Taxi Driver Online

Does a hire end, when you reach the destination or when you are paid, for instance you reach the destination and the person tells you they dont have the cash so will need to go into the house to get it, should the meter be stopped on arrival at the destination or should it be stopped when they proffer payment.

At a guess I would say when someone gets into your cab there is then an automatic contract for you to take them from A to B for the price of the set tariff.

Providing you do your bit by taking them from A to B, I would say the contract (hiring) ends when you get paid.

Unless of course you come to a joint agreement to do otherwise.

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IDFIMH

The hire ends when the driver receives payment for the job. It's that simple.

Most reasonable taxi drivers will not charge waiting time while a passenger goes into a house for money.

Of course if the passenger appears as though he is likely to make off without paying, then the driver should ask him to leave his possessions - i.e a bag or perhaps some money towards the fare.

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went out tonight for a couple of hours or so, got talking to a hack who got flagged at a bus stop this evening, a girl with a portable television, took her to the destination, 6 quid odd, no brass to pay for the fare, she thought she had 20 quid note but it wasn't there when she looked in purse, but he got a telly in the boot, still riding round with it in the boot.

i would have thought you would give them a couple of mins to pop indoors and get the cash before you start adding more on.

otherwise you'll get the situation where shes come back out with the cash and says 'theres the £5.80 drives' to which you reply, 'well luv it WAS £5.80, now it's £6.10' so she pops back in to get the 30p. 'well luv it WAS £6.10 now its £6.30' .... and so on.....

I think it depends on the circumstances, length of journey etc, but if they've stood beside the rank blocking the door for a couple of minutes and the journey is only a couple of minutes and they moan all the way about the fare then I'd be inclined to leave the meter on until they come out. After all, you don't know how long they'll be - I've had people go indoors and fall asleep under such circumstances.

And it annoys me slightly if they wait until you get there to inform you that they have to go and get the money.

After all, if they stop on the way at a cash point you don't turn the meter off while waiting?

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Taxi Driver Online
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Excuse my pedantry, but are you saying the waiting time should be added or not?

Your first para seems to be saying that you shouldn't, while your second para seems to be saying that you should

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Taxi Driver Online
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I've re-read my first paragragh and it doesn't conflict with the second one single jot.

The set tariff must also include some element of waiting time, so I would keep the meter on.

If you get it, all well and good, but you don't get if you don't ask.

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IDFIMH

Exactly my thoughts Dusty, most of the time I dont bother, but as you say in the above, it depends on the circumstances.

Come to think of it, when does the Hire legally start, nothing worse than people who get in, you engage the meter and they then decide to get back out, are you legally entitled to claim the fare even although you have not moved?

What do you think?

JD

At a guess I would say when you've been paid. (now please dont tell me you got cash up front )

Captain Cab

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

Well I dont really know, but I am inclined to think that if they have not told you they dont have the money to pay you at the other end of the journey then surely you would be entitled to charge for the time it takes for them to pay you, after all it's not the drivers fault that they have obtained a service with the knowledge that they do not have the means to pay for it.

These things always happen at the busiest time, it's very frustrating, it often seems to take longer to get paid than it takes to do the journey.

Captain I fear you think I am a Slack Jawed Yokel this question does not relate to any specific hire, it's just a general question

Perish the thought

Okay, I'll be more specific, in hiring a taxi the passenger and driver enter into a contract.

The payment terms are payment upon completion of the hire.

When the hire ends payment is required.

However, having stated that, licensing bye laws and conditions may advise a driver to afford the passenger 'reasonable assistance', this maybe helping someone out of the vehicle with shopping etc, in that case when does the hire end?

As skull might say, what happens if I do my back in carrying bags to someones door or if I slip on ice?

Captain Cab

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