His bRK private Hire business, based in Walton, Peterborough, offers eight-seater executive travel in air-conditioned comfort courtesy of his Mercedes Vito vehicle.

With plenty of leg room for a relaxing journey, as well as plenty of luggage space, it is geared to business and airport runs, predominantly catering for long distance travel.

A 24/7 operation, it also takes in trips to seaports, railway stations and special occasions, such as London's West End, Wembley Stadium and the NEC, in Birmingham. He also has a courier service.

But it has been far from plain sailing for Bhima, a family man who has lived in peterborough for 17 years. Much of that time he has worked in a driver capacity.

When he set up BRK Private Hire at the beginning of this year, it was to branch out on his own, to specialise in executive travel after 10 years in courier work.

"I worked for Business post delivering parcels using my own vehicle, a mercedes LWB Sprinter van," said Bhima.

"It was often a very long day, doing 60-70 deliveries, to designated Peterborough postcodes."

For several years prior to the courier work, he was a heavy goods vehicle driver for a number of major companies.

But for all the many years' experience, nothing prepared him for the grim early days, from January to march, of BRK private Hire.

"There was nothing coming in – I did wonder whether I had made the right decision to go it alone," said Bhima.

"I seriously thought, on more than one occasion, of going back to the courier work."

But after carrying out business card drops, as well as advertising in the local hospital magazine and The Evening Telegraph, business gradually started to come in.

Much of that work is the airport run, to Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton and Stansted. And it is in a classy vehicle, which on occasion has been afforded "VIP status", according to Bhima.

"There was one time when I had driven four ladies to a function and we were in a long queue. We were then directed to the front of the line because they thought we were VIPs," he said.

With the main holiday period now at an end, Bhima is starting to gear up for the Christmas party season.

And you can be assured you are in safe hands given Bhima's long driving career. He has been rewarded by being placed fourth, out of about 800 entries, in the Peterborough City Council Hackney Carriage and private Hire Trade Driver of the Year award.

Last season, his business sponsored the Parkside Juniors football team and he will soon return to sponsorship of a local youth sports team.