Ask most taxi firms in High Wycombe for a female driver and you will get a pause, then a maybe. We built the company the other way round: it is woman-owned, and a female driver is something you can book and have confirmed, not something you hope for.
This post is about why so many people ask, and how to make sure you actually get one.
Why it matters more than the industry admits
Private hire is overwhelmingly male. That is not a criticism of the men doing the job well — most of them are — but it does mean that for a large number of passengers, the default option is not the comfortable one.
The people who ring us and ask are not a niche. They are:
- Women coming home late from the station, from work, or from a night out, who would simply rather not sit alone in a car with a man they have never met.
- Parents booking a regular school run for a child who travels unaccompanied.
- Families for whom this is a matter of faith or culture, and for whom the answer is not “a taxi is fine” but “then we will not book a taxi”.
- Older passengers, and people going to and from hospital appointments, who want the same familiar person each time.
- Anyone with a bad past experience, who does not owe anybody an explanation.
“Subject to availability” is where it usually falls apart
Plenty of firms will say they can try. The problem with trying is that you only find out whether it worked at the moment the car pulls up outside — which is exactly the moment when saying no is hardest, particularly if you are standing on a dark street or you have a child waiting.
So we do it differently. Pre-book, and a female driver is guaranteed. If we cannot cover your journey, we tell you when you book, while you still have time to make other arrangements. For immediate and same-day pickups we will do our best, and we frequently manage it, but we will not dress a maybe up as a promise.
How to book so it actually happens
- Say it at the point of booking, not to the driver on arrival. On the phone, or in the notes field if you book online.
- Give us as much notice as you can. Twenty-four hours is comfortable. For a school run or a course of appointments, tell us the whole pattern and we will build the rota round it.
- Ask for the driver’s name. We will give it to you before the day, so you know who is arriving.
- Tell us if you want the same driver each time. For regular bookings we treat that as the default rather than a favour.
There is no surcharge. The fixed airport fares and local rates are the same whoever is driving.
If you drive, and you have thought about doing this
There is a reason female drivers are hard to find, and it is not that women do not want the work. It is that the trade has not made much room for them.
We are recruiting. Demand for female drivers in High Wycombe consistently outstrips the number available, which means steady booked work rather than waiting on a rank. Daytime school-run rounds suit anyone who wants hours that fit around their own family. If you hold a private hire licence, or you are considering applying for one, there is more on what the work involves here — or just ring 01494 702008 or email info@highwycombetaxi.co.uk.
Booking a female driver
Call 01494 702008 or book online and add ‘female driver’ to your booking. There is more detail on how the guarantee works here.