Bradford private hire licence: the five stages, training and video interview

Before you apply, Bradford says you must meet all of these requirements:

• You have the right to work in the UK, shown with a British or Irish passport or a Right to Work share code.
• You are 18 or older.
• You have held a full UK driving licence for at least 12 months. If you have held it for less than 3 years, you must also provide a Pass Plus certificate.
• You have a basic understanding of spoken and written English. This is assessed in the video interview.
• You meet the council's Driver Suitability Policy (see our guide to criminal convictions and taxi licences). You must declare any current or previous convictions, cautions, warnings or penalty points.

Source: How do I become a Hackney Carriage or Private Hire Driver? (opens in a new tab) (City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council, Stage 1: Check you meet the eligibility requirements)[1]

After you apply, the council emails you a secure link to upload documents. Names and addresses must match exactly on every document, and you must send everything within 6 months of the request or your application may be cancelled.

The required documents are:

• a medical report form completed by a registered GP with full access to your medical records, dated within the last 6 months
• a head-and-shoulders badge photograph against a plain background
• evidence of right to work (a British or Irish passport, or a share code); a Biometric Residence Permit or visa is not accepted
• a photo of the front of your UK driving licence and a DVLA check code
• a Driving Standards Assessment certificate from an approved assessor, dated no more than 12 months before you submit your application
• an enhanced DBS certificate, and a Pass Plus certificate if it applies to you

Source: How do I become a Hackney Carriage or Private Hire Driver? (opens in a new tab) (City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council, Stage 2: Submit your supporting documents)[1]

Once your documents are accepted, the council's training provider, OpenELMS, emails you links to the Driver Modular Training and to Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) and safeguarding training. You must complete this stage within 30 days of being invited.

For private hire drivers, the Driver Modular Training covers these modules, followed by a modular training assessment and the CSE training and assessment:

The Driver Modular Training costs £56 and stays valid for three years. Every driver repeats it every three years, so you will see it again at renewal.

Bradford asks you to use Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge and to allow pop-ups, because the assessments will not launch if pop-ups are blocked. You get one certificate for the modular training and a separate one for CSE. You do not need to email them in; keep them safe until the licensing team asks for them.

Disability Awareness is one of the modules. Our guides to duties to disabled passengers and assistance dogs cover the law behind it.

• District Awareness
• Customer Service
• Personal Safety
• Disability Awareness
• Licensing Compliance
• Vehicle Safety
• Road Safety

Sources: How do I become a Hackney Carriage or Private Hire Driver? (opens in a new tab) (City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council, Stage 3: Complete the required online training)[1]; Driver Modular Training (opens in a new tab) (City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council, What does the Driver Modular Training consist of?; What is the fee for this Training and how long does it last?; I have completed my Driver Modular Training; I am experiencing issues)[2]

When a licensing officer is assigned to your application, they review your documents and invite you to a Microsoft Teams video interview. Bradford says the interview assesses:

• your overall suitability to hold a driver's licence
• your English language ability
• your understanding of the online training modules
• any current or previous convictions, cautions, warnings or penalty points that need further review

Source: How do I become a Hackney Carriage or Private Hire Driver? (opens in a new tab) (City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council, Stage 4: Application review and interview)[1]

The application fee is £30 and non-refundable, and the council says all application fees and costs are non-refundable whatever the outcome. The licence fee is paid only when your licence is ready: £81 for a 1-year licence or £199 for a 3-year licence. Choose the licence length carefully, because it cannot be changed after you apply.

After you pay, your badge and paper licence are issued. You may start working once you have your badge, and you must wear it visibly on your outer clothing whenever you work. You must finish this final stage within 30 days.

Council fees alone come to £167 for a 1-year licence or £285 for a 3-year licence (our addition of the figures above). DBS, medical and driving assessment costs are extra.

Sources: How do I become a Hackney Carriage or Private Hire Driver? (opens in a new tab) (City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council, How to apply; Stage 5: Licence issue)[1]; Driver Modular Training (opens in a new tab) (City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council, What is the fee for this Training and how long does it last?)[2]

Bradford says the officer checks your understanding of the training modules. Its pages list what the interview assesses, not the questions, so revise all seven modules and the CSE training after you finish them. Practise explaining the rules out loud in your own words, in English, as you would in a conversation.

Our free Bradford practice test uses original questions written from Bradford's licence conditions and the law. It is not the council's assessment, but it is a quick way to check what you remember. Our guides to plying for hire, safeguarding and disabled passengers cover topics the training includes.

Sources: How do I become a Hackney Carriage or Private Hire Driver? (opens in a new tab) (City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council, Stage 4: Application review and interview)[1]; Driver Modular Training (opens in a new tab) (City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council, What does the Driver Modular Training consist of?)[2]