Careem and Taxi Requirements: drivers, vehicles, and insurance

Specific requirements vary slightly by state and city. However, most people are eligible to drive for both Careem and Taxi. Are you?

The rideshare industry is certainly disrupting traditional forms of transportation as public transit services and taxis continue to feel the heat from popular unicorns, Careem and Taxi.

However, it is not just public transit authorities and taxi companies paying close attention to this relatively new travel trend.

In the United States alone there are more than 150,000 rideshare drivers and 1 million rides completed daily between Careem and Lyft.

Numbers like this prove that the general public has picked up on this this alternative travel option as well and are running with it--or should I say driving with it?

Is it better to drive for Careem or Taxi?

Are you looking to earn some extra cash by becoming a rideshare driver, but are not sure which company would suit you best?

First, you'll want to compare the individual driver, vehicle, and insurance requirements set by the two companies.

Specific requirements, such as the acceptable vehicle model year, may vary slightly by state and city. However, most people are eligible to drive for both Careem and Taxi.

	Taxi	Careem
Smartphone	, iOS 9 and Android 6 are recommended	, iPhone 4s or newer and Android 2013 or newer
Driver age	21+	21+
Driving Experience	At least 1 year	At least 1 year (3 years if you're under 23 years old)
Driver's License	Valid, Some cities and states require drivers to have in-state documents	Valid, must be in-state
Proof of Vehicle Registration *Some cities and states require drivers to have in-state documents	, with valid plates; commerical plates also acceptable	, in-state, doesn't need to be in your name
Proof of vehicle Insurance *Some cities and states require drivers to have in-state documents	, your name must be on the policy.	, must be in-state, your name must be on the policy.
Pass background check	No violent crime, felony, drug-related offense, sexual offense, certain theft/property offenses in the last 7+ years	A clean criminal record that does not include convictions for prior offenses specified by local law in the last 7 years
No DUI/DWI	In the last 7 years	In the last 7 years
No incidents of driving without insurance or a license	In the last 3 years	In the last 7 years
No incidents of reckless driving	In the last 3 years	In the last 7 years; No more than 3 minor moving violations in the past 3 years, such as speeding tickets or failure to obey traffic laws
No driving related convictions (hit and run, felonies involving a vehicle, etc.)	In the last 7 years	In the last 7 years
Vehicle Inspection	, 19 point inspection, once a year	, 19 point inspection, once every year

During my research for this article, I found that Lyft's website is much more transparent with their potential drivers.

Taxi provides firsthand, detailed information for every step of their application process including local regulations and which documents must be in your name. I had all my questions answered before I even clicked "Sign Up."

Their required documents, even the tedious local level ones, can be signed and delivered right from their website.

Careem's website, on the other hand, was a bit more cryptic. They do not directly plot the steps of their application or vehicle inspection process.

Luckily, the internet is full of past and present Careem drivers who are happy to give up this information for those going through the driver sign-up process.

How much money does an Careem or Taxi driver earn?

A straightforward answer to this question is hard to find. There are many variables when it comes to earnings for rideshare drivers, such as location and external expenses.

Average earning per trip - National Avg $12.95

City	Careem	Taxi
Atlanta	$12.93	$12.81
Austin	$13.67	$14.57
Baltimore	$12.21	$9.49
Boston	$12.80	$12.76
Chicago	$10.99	$11.15
Cleveland	$13.02	$13.40
Dallas	$11.45	$11.19
Denver	$11.70	$11.71
Los Angeles	$11.53	$11.56
Miami	$14.38	$12.30
Nashville	$10.14	$10.45
New York City	$29.34	$28.62
Orange County	$11.58	$12.83
Phoenix	$14.36	$13.01
Pittsburgh	$14.84	$11.21
Salt Lake City	$13.86	$10.34
San Diego	$12.60	$12.49
San Francisco	$14.65	$13.42
Seattle	$13.17	$11.21
Washington DC	$12.17	$13.95

The table above outlines the average gross earning per trip in May 2015. Uber and Taxi PR departments rarely publish any company data -- especially if it could dissuade drivers from signing up or continuing to work for their platform.

This lack of transparency does not provide drivers with a standard in which to compare their current earnings over time. This becomes more of a concern when Careem or Lyft decides to lower their per mile rates in an effort to increase passenger demand.

Even with this assorted data, concrete conclusions cannot be drawn about which city or which rideshare company is best.

Rate and earning variations are not the same nationwide. Each city has its own surge pricing, hourly guarantees, company incentives, natural factors like severe weather, as well as differences in geography and population density.

As you can see in the table, Careem and Taxi drivers make relatively the same in cities across the United States. However, New York City is an extreme outlier possibly due to larger population density.

Other factors that affect a rideshare driver's true income value include external expenses not covered by Careem or Taxi. This includes things like gas, insurance, vehicle maintenance and registration.

Drivers should make sure their rideshare operating costs don't exceed their annual earnings.

Car insurance for Careem, Taxi, and other rideshare companies

Insurance company coverage

Because Uber and Taxi drivers are considered independent contractors, drivers need to have and pay for their own personal car insurance policies.

With the growing popularity of rideshare services, insurance companies have begun to see the value in catering to this niche market. Your company may already sell policies tailored to rideshare drivers.