OddsyncSide Hustles

Driving for Uber or Bolt

Private hire driving on your own schedule
5
Setup steps
3
AI prompts
5
Tools & links

What it is

Driving passengers through ride-hailing apps once you hold a private hire licence. You pick your hours, but costs such as licensing, insurance, fuel and a suitable car are yours, so work out your real hourly rate before you commit.

Watch this first

How much can you make as an Uber driver in the UK?

Step by step

  1. 1

    Check the requirements

    You need a full licence held for at least a year in most areas, an enhanced DBS check and the right to work in the UK. Minimum ages are 18, or 21 in London.

  2. 2

    Get licensed

    Apply for a private hire driver licence from your local council (Transport for London in London). Your car also needs a private hire vehicle licence and a suitable condition and age.

  3. 3

    Get the right insurance

    Your policy must cover private hire or hire and reward driving. Compare quotes, because premiums vary a lot.

  4. 4

    Work your costs out first

    Include licence fees, car payments or rental, fuel, insurance, servicing and tax. Many drivers earn far less per hour than the headline figures.

  5. 5

    Track miles and tax

    You are self-employed. Use simplified mileage (55p a mile for the first 10,000 in 2026/27) or actual costs, and tell HMRC once your income is over £1,000.

AI prompts to try

Copy one of these into ChatGPT, Claude or your AI tool of choice and adapt it to your situation.

True hourly rate
“I make £[GROSS] a week driving [HOURS] hours with fuel of £[FUEL], car rental of £[RENT] and insurance of £[INSURANCE]. Work out my real hourly rate after costs and before tax.”
Licence checklist
“Create a checklist of the steps to get a private hire driver licence and vehicle licence in [COUNCIL / LONDON], in order, including documents and likely waiting times.”
Peak times
“Explain when private hire drivers in [CITY] typically get the most rides and best fares, and how to avoid long waits between jobs.”

Get help setting it up

Hand the fiddly setup to a freelancer on Fiverr and start earning sooner.

Useful links

Uber: drive with Uber↗Bolt: drive with Bolt↗Transport for London: private hire↗Gov.uk: simplified expenses for vehicles↗Gov.uk: set up as a sole trader↗
Started? Run it from one place

A free OddSync account gives you a booking page, quotes and invoices sent as a link, and a running tax estimate for your side hustle.

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