What are the differences between a driver and a chauffeur?

Yes, there really is a distinct difference between a driver and a chauffeur. Although not as simple as just getting you from A to B, we wanted to explore the differences between these two roles and to which type of driver suits your requirements, depending on the scenario.

Safety and security

In the UK, your physical safety should never be at risk on any public road. Taxis and private hires (mini-cabs) should both get you from A to B in one piece just as capably as any chauffeur. Security, however, is another matter.

The main reason for this is that a chauffeur will always be there to pick you up at the agreed place and time. If your plans change or your agreed pick-up point is placed out-of-bounds, they will liaise with you to find a safe alternative. Similarly, when you reach your destination, they’ll drop you right at it and make sure you get from the vehicle to your door safely.

As a bonus, a chauffeur will always check their vehicle to see if you have left anything in it. If you do, you can rest assured that it will be returned to you promptly. With a taxi or private hire, if it’s found, it will very likely go into the glove compartment or boot until the driver has time to deal with it.

Privacy

One of the advantages of travelling by private car, as opposed to public transport, is that you’re more likely to have peace to get on with what you want to do. If you’re travelling for business, this is probably going to be catching up with work. Even if you’re not, you may want to discuss sensitive matters or read documents you’d prefer to be kept confidential.

If you use a chauffeur, your privacy is guaranteed. Everything you say in the car will stay in the car. If you accidentally leave documents or storage media in the car, they will be returned to you unread and uncopied.

If you use a traditional driver, the level of privacy you have is essentially down to your luck. Some drivers will respect it. Others, however, might be less scrupulous. If you’re uncomfortably trusting your privacy to your luck, then you need to hire a chauffeur.

Comfort

The fact that all cars on the UK’s roads need to be safe means that you’re guaranteed a basic level of comfort. Essentially, you can expect any vehicle for hire to have decent suspension. If, however, you go for a chauffeur, then you will ensure yourself a much higher level of comfort.

Part of this is because chauffeur-driven vehicles tend to be premium and luxury vehicles. These are, literally, designed to offer high levels of comfort. Part of this, however, will be down to your chauffeur’s higher level of skill and greater attention to detail.

In particular, the fact that chauffeurs are trained in advanced driving skills makes them better able to avoid or navigate hazards. This minimises or even eliminates the need for sudden braking, accelerating and turning.

Kuldip Rait, Professional Chauffeur and Director of White 7 Bedford added, "As part of the day-to-day role, chauffeurs will take great care and pride over the cleanliness and presentation of our vehicles. You can expect basic amenities such as drinks, snacks and reading material as standard. Many chauffeur-driven vehicles will also have WiFi."

Local knowledge

London taxi drivers still, famously, have to take “The Knowledge”. Outside of the capital, licensed taxi drivers tend to have a decent level of local knowledge. They are, however, unlikely to match a chauffeur. Private-hire drivers are often heavily reliant on sat-nav to find their way about. At present, this is pretty decent but far from infallible.

In addition to having a better knowledge of local geography, chauffeurs will typically have a much better knowledge of local events. Even for business travellers, chauffeurs often do double-duty as tour guides. In fact, this local knowledge can be especially valuable for business travellers as they often have limited free time.