Taxi Driver Online

Bournemouth taxi driver forced to downgrade seven-seater cab to four



CONFUSED: Taxi driver Nader Sadeghi, who has been told his Vauxhall Zafira can only take four passengers

HOW many people can you get in a taxi?

Well it appears the answer to that depends on where you get your taxi licence from.

Taxi driver Nader Sadeghi, 62, has been forced to downgrade his seven-seater Vauxhall Zafira to a four-seater by town hall officials in Bournemouth because it “doesn’t meet their minimum requirements”.

This is despite the fact car giant Vauxhall say the Zafira can carry seven adults and both East Dorset District Council and the Borough of Poole award it a six-passenger licence.

Baffled Nader Sadeghi, 62, spent £12,000 of his pension savings on a Zafira to enable him to gain more business. He took his paperwork to the taxi licensing department at Town Hall in Bournemouth last autumn and was handed a licence plate stating his vehicle could take six passengers.

Mr Sadeghi, who has been driving taxi in Bournemouth since 2004, said business picked up until he enquired with Town Hall about putting a roof rack on his car and was informed they had made a mistake and his car could only take four passengers.

“I could not believe this. On Friday and Saturday nights in Bournemouth town people demand seven seaters and I can’t take them because the licensing department will only let me carry four.”


Mr Sadeghi, of Canford Avenue, Wallisdown, appealed to the Town Hall four months ago but has not heard anything.

Keith Evans, licensing officer at Bournemouth Borough Council, said: “We are aware of Mr Sadeghi’s case. An error was made as he was given the incorrect license plate and we would like to apologise to him for this mistake on our part.

“We don’t grant seven-seater taxi licences to taxi drivers with Zafira cars because the two seats at the back of these cars are designed as children seats.

“They therefore don’t provide enough space for all passengers and don’t meet our minimum requirements for passenger seat space.”

source: http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/9 ... b_to_four/

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

I see his point and they are indeed licensed for 6 passengers here, but c'mon whoever gave permission in the first place was barmy, the rumble seats are difficult to get into and the rear impact risk makes the whole thing unsafe tbh, lucky he didn't buy a Toyota Corolla Verso, unless you have 1.5 inch long feet you simply can't get into it at the back.

You can't license them here either because of the two very back seats

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

did he check before spending his dosh?

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

I don't know, do you? There's a notice at our license office that clearly says they won't license them over 4 passengers perhaps Bournemouth don't have a notice, having said that it appears that Bournemouth don't know what they are doing as they had already licensed the said vehicle

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

The making of the license could have been done by an office junior?

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

Your point? They shouldn't be doing anything if they don't about

_________________
Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

he might have put 7 seats on the application form and the office junior made a plate up?

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

Again I don't see your point, if the office junior doesn't know what they are doing they shouldn't be doing it, if there is a policy of only allowing a license for 4 seats on these vehicles the office junior should be aware of that or shouldn't be issuing license

_________________
Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

whatever - if you're saying errors dont happen then you're right, they shouldnt, but they do - I am reasonably certain this chap didnt probably ask or get anything in writing.....but if he did, then the LA are wrong.

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

Clearly an error was made

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

I didnt say otherwise....personally I wouldnt want to be on the back seat of a zifira doing 70 mph on a motorway

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

I guess it would depend who was driving Whether or not the vehicle was hit up the ass end of it en-route

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

Only one driver that I know of tried to hackney a Zafira. He asked first as his plan was to block out the back seats and only have it as a four seater with extra luggage space for airport runs/golf outings. He was denied permission on the grounds that people saw the vehicle as a seven seater and it could cause friction on the ranks when he refused to take more than four. One of the LAs better moments.

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My heart is heavy, but my consience clear,
I voted Yes, without any fear.

yeah, death would sort of clear up the complaint

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