Taxi Driver Online

The subject of when to start the meter comes up regularly on here. Our council say that it is when the customer is seated and ready to go.
The following is from the Government best practice guidlines and it seems to back up this view.

Annex B
TAXI AND PRIVATE HIRE VEHICLE LICENSING: BEST PRACTICE GUIDANCE
Notice for taxi passengers - what you can expect from the taxi trade and what the
taxi trade can expect from you
The driver will:
 Drive with due care and courtesy towards the passenger and other road
users.
 Use the meter within the licensed area, unless the passenger has agreed to
hire by time.
 If using the meter, not start the meter until the passenger is seated in the
vehicle.
 If travelling outside the licensed area, agree the fare in advance. If no fare
has been negotiated in advance for a journey going beyond the licensing
area then the driver must adhere to the meter.
 Take the most time-efficient route, bearing in mind likely traffic problems and
known diversions, and explain any diversion from the most direct route.

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Grandad,

But it is "Best Practice", it is not the Law.

When you go through the DfT Best Practice you will find all LA's cherry pick what suits and ignore what doesn't.

Best Practice is trumped by Statute.

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Chris The Fish

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gdlyi5mc ... re=related

Is there any statute on when the meter should be started?

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Grandad,

Sod that.......

A regular occurrence is punter opens door then spends next five mins saying goodnight to his mates.

You bet my meter is running. If my cab is unavailable for anyone else to hire its hired

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There's no excuse for animal abuse. If you ain't vegan you are an animal abuser.

Had to look up your equivalent in the 1976, para 69 clarifies that a Hackney is hired by Time and Distance. You can therefore charge (on the meter) for Time, to my way of thinking that would include the time taken to load and unload.

Personally I charge from wheels moving to wheels stopped at the destination. But that is my choice.

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Chris The Fish

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gdlyi5mc ... re=related

I am thinking is waiting time defined as to when it kicks in i.e beginning, during, end of etc? A passenger who has stated that they wish to hire the vehicle cannot be allowed to stop a driver earning his legal livelehood. Under the rule of "a seated passenger", and knowing that they are not being charged, they could in effect hold a driver for as long as they wish........that surely cannot be correct.

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Common sense........is just not that Common.

say's it all.......IT'S not law..

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

THATS THE WAY

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All posts by this contributor are made in a strictly personal capacity

I AM PROUD TO BE A CITIZEN NOBODY'S SUBJECT http://www.republic.org.u

F88K EM ALL WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND

BOOZE BOOZE BOOZE

Personally I charge from wheels moving to wheels stopped at the destination. But that is my choice.[/quote]

DOF YER CAP AND PLATE THEIR ARRIS AS WELL DO YER NAVY BOY

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All posts by this contributor are made in a strictly personal capacity

I AM PROUD TO BE A CITIZEN NOBODY'S SUBJECT http://www.republic.org.u

F88K EM ALL WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND

BOOZE BOOZE BOOZE

I think that is assuming a rank hire, rather than a phone booking.

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IDFIMH

I think it's more contract law than licensing law.

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IDFIMH

Same with shoppers, if they've got a boat load of shopping the meter goes on when i'm loading and it doesn't get turned off until I've unloaded the car.

http://www.sefton.gov.uk/media/655759/taxihandbook.pdf page 5


The Hackney Carriage Byelaws (Sealed - 30th
November 2004)
Interpretation / Explanatory Note
This section reproduces the Byelaws made under the Town Police Clauses Act 1847
(Section 68) and the Public Health Act 1875 (Section 171) by Sefton Council. The
Byelaws define specific ‘rules’ governing the operation of a hackney carriage.
The Byelaws are currently under review and subject to change because of changes
to national legislation and guidance. This legal process can take up to a year to
resolve and in the interim the Council has sought to clarify the key points under
review by inserting an explanatory paragraph after the relevant sections.
page 26.. not Licence Conditions

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

I might be wrong.......but I think that rules for hackney drivers have to be byelaws..look at page 26 and not just a condition of licence.

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

As a side thought!

Would it not be right to point out to the LA/Council that their tariff is tantamount to slavery of which is banned in the U.K (allegedly) by forcing people/drivers to work without pay. I know it sounds a bit silly, but if you are working from say supermarkets picking up shoppers, then the loading/unloading could easily add up to a few hours per week loss of time, being forced upon the drivers

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Common sense........is just not that Common.