a meeting that overruns—sometimes you need to leave without reopening an app. Cruising for a taxi is then the quickest solution, even if it costs a bit more than a pre-booked ride. Many companies end up using both: PHVs for predictable journeys, taxis as a backup for unexpected changes.
Comparing prices: Uber vs Bolt for the same journey
For the same route, the price difference between Uber and Bolt varies depending on the time, area and number of drivers available nearby at booking. Bolt often shows lower fares during off-peak hours, thanks to a lower driver commission that attracts more drivers for shorter trips. Uber maintains an edge during peak times and in busy areas, with a denser network of drivers that reduces waiting times. The average customer rating also influences driver choice: an app with better local ratings attracts more regular bookings. For a journey on a Friday evening to an airport, comparing both apps before confirming takes thirty seconds and can make a real difference to the final bill. Our Uber vs Bolt price comparison breaks down the differences observed across cities and time slots.
Checking a platform’s reputation before signing up
Before signing with a PHV platform, a driver should check reviews left by passengers and other drivers—not just the commission rate advertised on the website. A well-rated app locally generates more regular bookings and fewer last-minute cancellations, which directly impacts monthly net income. For passengers, the same principle applies: a high average rating and recent comments give a more reliable idea of the service than a simple price comparison. A new driver is better off testing several platforms in their first few weeks before choosing where to focus their activity, rather than committing to exclusivity from day one.
Maintenance costs for a vehicle on the road all day
A professional PHV or taxi driver covers far more miles than the average commuter—often tens of thousands of kilometres a year just in urban areas. As a result, wear-and-tear parts like rear brake pads need replacing much more frequently than on a family car, not to mention tyres and oil changes that follow the same accelerated schedule.
| Item | Range |
|---|---|
| Parts only | £20 to £100 depending on vehicle (city car to SUV) |
| Total (parts + labour) | £50 to £200 |
| Time required | 0.5 to 1.5 hours |
For a fleet in constant use, this cost recurs several times a year, compared to once every two or three years for typical use. Poorly anticipated maintenance costs can quickly eat into a self-employed driver’s margins, especially in the early months when cash flow is tight.
Common mistakes when choosing your status
Many candidates confuse the PHV licence exam with the taxi licence exam, even though the two training programmes and markets have almost nothing in common. Others underestimate the difference in entry costs between the two statuses and later discover that a taxi licence takes years to pay off, not months. For drivers, relying on a single app for income exposes them to quiet periods: alternating between Uber, Bolt and other platforms smooths out earnings across different areas and times. For passengers, comparing prices between apps before booking often avoids paying more than necessary for an identical journey.