For those who would prefer to talk to a person rather than a machine, many insurers provide contact phone numbers and phone back services. When either filling in an online application for a quote or phoning it is advisable to have the following paperwork to hand:

- Existing taxi insurance certificate, if applicable

- Existing Local authority driving license, if applicable

- Details of the vehicle

- MOT certificate, if the vehicle is over three years old

The insurance companies will also need to know the answers to the following questions in order for them to provide a cheap taxi insurance quote. Having these clear in your mind before phoning or starting to complete the online form will make life easier:

- What the vehicle will be used for. You will need to make it clear whether you are requiring a quote for taxi insurance or private hire insurance.

- Where the vehicle will be kept. Premiums are generally lower for vehicles which are kept in a garage. Vehicles kept in communal car parks are usually classed the same as being kept ‘on the road'.

- Any driving convictions the driver or drivers have, including the number of penalty points each driver may have.

- The age of the driver or drivers. Drivers under the age of 21 years are considered to be a higher risk and therefore insuring them will be higher than drivers over 21 years. The lower age limit of young drivers does vary between insurance companies; some require drivers to be over 25 years.

- Any no claims discount the driver or drivers have. A proven no claims discount will generally be transferred to a new policy. Great savings on insurance premiums can be made by those who have a no claims discount. Some insurance companies will transfer no claims discounts previously earned on cars to a taxi insurance quote.

- How long the driver or drivers have been driving for. Those who have been driving for over a number of years are classed as experienced drivers. As such many insurance companies offer lower premiums for these drivers.

- Any recent vehicle insurance claims. Insurance companies will require full details of any claims made within the last two years. Note: in some cases up to five years past claims are required to be disclosed.

- If the driver or drivers have a valid UK driving license.

Although this may appear to be an awful lot of questions they are necessary to enable the insurance companies to offer the most competitive cheap taxi insurance quotes.

It is the policy holder's duty of care to provide accurate details and answers to questions at all times. Providing misleading, false or inaccurate information will result in having a cheap taxi insurance policy which may not meet requirements and cause major problems should a claim be made. Likewise any alterations to vehicles or drivers will need to be told to the insurance company.