Taxi Driver Online

So he was banned from driving a taxi for five years.

But as he drives an illegal taxi, he'll be back out there already?

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Former taxi driver

Well captain, take a look at any private car around you when your driving and you will most likely see a sticker or disc advertising something or other.
I was down London last week with a parcel, and the only way I could tell the difference between a private car or private hire was the radio aerial, them stickers issued by the Pco or councils are hard to see, so what chance have the public got when they have had a few sherbets.
As I said all London's public hire are black cabs so if the Private hire saloons had a top sign and plates they would stand out a mile.
the reason meters should be fitted is to stop folk from being riped off, and yes some may be taken the long way, by some but not all
Even GBC would be able to spot one then

I still disagree

Private Hire is pre-booked, the public pre order the vehicle for a specific time and they should be perfectly well aware that they are waiting for a PHV.

All they have to do is approach the vehicle and ask for the name if they are unsure.

On a broader picture it seems to me that the only reason a proportion of PH want to be clearly identifiable is to promote the fact that they can be hired, this has nothing to do with public safety (although that is a convenient excuse) and more to do with their own selfish purposes.

Regarding meters I think I am alone on this but if the contract is between the operator and the customer and a price has been previously agreed, then what is the point in the car being equipped with a meter. Indeed wouldnt a meter promote an immediate hire and possibly increase the liklihood of the PHV plying for hire?

regards

CC

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Yes Captain I know PH are pre booked but in London it would be a lot simpler to have a top sign with the words private hire only on it.
It would not have to be lit and the punter who phoned could tell the difference immediately between a private car and a PH, and yes the punter should still check with the driver.
Do you agree that the PH should have clearly displayed plates, instead of stickers the size of tax discs as well

Why Skippy? are people in London just simply more stupid than in other areas (dont answer that ! )

I think roof signs on PH are a very bad idea.

The tax disc sized identification is what the PCO and London PH legislation decreed, its not a bad idea.

regards

CC

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

I don't know what world you live in Cap but the in most cases operators don't agree prices. All the operator does is take a booking and dispatch a private hire vehicle, the cost of the journey will depend on where the person goes and what might transpire in reaching the destination? The only difference between a hackney and a private hire vehicle in such circumstances is that a hackney can ply for public hire. The method of calculating the cost of a journey has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with plying for hire.

London legislation in respect of taxi meters in private hire vehicles is out of Kilter with the rest of the UK. It wouldn't surprise me that if legally challenged the section relating to meters would be deemed unlawful.

Regards

JD

Perhaps its a case of the London Act being correct and the rest of the country being wrong?

Private Hire Vehicles (London) (Operators Licences) Regulations 2000

Regulation 11

Before the commencement of each journey booked at an operating centre specified in this license an operator shall enter the following particulars of the booking in the record referred to in regulation 10

(e) any fare or estimated fare quoted.

regards

CC

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

So when a lone female walks to an iffy un-licensed, un-marked vehicle, the iffy driver is going to tell her he isn't who she booked the cab with?

Whereas if she approached a PH vehicle with the number she rang when she booked the car with, that's not a good idea.

As for the meter issue, aren't PH drivers allowed to claim for time stuck in traffic? And from my experience customers are far happier paying a metered price than a fixed fare.

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IDFIMH

I would think the lone female would be expecting a pre-booked private hire vehicle, if the driver doesnt know her name then obviously the vehicle isnt hers?

If the contract is between the passenger and the operator, with the driver being the agent for the operator, surely the operator would take traffic into account?

CC

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Does it not seem rather crazy that each year the government and local authorities and constabularies will spend thousands of pounds to educate the public not to drink and drive.

Facing facts everyone knows not to drink and drive.

Yet, sweet FA is spent towards educating the public towards what they can and cannot instantly hire as a taxi and PHV?

CC

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

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IDFIMH

And where no fare is quoted which is 99.9% of the time nothing is required to be entered.

Regards

JD

I cant quite see that in the act, which part is that in?

regards

CC

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

I thought taxis had lights on their roof saying "For Hire" or "Taxi"?

Many people see Private hire vehicles as being taxis and in this day and age probably the generic term should be applied to both. I think we should do away with the term "hackney carriage" altogether and use the term public and private Taxis. Hackney carriages are no longer licensed as taxis and are extinct in that sphere and to equate a motor vehicle to a hackney carriage is preposterous.

Regards

JD

Well perhaps the obvious is no so apparent to some? But if you read the regulation again and reflect on the very first word, which is "before". You will notice that it is stating any fare before the commencement of a journey and not "after" the journey has been completed. Therefore there is no requirement in this regulation to insert a price after the completion of the journey. I suppose the intention of the rule is to clarify any dispute which may arise over a negotiated fare? However there is no such safegaurd for passengers who get into a hackney carriage which goes out of its area and stings the passenger with a fare they weren't expecting.

"Before" the commencement of each journey booked at an operating centre specified in this license an operator shall enter the following particulars of the booking in the record referred to in regulation 10

(e) any fare or estimated fare quoted.

Regards

JD