Les Ambassadeurs Club, the premier casino and entertainment destination in London is seeking an experienced Driver with a PCO licence.

Les Ambassadeurs Club operates 24/7 and therefore the suitable candidate will be required to work a combination of shifts. Experience in working within the gaming industry and a clean driving license is essential for this position. In addition it is desirable that the candidate is bilingual in Arabic or Chinese as well as English.

To apply, please send your CV and cover letter to Simionne Marshall at
hr@lesaclub.com. The closing date is Friday, 10 February 2012.

Due to the high volume of candidates responding to our adverts we are not always able to provide feedback on your application. If you don’t hear from us by 17 February 2012, please assume you have been unsuccessful on this occasion.

All applicants must be able to provide proof of right to work in the UK.

The first option is to become a self-employed driver and offering executive/luxury services to corporate and private clients – this normally involves purchasing or leasing your own chauffeur vehicles, and being responsible for maintenance and the general running of your company.

Secondly, if you are looking for a reliable income and be in complete control of the hours you work, then you are probably more suited to becoming an employed chauffeur with one of the thousands of operators currently running in the UK. Although being a chauffeur normally involves long hours, this option gives you a regular income and you could benefit from further perks if you stayed with the company a long period of time.

Let’s concentrate on becoming a self-employed chauffeur to begin with. Many individuals who decide to run their own businesses normally start with a large amount of capital as running a chauffeur business can be an expensive project. However, some may start to build a client base with a slightly older vehicle to make running costs cheaper.

The mains costs would be: Purchasing/leasing one or more vehicles, vehicle and business insurances, local authority licensing, chauffeur salaries and vehicle maintenance.

You should always start by contacting your local taxi licensing office. There are more than 200 of these offices throughout the country – all of which have different rules and conditions. These licensing offices split ‘Hire and Reward’ businesses into two categories. The first would be a Taxi license, and the second being a ‘Private Hire’ license. Although you may be classing yourself as a chauffeur, you will still fall into the second category.

Your local council/ licensing authority will control the age and type of vehicle you will be able to operate. Normally it will have a maximum age limit on the vehicle to ensure safety etc.

As a driver, you will also have to comply with a number of conditions to be registered as a Hire and Reward driver. All applicants will have to undergo a medical examination with their GP to decide if you are fit and well enough to spend a great deal of hours in the driving seat. There is normally a cost involved and will be determined by your doctors surgery.

You will also have to complete a CRB check (Criminal Records Bureau). There is a cost involved and this will take a minimum of six weeks to complete. If you have any criminal records, then this will appear for the licensing authorities to see.

Employment.

Some say being a chauffeur is a single mans job. Why? Because of the long hours, many of them being unsociable.

If you become a chauffeur, then you must be prepared to work very unsociable hours and at sometimes, very short notice. Most of your work will involve transporting business people between their homes, airports and their place of work, therefore these will take place out of office hours.

There are a number of very large companies throughout the country who specialise in airport travel, so expect to get extremely familiar with your nearest airports and the local fast food restaurants. Although there are many smaller chauffeur businesses who operate a handful of cars and may steer away from early morning airport transfers, and will concentrate on corporate events and business meetings. Working for these companies may be more suitable if you have a family and do not want to work unsociable hours.

This all may sound bad, but working as a full-time chauffeur for a large company can be extremely rewarding as you will get to meet many interesting clients and successful business people. You will also get to know these people very well, and if you are good at your job, they will also treat you with great respect.

What makes a good chauffeur?

Being a chauffeur is not for everyone, but if you are polite, efficient and dedicated to giving top quality service, then it could be the perfect job for you.

A chauffeur always needs to be smart, on time, considerate and prepared to go the extra mile for any client. Many still believe a chauffeur should be hearing a hat and gloves, but that’s not strictly the case unless the client asks you to do so. A well-fitted suit and clean, polished shoes are necessary as well as good personal hygiene.

Every client will have different requirements and you must be prepared to do what you can to make sure these happen. Some may require a certain newspaper, magazine or simply a coffee when they arrive at the airport. These small requests normally mean a great deal to the client and you are sure to be rewarded by them.

It is very important to learn straight away how to deal with clients, as this can mean them coming back to you again and again if you get it right. Once you have both exchanged greetings, always let the client talk to you first during the journey. Never bombard them with stories of the latest traffic jams or anything from your personal life – they are simply not interested, unless they ask you.

A business person will normally want to relax when they are in your vehicle, some may catch up on emails or make phone calls. You must make every effort not to listen to their conversation, or comment on a conversation they just had.

As a professional driver, you have a great responsibility to make sure your client is not late for any appointment or flight. This is all down to preparing your journey and making sure you know exactly where you are going. Completely relying on satellite navigation will not give your client confidence in your work. Do not break any speed limits, even if the client asks you to do so.

Your vehicle must always be clean, inside and out. The client will not want to smell your lunch or see empty crisp packets floating around the car.

As long as you follow most of these simple rules, your life as a chauffeur should be extremely enjoyable.

Here are some links to some websites which may help you.

Advanced driving courses: http://www.rospa.com and http://www.iam.org.uk

Chauffeur news and industry features: http://www.thechauffeur.com

Chauffeur and Private Hire job listings: http://www.hirerewardjobs.co.uk

The latest chauffeur programmes from Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Jaguar: http://www.chauffeurshowroom.com

An app to help your clients book a chauffeur vehicle: http://www.thechauffeurapp.com

London licensing: http://www.tfl.gov.uk/businessandpartners/taxisandprivatehire/2807.aspx

Licensed Private Hire Car Association: http://www.lphca.co.uk

SIGN-UP TO RECEIVE OUR FREE EMAIL NEWSLETTER HERE:

The alleged attack is still under investigation, police said, so not many details have emerged.

The Mount Laurel Police Department said Cohen and a man named Richard Hughes were accused of sexually assaulting an 18-year-old female acquaintance at the Aloft hotel on Dec. 8 2011. The men were arrested on outstanding warrants and have been charged with first-degree aggravated sexual assault, first-degree kidnapping and second-degree conspiracy. Police said additional charges are anticipated. Cohen and Hughes are being held at Burlington County Jail on $400,000 bail.

According to an article in Limousine Digest’s 20th anniversary issue, Cohen was 19 when he founded Medford, N.J.-based Modern Technologies Group. He subsequently founded Limousine Digest in June 1991 as a way to market MTG’s products. In 1993, Cohen launched the inaugural Limousine Digest Show at the Meadowlands Expo Center in Secaucus, N.J. The Limousine Digest Show moved to Atlantic City in 1996.

Mohammed Fayaz Hussain, 41, was slapped with a summons after five vehicles belonging to Elite Limousines VIP Protection Services were pulled over by police on their way to the Etihad Stadium. It is understood the passengers included the family of at least one of the Blues’ first-team stars, as well as relatives of the club’s top brass.

The cars were stopped on the day of City’s final home game of last season – against Stoke City on May 17.

Mr Hussain will face three counts of employing an unlicensed driver, five counts of using a private hire vehicle that was not displaying the correct plate or disc information, five counts of using a motor vehicle without third-party insurance and one later count of withholding information to obtain motor insurance.

The count of withholding information dates to June 15, 2010. Mr Hussain – of Woodlands Road, Crumpsall – is one of three main shareholders in the company, according to the most recent accounts. He is also a director of the firm.

The Piccadilly-based company’s website features shots of their luxury fleet sat outside the Etihad stadium.

They boast a Rolls Royce Phantom, Bentley Flying Spur, Bentley Arnage, Chrysler Limousine, Mercedes S Class, Mercedes People Carrier, Mercedes 16-seater, Hummer H2 and Lincoln Navigator.

The site adds that each vehicle is fitted with in-car entertainment including DVD players, LCD screens, games consoles and state-of-the-art music systems.

Elite also offers helicopter and executive jet travel.

Mr Hussain will appear at Manchester magistrates’ court on December 20.

He declined to comment when contacted by the Manchester Evening News. Manchester City also declined to comment.

Source: Manchester Evening News

The deal sees Addison Lee acquire all of Lewis Day’s car service operations, accounting for 50% of Lewis Day’s total turnover of £36 million per year. As part of the deal, CitySprint will take over Lewis Day’s UK-wide network of sameday courier operations in a partnership that will provide Lewis Day customers with a best-in-class offering of London-wide premium minicab and national courier services.

Liam Griffin, MD of Addison Lee said; “The acquisition of Lewis Day Transport allows Addison Lee to add to its client base with London’s corporate sector.

“Although it will be ‘business as usual’ initially for Lewis Day customers, they will soon benefit from the shorter waiting times, smartphone apps and online booking processes already enjoyed by Addison Lee’s 20,000 account holders.”

Addison Lee currently operates 3,000 premium minicabs across the capital, alongside 200 Mercedes E and S class chauffeur vehicles, couriers, vans and coaches as well as recently launching a new private jet service.

The FT has reported that Daimler will cover the luxury segment in future with an expanded range of models made by its flagship Mercedes-Benz marque, said Dieter Zetsche, chief executive.

The decision ends long-running speculation in the industry that the German carmaker would bin the Maybach brand, which has failed to match the sales of its closest competitors, Volkswagen’s Bentley and BMW-owned Rolls-Royce.

“We have had full discussions within the company about which path in the luxury segment was the most promising,” Dieter Zetsche told Germany’s Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung in an article published on its website on Friday. “And we came to the clear conclusion that the sales chances for the Mercedes brand were better than Maybach’s.”

Mr Zetsche said that it would “not make sense” to design a successor model for the current Maybach. Mercedes-Benz would use a planned renewal of its top-end S-Class range to launch an “attack on the upper range”, Mr Zetsche told the newspaper. He suggested S-Class sales could double to 80,000 annually.

Maybachs sell for more than €300,000, and top-end limousines and sports cars in its class are selling well, especially in China and the Middle East.

However, Daimler sold only about 200 Maybachs worldwide last year, roughly the same number as in 2009, and total sales are only about 3,000 since the brand – established in the 1920s – was revived in 2002.

By contrast Rolls-Royce sold 2,711 cars in 2010, while Bentley sold just over 5,000 cars.

Daimler had been studying its options for Maybach for some time. Last year, the company held inconclusive talks with Aston Martin on a possible partnership that would have seen the UK sports car maker produce the marque’s next generation of models.

Mr Zetsche suggested sales of the Maybach would end in 2013 when the S-Class range will be widened from three to six models. The S-Class, like the Maybach, is produced at Daimler’s Sindelfingen plant near Stuttgart.

Separately, Daimler said on Friday it would step up investment at the nearby Untertürkheim power train plant, which produces axles, transmissions and engines for more than 1.5m vehicles annually. The plant will receive investment of almost €1bn next year after €670m in 2011, Daimler said.

Source: FT