A Comprehensive Guide to PCO Car Hire in London

6th May 2022

People living in big cities may have heard about PCO car hire quite often. This term is especially popular among those who travel long distances a lot for various reasons.

But what does PCO car hire mean in exact terms? PCO car hire is the car service that offers cars to customers who want to hire a vehicle.

In this article, we have put our efforts together to provide you with some basic information you need to know about PCO car hire in London.

We highly hope that if you read this article to the end, it will help you get good knowledge about the subject matter. So please stay with us.

 

 

Where is London?

London is the capital and largest city in the United Kingdom with a total population of more than 9 million. The city, which is located in south-east England, is also the country’s economic, transportation, and cultural center.

London is home to four World Heritage Sites including the Tower of London, Kew Gardens, Westminster Abbey, and St Margaret’s Church. It is therefore of no surprise that London is sometimes called the capital of the world.

  • What does PCO stand for?

The term PCO is an abbreviated form that stands for Public Carriage Office. PCO is an agency in London that licenses and regulates taxi services and offers private hire cars.

 

What is a PCO car?

A PCO car is a four-door vehicle that has met all of Transport for London’s personal transport requirements.

These cars can be diesel-fuel or completely electronic vehicles. in either case, they also have an active Private Hire Vehicle License.

 

What is PCO car hire?

As briefly mentioned above, PCO car hire is a car service that companies such as G&M direct hire or PCO Rents offer.

They will provide you with a vehicle at affordable prices if you can follow all the rules. The cars they have are standard and comply according to all taxi protocols in the U.K.

This gives you the chance of focusing on your daily activities even if you don’t own a car and increase your financial savings.

 

Why are PCO car hire agencies wise choice?

PCO car hire agencies can provide you good cars with security, safety, comfort, and at an affordable price for hiring.

This means that PCO car hire agencies ensure that you get a vehicle of decent quality and that it is in great condition.

When you choose a PCO car hire agency, you also benefit from a guarantee or a refund policy. These agents are usually very much trustworthy and reliable.

In addition, PCO car hire agencies often provide newer models and brands of cars with low to zero CO2 emissions. This means they are really environmentally friendly.

These companies usually offer various ranges of PCO car rental plans which can help you to find the best fit.

PCO car hire agencies also offer special services such as air conditioning, satellite TV, internet, etc. with their cars.

To put it in a nutshell, they care about your comfort while traveling with their cars and want to make sure you come back to them for your next journey.

 

How can I hire a PCO car in London?

To hire a PCO car from PCO car hire agencies in London, there are some requirements that you need to meet first.

These requirements include the followings:

  • You must be 21 or older
  • You must have a valid PCO license
  • You must have a valid insurance number
  • You must be able to afford the deposit fee and the first-week rental fee

Note that the last requirement can vary in different PCO car hire agencies based on their interests and your financial situation.

After you could make sure that you have met all the criteria above, then you fill out an application for getting a PCO car from PCO car hire agencies.

All you need to do then is to wait for the official process and receive your PCO car in a few days.

 

What are some of the top PCO car hire agencies in London?

7-1 G&M Direct Hire

G&M Direct Hire is a London-based company that was founded back in 2008. Since its establishment, this PCO car hire agency has become one of the top and most popular PCO hire agencies in the U.K.

As the company says: “with 13 years of experience, we have helped more than 3000 drivers in their PCO journey. And we are committed to continue helping more drivers to achieve their goals.”

This company is also famous for its excellent customer service. It offers a wide range of classic, hotrod, or race cars to its customers at everyday low prices.

 

7-2 PCO Rents

PCO Rents is another PCO car hire agency in London that is a specialist in PCO car rental for private hire drivers.

As the company says on its website, “all of our cars are PCO Approved and Uber ready. All our PCO-approved cars are the latest 2018 models and have very low mileage.

All of this is guaranteed at affordable weekly rent and very flexible plans. We are the lowest cost PCO car rental company in London. We will beat any genuine PCO car rental quote.”

This PCO car hire company was established in 2008 and is proud of having more than 10 years of experience in the business of PCO car hire in London.

Like G&M Direct company, PCO Rents also offers exceptional services to its customers and provides high-quality vehicles and at very competitive rates in London.

  • What Are London’s PCO Car Requirements?

It could be said that London is very strict in regard to PCO car hire requirements. This is mainly because of the city’s current attempts to limit the emission of CO2.

Therefore, if you are a PCO driver in London, your car needs to meet the following requirements:

  • The car should have four doors and a minimum of five seats. No more than 8 seats.
  • It should have no cosmetic damage, including dents or scratches.
  • It should meet all the emission requirements.
  • It should be not older than ten years.
  • It should not look like a London-style cab.
  • It should display license discs.

 

What are London’s top 5 PCO cars?

When it comes to finding the best PCO car to hire in London, you may get a bit confused at first.

This is because there are a lot of options available to you. There are some factors that you need to take into account when hiring a PCO car. For example, you should first ensure that the car you want to hire fits the London PCO car criteria.

Then you also need to ensure that it is a reliable car, which means it won’t give up on you in the middle of the path.

Other factors such as fuel costs, maintenance costs, the condition of the car, and its capacity are also important before hiring a PCO car.

Considering the above-mentioned criteria and factors, we have provided you with a list of the top 5 most popular PCO cars in London.

Kia E-Niro Full Electric

Kia E-Niro is a full electronic car and one of the most affordable choices among all the PCO cars. It is a hot choice because it offers ample space for passengers and also for luggage.

Because the car is fully electronic, then it produces no CO2 and is therefore completely environmentally friendly.

9-2  Toyota Prius+

This PCO car, with its hybrid engine and fuel efficiency, is very popular among PCO drivers. It is a great choice for London roads as it offers all-wheel drive and is quite a reliable option regarding safety and fuel efficiency.

This big, seven-seater PCO car is undoubtedly the best choice for people who travel in large groups.

9-3 Nissan Leaf

Nissan Leaf is yet another well-known and demanding PCO car with a fully electronic engine and therefore no CO2 emission.

The car is equipped with many high-tech features that bring the driver and the passengers ultimate space, comfort, and safety. The price is also amazing as this car is in fact the cheapest electric car in the market.

9-4 Toyota Corolla

This model of Toyota is also a popular choice for PCO car drivers. The car is exceptional concerning safety features as it has more than enough airbags.

The car is hybrid and the interior design and comfort is also amazing. In terms of space, Toyota Corolla is a very spacious vehicle that easily carries 5 people with 3 big suitcases and multiple small bags to go in the boot.

9-5 Mercedes Benz E Class

Last but not least, the Mercedes Benz E Class offers unique comfort combined with eye-catching luxury.

The car has a sleek design and an incredibly cozy interior that gives you a pleasant feeling of comfort and safety at the same time.

To put it simply, the Mercedes Benz E Class is an ideal choice for driving long distances as this car will never give up on you on the road.

Conclusion

No room for question that in today’s world, people are so busy and always in a rush.

Therefore, using a safe, cost-efficient, and comfortable way of transportation is of great importance for everyone.

For this reason, PCO car hire has been so much popular in recent years. It is therefore essential to know enough about this subject matter.

That’s why in this article, we did our best effort to provide you with some of the basic and most essential information regarding PCO car hire in London.

It is our biggest hope that reading the content of this article could be useful for you and give you a clear view of the topic.