Taxi Driver Online

Why taxi drivers won’t nip over with a takeaway

Published on Saturday 15 October 2011 10:09

Takeaway owners fear for their futures after a breakdown in their relationship with taxi firms.

For years, taxis have delivered meals at discount rates in return for the custom from those who eat out at curry houses.

But taxi drivers have now been frightened off by the fear of legal action.

The council has told taxi firms delivering food they must have insurance and stick to health and safety rules.

Saghir Hussain, of Ziggy’s, Carlton Street, Halifax, said he was stunned at the council intervention.

He said the arrangement had worked fine since 1982 and the issue had not been raised elsewhere.

“This is the first instance of its kind here in Halifax when all business are struggling,” he said.

“The council has opened a can of worms.”

He fears restaurants will close, not making enough money to run their own delivery service.

But Sultan Hussain, general secretary of Calderdale Private Hire Association, said the implications of carrying food had been made known and drivers didn’t want to put themselves at risk.

If taxis continued delivering food, many would face higher insurance.

He said the growth of the “compensation culture” had forced the issue and taxis were inappropriate for transporting food.

“What if a taxi driver gets lost and the food goes cold and someone gets food poisoning? Who are they going to sue?” he said.

“What if there is a matchstick or nail in the food?"

“Food has serious implications now with the claim culture and this could be a national issue."

“Some things have to hurt people for the betterment of the community."

“Restaurants will have to get their own vehicles.”

Calderdale registration and licensing managing Sarah Richardson said: “Private-hire drivers expressed concerns about being asked to deliver takeaways and asked the council to prohibit the practice.

“We could not take this action as it does not contravene licensing conditions.

“Letters sent out confirmed this, but noted that drivers would need to be properly insured for these deliveries.”

Scource; http://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/news/lo ... _1_3876346

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Brummie Cabbie.

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I've been saying this for years!!

Not so much about taxis delivering the hot takeaways, but about unlicensed drivers and vehicles doing this all over the country for reward.

I had never thought about the food safety issue though and the need to keep hot food above 63deg C [from my food hygiene course].

About time this issue was tackled head-on!!

_________________
Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

Type a message, post your news,
Disagree with other members' views;
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When debating on the TDO Forum.

Indeed, and I suspect those same unlicensed drivers are also taking punters as well.

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IDFIMH

Round here they use them hot boxes to transport food in.

We used to do alot of work for an Indian Takeaway delivering their food in return for all the fares that came out of there. We used to leave a slot free on a busy weekend night so the takeaway could deliver meals to punters, that was until we noticed an out of town PH parked up there one night picking phone bookings up from the Takeaway, we stopped delivering there and then and when the guy phoned up for a delivery we said "sorry we aren't doing them for you anymore."

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Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.

Believe me, don't get Mercury X2

yep round here loads of drivers do this with battered old bangers at really cheap prices in fact one was moaning to me the other day that by the time he's paid for fuel he's averaging about £2 an hour ! A few taxis do it as well for one particular Indian but do you need hire and reward insurance for delivering food surely it's the same as courier work ?

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

I'd say it is a result myself, I used to hate getting a food run, it doesn't pay the rate, it stinks the car out and uses too much time, my now late mate used to open em up and have a few lumps of chicken before delivering it

taxi/ph are not insured as "common carriers" i thought?

a punters luggage with the punter onboard is "private carrier"


the curry carriers in private cars have no business insurance at all....

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

My insurance states that I am insured for the carriage of passengers for hire or reward and goods.

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Grandad,

how is it worded though "passengers and goods" could infer their own goods....

this is more complicated than that, most insurers wont accept cars for courier work and GIT is even harder to get for a car

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

It actually states passengers or goods.

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Grandad,