Taxi controller
Also known as: taxi dispatcher, private hire controller, minicab controller, minicab dispatcher, private hire dispatcher
About this occupation
Taxi controllers take bookings, dispatch vehicles, and are responsible for coordinating drivers while maintaining customer liaison.
Essential skills and knowledge
- consider economic criteria in decision making
- log times of taxis
- passenger transport regulations
- relay messages through radio and telephone systems
- monitor drivers
- listen actively
- road traffic laws
- control taxi schedules
- handle customer complaints
- read maps
- communicate by telephone
- follow up complaint reports
Typical tasks and preparation
From the related US occupation profile Public Safety Telecommunicators (O*NET 43-5031.00). Linked by an official crosswalk: related, not identical; details vary by country.
- Provide emergency medical instructions to callers.
- Question callers to determine their locations and the nature of their problems to determine type of response needed.
- Determine response requirements and relative priorities of situations, and dispatch units in accordance with established procedures.
- Receive incoming telephone or alarm system calls regarding emergency and non-emergency police and fire service, emergency ambulance service, information, and after-hours calls for departments within a city.
- Relay information and messages to and from emergency sites, to law enforcement agencies, and to all other individuals or groups requiring notification.
- Record details of calls, dispatches, and messages.
- Typical education (US)
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
- Preparation
- Job Zone 2 of 5
- Interests
- Conventional, Realistic, Social
Top skills: Active Listening, Speaking, Social Perceptiveness, Critical Thinking, Coordination, Service Orientation
US median pay: US$53,040 a year (2025), 102,500 employed. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Subjects this work relies on
How important each subject's knowledge is in the job itself, rated by people doing it (1 to 5).
- Government and PoliticsO*NET: Law and GovernmentExtremely important (4.5)
- English or Literature in EnglishO*NET: English LanguageVery important (4.5)
- GeographyO*NET: GeographyVery important (4.3)
- Media StudiesO*NET: Communications and MediaVery important (4.2)
- Computer StudiesO*NET: Computers and ElectronicsVery important (4.0)
- PsychologyO*NET: PsychologyImportant (3.4)
- Business Studies or EntrepreneurshipO*NET: Administration and ManagementImportant (3.1)
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Preparation needed
Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Most common education (US)
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
- Training
- Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Related occupations
Occupations O*NET links to this one by similar work, skills and knowledge.
- Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance
- Emergency Medical Technicians
- Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service
- Paramedics
- First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers
- Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers
- Transit and Railroad Police
- Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians
- Airfield Operations Specialists
- Telephone Operators
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.