QSI Results 2019
Private Hire Company of the Year, 1-80 vehicles
Gold – Your Local Car, Camberley
Silver – OnCue Transport, London
Bronze – Castle Cars, Tonbridge
Sponsored by Karhoo
Our Gold winner impressed the judges with its incredible focus on service within its relatively small operating area. It promotes services and businesses within the towns it serves. Its drivers are local people and the service on offer is personal and professional. Doing exactly what it says on the tin, Camberley’s Your Local Car.
Our Silver winner is a highly specialised operator that fulfils a vital and an extremely demanding job of transporting people with medical or mobility needs. This year the company has launched a new corporate image and a growing fleet of 35 specialist vehicles for healthcare work. Congratulations to OnCue Transport.
Our Bronze award winner is a company that has been no stranger to this stage – a highly professional company that works with local authorities and charities to improve the taxi service in its area. For the sixth time since 2013, it’s another QSi Award for Tonbridge’s Castle Cars.
ROLL OF HONOUR
2018
Gold Location Cars, London
Silver Castle Cars, Tonbridge
Silver Pryors, Didcot
2017
Gold Go Green Taxis, Didcot
Silver Cabs Smart, Ipswich
Silver Location Cars, London
Bronze Castle Cars, Tonbridge
2016
Gold Go Green Taxis, Didcot
Silver Castle Cars, Tonbridge
Bronze Cloud Cars, Nottingham
2015
Gold Go Green Taxis, Didcot
Silver Alpha Executive Cars, Bury St Edmunds
Bronze Castle Cars, Tonbridge
2014
Gold Pryors Cars, Didcot
Silver Castle Cars, Tonbridge
Bronze On Time Travel, Warrington
2013
Gold On Time Travel, Warrington
Silver Cloud Cars, Nottingham
Bronze Bolton Airport Transfers, Bolton
Private Hire Company of the Year, 81+ vehicles
Gold – Radio Taxis, Southampton
Silver – Street Cars, Manchester
Bronze – Veezu, Newport
Sponsored by Catalina
Our Gold winner is Radio Taxis Southampton, a company that combines a real focus on local service with a passion for innovation. Radio Taxis pays specific attention to the needs of all its customers, from students to corporate clients – and its drivers. Initiatives include a customer reward scheme, free Christmas travel for emergency services staff, a students’ get home safe scheme and even a website to help any operator in the UK source products and consumables.
The Silver award goes to last year’s Gold winner in tis category. Manchester’s Street Cars has built on its strong position in its home city, adding a new dimension to its service by taking over the massive local airport contract.
Our Bronze award goes to Veezu, a massive operator with innovation at its core. Veezu is driving consolidation in the industry, creating huge regional hubs, investing in technology and driver training.
ROLL OF HONOUR
2018
Gold Street Cars, Manchester
Silver Royal Cars, Oxford
Bronze Green Tomato Cars London
2017
Gold Parker Car Service, London
Silver Royal Cars, Oxford
Bronze Carrot Cars, London
2016
Gold Addison Lee, London
Silver Parker Car Service, London
Bronze GLH, London
2015
Gold Phoenix Taxis, Blyth
Silver Parker Car Service, London
Bronze Addison Lee, London
2014
Gold Phoenix Taxis, Blyth
Silver GLH, London
Bronze Greentomato Cars, London
2013
Gold GLH, London
Silver The Keen Group, London
Bronze Climatecars, London
Environmental Award
Gold – DG Group, Nottingham
Silver – 001 Taxis, Oxford
Bronze – GLH, London
Sponsored by Professional Driver
Our industry is in the firing line as local authorities bring in tough clean air policies. As a result, operators are having to take the green side of their business very seriously indeed.
Our Gold winner has worked with its city council to help define and implement the local environmental policy. In a truly ground-breaking deal, it has installed a multi-vehicle electric car charging hub at its head office – not just for its own fleet, but open to the public. Our outstanding Gold QSi winner is Nottingham’s DG Group.
Our Silver winner has also been at the vanguard of introducing a cleaner fleet in its home city. Oxford’s 001 Taxis also carries out an extensive carbon offsetting programme, planting a tree for every car on its fleet. And it even encourages staff to walk or cycle to work.
Our Bronze winner has demonstrated a long-term commitment to reducing its environmental impact. North London-based GLH was an early adopter of hybrids, and now electric cars, but beyond that it addresses the issue of sustainability throughout its operations, and lets its customers know what it’s doing. And it has maintained its strike record of at least one QSi Award in every year since we started the awards in 2013!
ROLL OF HONOUR
2018
Gold Green Tomato Cars, London
Silver DG Cars, Nottingham
Bronze Parker Car Service, London
2017
Gold Addison Lee, London
Silver Green Tomato Cars, London
Bronze Cloud Cars, Nottingham
2016
Gold Addison Lee, London
Silver eConnect Cars, London
Bronze Cloud Cars, Nottingham
Bronze GLH, London
2015
Gold eConnect Cars, London
Silver Addison Lee, London
Bronze Go Green Taxis, Didcot
2014
Gold eConnect Cars, London
Silver Phoenix Taxis, Blyth
Bronze Green Tomato Cars, London
2013
Gold Climatecars, London
Silver GLH, London
Bronze Cloud Cars, Nottingham
New-Start Operator Award
Gold – Driven By Liberty, Manchester
Silver – OnCue Transport, London
Bronze – Tadley Cars, Tadley
Sponsored by Professional Driver
The New-Start Operator Award aims to reward private hire, taxi and chauffeur businesses that have only recently become established in the market. It’s open to companies that have either started operating or undergone a major change of management or direction since the start of 2015.
Our Gold winner only launched this April, but has delivered a textbook case study in how to do everything right, from stylish branding to car choice – and of course employing highly professional chauffeurs. Since then, Driven By Liberty has built a fleet of nine luxury cars and a growing list of blue-chip clients in the north-west.
The Silver award goes to a company that went through a major rebranding exercise 12 months ago to focus on providing specialised services to the healthcare sector in London. OnCue Transport’s service has been so successful that it is struggling to find enough suitable vehicles.
Our Bronze winner was inspired to set up a car service when he moved to a new town and tried to order a taxi. On being told it would be a three-hour wait, Gary Squires knew there was a big opportunity. He started Tadley Cars last year and the business is thriving through offering a friendly, local village taxi service, with two cars and plans to add more.
ROLL OF HONOUR
2018
Gold Excel Executive, London
Silver Wayland Executive Cars, Watton
Bronze AZ Luxe, London
2017
Gold Orion Luxury, London
Silver London Luxury Chauffeuring, London
Bronze Myhills Mini Coaches, Cambridge
2016
Gold Alpha Executive Cars, Bury St Edmunds
Silver Near and Far, Fakenham
Bronze EA Chauffeurs, Byfleet
2015
Gold eConnect Cars, London
Silver Portfolio Executive, Woking
Bronze Alpha Executive Cars , Bury St Edmunds
2014
Gold Capstar Chauffeurs, London
Silver Park Executive, Sunderland
Bronze London SilverBlack, London
Community Award
Gold – Royal Cars, Oxford
Silver – Veezu, Newport
Bronze – GLH, London
Bronze – Street Cars, Manchester
Sponsored by Plan Insurance
The QSi Community Award aims to reward those operators that make an extraordinary effort to provide an exceptional service for local businesses and organisations.
Our Gold winner doesn’t just support its local community of Oxford – it does that in the form of support for hospitals, sports teams and local children’s charities.
But Royal Cars is a company with broad horizons – its community is the world! The company funds doctors and even refuse collection in the remote Pakistani villages where the grandparents of the company’s owners were brought up. And when it found that a driver was sending most of his wages to Sierra Leone in Africa to fund a school, the company chipped in, and has built a well in the same village.
Our Silver Community award is tinged with sadness. Veezu raised a staggering £50,000 to support Childline – just by donating 1p from every app booking during a 13-month period. The initiative was the idea of company CEO Joel Hope-Bell, who tragically passed away from cancer last year.
This category is so popular that we’ve decided to award two Bronzes this year. Our first winner provides non-emergency transport for hospitals and safe travel for disabled or special needs students, providing special training for all its drivers to ensure the highest standards. GLH will be adding another shelf to its trophy cabinet!
The second Bronze award goes to the company that won this category in 2017. Manchester’s Street Cars has a great track record in local initiatives. It supports local charities and sports teams, as well as major local events – everything from Ramadan to Pride. And a work experience scheme gives young people a first taste of the workplace.
ROLL OF HONOUR
2018
Gold GLH, London
Silver Q Despatch, London
Bronze Royal Cars, Oxford
2017
Gold Street Cars, Manchester
Silver GLH, London
Bronze Solway Private Hire, Silloth
2016
Gold Solway Private Hire, Silloth
Silver Castle Cars, Tonbridge
Bronze GLH, London
2015
Gold Solway Private Hire, Silloth
Silver GLH, London
Bronze Argyle Taxis, Birkenhead
2014
Gold Solway Private Hire, Silloth
Silver GLH, London
Bronze Posh Limousines, Stoke-on-Trent
2013
Gold Fylde Executive, Blackpool
Silver Pryors, Didcot
Bronze GLH, London
Marketing Award
Gold – Station Taxis, Sunderland
Silver – 001 Taxis, Oxford
Bronze – Street Cars, Manchester
Sponsored by CMAC
Which companies promote their operations in the most creative and original way? The QSi Award for Marketing aims to find out. The judges were looking for Chauffeur, taxi or Private Hire operators, large or small, that make use of innovative or creative marketing and advertising across a range of media, and can show how this has improved their businesses.
How do you really stand out from the crowd? Our Gold QSi Marketing winner has certainly found a formula that works, generating hundreds of thousands of social media hits and a massive improvement in customer engagement.
What’s the secret? Singing drivers! A “cabpool karaoke “ initiative has worked wonders for Sunderland’s Station Taxis – and the company has backed this up with support for charities, hospitals and strong digital marketing.
Our Silver winner couples a scientific approach to building its online presence with great partnerships in and around its city, with universities, shopping centres, hotels and festivals. Innovation and creativity spell Silver for Oxford’s 001 Taxis
Our Bronze winner has been here before. Manchester’s Street Cars took its third 2019 QSi Award thanks to has a meticulous approach and a highly original style of advertising, coupled with strong use of social media and an investment in app and kiosk technology.
ROLL OF HONOUR
2018
Gold Street Cars, Manchester
Silver Radio Taxis, Southampton
Bronze Royal Cars, Oxford
2017
Gold GLH, London
Silver Addison Lee, London
Bronze Go Green Taxis, Didcot
2016
Gold Go Green Taxis, Didcot
Silver Addison Lee, London
Bronze Airport Lynx, Cambridgeshire
2015
Gold Spotty Cars, London
Silver Addison Lee, London
Bronze Airport Lynx, Cambridge
2014
Gold Tristar Worldwide, London
Silver White 7, Shrewsbury
Bronze Capstar Chauffeurs, London
2013
Gold White 7, Shrewsbury
Silver Reliance Worldwide, London
Bronze Tristar Worldwide, London
Chauffeur Company of the Year (1-10 vehicles)
Gold – Belgraves of London, Sutton
Silver – Smart City Prestige, London
Bronze – Drive Arrive, Huntingdon
Bronze – MET Chauffeur Services, Erskine
Sponsored by BMW
This is always a closely-fought category in the QSi Awards. The judges find this is always one of the hardest categories to call.
Winning Gold in this category is a tough ask. Ultimately, could anybody top last year’s winner? And despite an incredibly high standard, the answer was no. Taking its standards to another level of detail, differentiation, and consistency, our Gold winner is once again Belgraves of London.
Our Silver QSi winner is a company that focused on weddings and events – but Smart City Prestige has now taken its high standards of driver training and meticulous approach into the corporate sector, where it is already picking up top-quality clients.
Once again, our judges couldn’t get down to three, so we have two Bronze winners. This year we have seen a strong entry from north of the border, and our first Bronze award goes to MET Chauffeur Services of Erskine, a Scottish firm high standards, a first-rate website and a strong focus on business travel, airport work and tours.
Our second Bronze winner is a two-car business in a rural part of the country that offers an exceptional standard of personal customer service, tailoring its offering to each customer’s needs. Huntingdon-based Drive Arrive also runs a Facebook group that allows operators to work together and fill “dead legs”.
ROLL OF HONOUR
2018
Gold Belgraves of London, Sutton
Silver MET Chauffeur Services, Erskine
Bronze Orion Luxury Services, London
Bronze AZ Luxe, London
2017
Gold Orion Luxury, London
Silver Cole Executive Hire, Malmesbury
Bronze Chauffeur Travel, Bath
2016
Gold Alpha Executive Cars, Bury St Edmunds
Silver MLC Chauffeurs, Chorley
Bronze Driving Force, Tunbridge Wells
Bronze Home James, Birmingham
2015
Gold Chirton Grange, Rochester
Silver Near and Far, Fakenham
Bronze Park Executive, Sunderland
2014
Gold Park Executive, Sunderland
Silver Elite Chauffeur Services, Edinburgh
Bronze Chirton Grange, Rochester
2013
Gold Parkers Executive, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Silver Driving Force, Tunbridge Wells
Bronze Location Chauffeurs, South Mimms
Chauffeur Company of the Year (11-30 vehicles)
Gold – Fylde Executive Cars, Blackpool
Silver – iChauffeur, London
Bronze – Embassy Cars, London
Sponsored by BMW
The mid-size Chauffeur Company category has traditionally been dominated by growing, business-focused operators, and this year’s shortlist is no exception.
It’s taken a special effort to topple last year’s winner. Lancashire’s Fylde Executive Cars was a Gold winner back in our first year of the QSi awards – and the company has developed rather impressively since then.
A strong brand, a growing affiliate programme and an impressive driver training programme would probably be enough on its own – but the company bought a struggling local taxi firm in 2017, adding a second tier of service to its offering.
A strong focus on driver training and retention, plus a highly strategic and innovative approach brought a Gold QSi Award in this category last year for 2019’s Silver winner. iChauffeur has since then improved its level of service, so it now operates 24/7. And the company’s growing international affiliate programme has widened its global reach.
Our Bronze winner still just in this category – but Embassy Cars’ growing fleet and customer base, and increasing focus on events, are likely to elevate it into the big league at some stage.
ROLL OF HONOUR
2018
Gold iChauffeur, London
Silver Embassy Cars, London
Bronze Herts Executive, Welwyn Garden City
2017
Gold iChauffeur, London
Silver Driven UK, Horley
Bronze Herts Executive, Welwyn Garden City
2016
Gold Airport Lynx, Cambridge
Silver Auto Executive Corporate Travel, Redcar
Bronze Driven UK, Horley
2015
Gold Club Class Chauffeurs, Hailsham
Silver Capstar Chauffeurs, London
Bronze Airport Lynx, Cambridge
Bronze Home James, Birmingham
2014
Gold Capstar Chauffeurs, London
Silver Airport Lynx, Cambridge
Bronze England Limousines, London
2013
Gold Club Class Chauffeurs, Hailsham
Silver Fylde Executive, Blackpool
Bronze England Limousines, London
Chauffeur Company of the Year (31+ vehicles)
Gold – Little’s, Glasgow
Silver – Excel Executive, London
Bronze – Driven Worldwide, London
Sponsored by Audi
This is another tough category, where Quality and Service are a given – so it’s often down to Innovation to decide the medals.
Our outstanding Gold winner is a company with a highly distinctive brand – you’ll not mistake Little’s burgundy cars for a rival’s vehicles. Growth has been almost as impressive as its driver retention levels, while a focus on new vehicles means the company has one of the cleanest fleets in its home city. Showing Glasgow what a quality chauffeur company looks like, please congratulate Little’s.
A focus on events is at the core of our Silver winner’s business. A major change of ownership and focus two years ago has paid dividends for Excel Executive, giving the company the confidence to grow – even running events hundreds of miles from its home base. Throw great driver training and technology into the mix, and it’s a winning formula.
Our Bronze award goes to a consistent performer that has won this category in the past. The judges were this year impressed with Driven Worldwide’s strong focus on driver and customer loyalty, and the impressive new systems, including a structured career path for all drivers.
ROLL OF HONOUR
2018
Gold Airport Lynx, Cambridge
Silver Club Class Chauffeurs, Hailsham
Bronze Driven Worldwide, London
2017
Gold Club Class Chauffeurs, Hailsham
Silver Brunel, London
Bronze Little’s Chauffeur Drive, Glasgow
Bronze Premiere Chauffeur Drive, London
2016
Gold Driven Worldwide, London
Silver Premiere Chauffeur Drive, London
Bronze Tristar Worldwide, London
2015
Gold Driven Worldwide, London
Silver Tristar Worldwide, London
Bronze Parker Car Service, London
2014
Gold Tristar Worldwide, London
Silver Driven Worldwide, London
Bronze BCH London, London
2013
Gold Tristar Worldwide, London
Silver Cabot Global, London
Bronze Brunel, London
Professional Driver of the Year
Gold – Scott Phillpot, Belgraves of London
Silver – Steve Sommerfeld, Marshalls of Cambridge
Silver – Peter Conisbee, Drive Arrive
Sponsored by BMW
The final category of the Professional Driver QSi Awards is our Flagship Award – Professional Driver of the Year.
The Award is for an individual private hire driver or chauffeur, who provides the absolute highest standard of service, in terms of driving skills, customer service, personality, and ability to represent their company.
Our Gold winner is a chauffeur who has worked his way up through a career as a garage mechanic, and RAC breakdown van driver and a fleet manager before becoming a chauffeur seven years ago.
It’s only fitting that one of the best companies of 2019 has the best driver – our Professional Driver of the Year is Scott Phillpot, from Belgraves of London.
Always prepared to go the extra mile and unflappably coping with difficult situations, Scott is described by his company boss in glowing terms: “He genuinely feels great joy if a customer has enjoyed their experience with him, His pride and dedication to the job is second to none.”
Our Silver winner is one of the most experienced chauffeurs in the business. Steve Sommerfeld has run highly-regarded companies, trained chauffeurs to NVQ level, and currently manages a team of high-level corporate chauffeurs to the highest standard for Marshalls of Cambridge.
In a previous life Steve has received a QSi Award before, and in addition to his day job, he has set up a professional body that is helping to raise chauffeuring standards across the industry.
His employer, Marshalls of Cambridge, says: “His professional attributes embody the example of a well-rounded, dedicated and experienced chauffeur.”
Our Bronze award goes to a man who has only been a chauffeur for less than two years. But Peter Conisbee’s expertise as a former – and decorated – police officer has given him the ability to cope with any situation.
His company owner at Drive Arrive describes him as “a natural and outstanding chauffeur” and “a popular, caring and capable professional”.
ROLL OF HONOUR
2018
Gold Paul Garratt, Excel Executive
Silver Terry McCann, Herts Executive
Bronze Stuart Johnson, Wayland Executive Cars
2017
Gold Hilary Hutchinson, Lakeland Chauffeurs
Silver Simon Peacock, Capstar Chauffeurs
Bronze Marc Brodie, GLH
Bronze Bogdan Tepes, Herts Executive
2016
Gold Andrew Matthews, Alpha Executive Cars
Silver Paul Bhamra, Tristar Worldwide
Bronze Michael Browne, Driven Worldwide
2015
Gold Danny Richards, Capstar Chauffeurs
Silver Hilary Hutchinson, Lakeland Chauffeurs
Bronze Paul Stanley, Tristar Worldwide
2014
Gold Eric Bonful, Greentomato Cars
Silver Kevin Willis, Chirton Grange
Bronze Paul Alleman, Tristar Worldwide
Bronze Clive Pearce, England Limousines
2013
Gold Robert Mroczek, England Limousines
Silver Andrew Fowler, Location Chauffeurs
Bronze Maurice Holman, Tristar Worldwide