We're changing taxi insurance in Ireland

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At Zego, we’re always looking for new and innovative ways to provide drivers with cover that suits their needs. We’ve designed our taxi insurance product to bring about fundamental changes to the taxi insurance market in Ireland.

By combining insurance with technological solutions, we want to create fairer products for taxi drivers in Ireland, which offer protection against fraudulent and inflated claims, at competitive prices.

Recently, NPHTA, one of our trusted partners, passed on a list of questions that they had received about Zego’s taxi insurance from taxi drivers in Ireland. We thought this would be a great chance to offer further insights into how we plan to change taxi insurance in Ireland forever.

In the past, other insurance companies have tried and failed to break into the Irish market. Why should drivers feel confident that Zego will fare any differently?

We understand this concern and we know how important it is to be able to trust insurance companies, particularly when they are new to the market.

Unlike other traditional insurers, Zego is a technology-based insurance company. We have already proved how successful a tech-first approach to insurance can be in other markets, particularly in the delivery, private hire and fleet sectors in the UK.

As a technology-first business, we are able to adapt our products to address specific local needs. We understand the problems that the taxi insurance market in Ireland has had in the past, and we’re confident that our solutions will benefit this underserved market.

What’s Zego’s biggest obstacle to getting into the Irish market?

We’ve seen that the taxi insurance market in Ireland has been underserved for a number of years, so we want to provide a better service than taxi drivers have been given before. Whilst we wouldn’t call it an obstacle, we’ve had to learn fast about the market in order to adapt quickly and build products that solve real problems.

Are you regulated by the Irish Central Bank?

Zego is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in the United Kingdom and we are licensed to ‘passport’ our services to Ireland via the Central Bank of Ireland. Our insurer, La Parisienne Assurances, is fully regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland and backed by Swiss Re, the second-largest reinsurer in the world. Please rest assured that we’re here to stay!

Do you have an office in Ireland?

Currently, we have an administration office in Dublin city centre. However, we’re looking for a larger office space as we continue to grow our team in Ireland. In London, we have a dedicated customer support team serving our customers in Ireland.

What’s your relationship with NPHTA?

NPHTA is a trusted partner for Zego. We work with NPHTA to provide the best possible taxi insurance to their members. They do not act as a broker for Zego, and receive no commission in cases where their members purchase insurance from Zego.

Why do drivers need to install cameras or telematics devices in their vehicles?

At Zego, we want to provide fairer, more accurate premiums to all our customers. We achieve this by understanding our drivers better than traditional insurers. By providing a free device to all our customers, we can help them protect themselves against fraudulent and inflated claims and create a way of understanding our customers better.

Do the cameras have to be connected all the time?

It’s a requirement of our insurance that a driver’s telematics device remains installed and activated at all times. This is part of the underwriting criteria. It also ensures that a driver will always have footage or insights in the unlikely event of any incident, which can help streamline their claims process.

What does Zego do with the information that these devices collect?

We are very open that a customer’s annual policy will not be affected by installing these devices and all the information they collect is stored safely and securely. We will use this information to inform our pricing over the coming years and help us continue to provide a better service and pricing to all our customers in Ireland in the future.

What happens if a driver’s camera breaks or is stolen?

Please inform our third party provider what has happened and we’ll get this sorted as soon as possible. Depending on your device, the contact details are:

How do Data Protection laws affect Zego’s insurance?

At Zego, we’re always transparent with our customers about how we use their personal data, which includes the types of data we collect and the reasons why we collect it. All of this information can be found in our Privacy Notice, which we’ve tried to make as simple and easy to understand as possible. We always explain this in full to customers, both verbally and in writing before they take out a policy with us.

In addition to this, we are compliant with GDPR obligations and all other applicable data privacy laws. Our team are always happy to answer any questions about personal data and how it is used at Zego.

If a Zego customer is involved in an incident, who should they report it to?

The details of who to contact are listed in a customer's policy documents, but a customer can call us if they have any doubts and we'll point them in the right direction.

How long would it normally take to process a claim and how soon could drivers expect to be back on the road?

The short answer to this question is that the time it takes to process a claim varies, as does how quickly a driver can expect to be back out on the road. Once indemnity has been confirmed, our claims handlers get the vehicle over to a repairer as soon as possible. They will also offer a more specific estimate of the time it will take to resolve each individual case.

From there, high-quality repairs are carried out on all accident-related damage to ensure that the repair is completed to the highest possible standard. However, the time it takes the repairer to complete their work on a particular vehicle differs. It depends on the nature of the damage and the process can take slightly longer if they need to wait for a particular part in order to perform the repair.

Will premiums rise once Zego acquires a bigger share of the market?

Whilst all insurance premiums are subject to change over time, Zego’s aim as a business is not to increase our premiums as we grow in Ireland. We want to provide a better product with fairer prices to make fundamental changes to the way the taxi insurance market operates in Ireland.

What is the process for renewing a policy with Zego?

When the time comes to renew a customer’s policy, our team will be in touch. Alternatively, a customer can call us directly on 01 526 0877 and we will be happy to set up their next policy. There’s no need to provide any additional paperwork.

For more information, or to get a quote for Zego’s taxi insurance, please visit our website.