Taxi Driver Online

Someone told me my cygnus MR400 records every single mile i drive , every hour i work , every fare i take into a permanent memory bank , is this true?

for instance it will can tell you the days u have worked how many hours and your fares on the meter and its not deleteable

anyone confirm this ?

i can see it all there i can delete it , but is it still there somewere?

I can't confirm it but it is probably true.

I have a Digitax, it has 2 memory blocks one can be read and deleted the other is read only and cannot.

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Why don't you get a proper job???

It may well be true that it records everything, but how does anyone know that that meter has always been in your vehicle?

I don't know how much a new chip would cost, but maybe every three or four years it might me worth it.

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IDFIMH

Don't use cygnus meters these days BUT on the MR300 I remember that it could record all the data up untill it was cleared by the meters owner the purpose being for vehicle owners to be able to keep tabs on other drivers working the vehicle

I'm sure if you own the meter you can reset the data to zero although I doubt the meters installers explained how it is done

Good questions!!!

The answers to your questions are as follows and these answers should be noted by every cab driver in the country. Reasonably new regulations have been imposed on taximeter manufacturers by the EU and are enshrined in Statutory Instrument 2006 No. 2304; The Measuring Instruments (Taximeters) Regulations 2006 [TMI (T) R 2006].


The Web-page links to the full legislation is;

http://www.uk-legislation.hmso.gov.uk/s ... 062304.htm

And to the Explanatory Memorandum to the legislation is on this Web-page link;

http://www.uk-legislation.hmso.gov.uk/s ... 304_en.pdf


I must stress that this legislation is for REGULATING TAXIMETER MANUFACTURERS.

But, it of course also affects all cab drivers.

The legislation came into effect partly on 29th September 2006, with the remainder of the legislation coming into effect on 30th October 2006.

All NEW MODELS of taximeters produced after that date MUST comply with TMI (T) R 2006. By that it is meant that if your taximeter was produced after the implementation dates but was already a current model of a taximeter, then the manufacturers did not have to comply with TMI (T) R 2006, but I suppose they could if they wished to.

As the Cygnus MR400 was already a model of taximeter in existence prior to the implementation dates of these new regulations, Cygnus, the manufacturers, did not have to comply with these. But that is not to say that they have not complied with these regulations when building new MR400 taximeters after the implementation date of TMI (T) R 2006. You will only know if your meter complies with these new regulations by telephoning them & quoting the Serial No of your taximeter & asking the question.

I am almost certain that the MR350 does comply with TMI (T) R 2006 and certainly the new MR500 due to come out shortly (it’s wireless & sticks to the dashboard – no b*llsh*t), most certainly will comply with TMI (T) R 2006.

So what do these new regulations impose on taximeter manufacturers?

I read the regulations about a year ago & the main points I remember are as follows;

• Far more stringent tolerances for measuring both time & distance
• Taximeters that DO have a permanent memory for all sorts of values recorded by the taximeter.
• Memories to be stored within the taximeter for a minimum of 12 months after disconnection from a battery source.
• Various types of EU accreditations of all taximeters.
• The designation by the Secretary of State of UK notified bodies for the taximeter manufacturing industry & the criteria they have to meet.
• All taximeters to carry specific marking showing compliance with TMI (T) R 2006
• All sorts of limits & tolerances that taximeters manufacturers must adhere to.
• Enforcement powers with regard to non-compliant taximeters
• Etc., etc., etc.,


You might like to read the regulations on the Web-page link above, but I warn you they are boring.

But here are some extracts that you might all find interesting;


SCHEDULE 1

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS

Design requirements

Section 15. —(1) The taximeter shall be designed to calculate the distance and to measure the duration of a trip.

(2) The taximeter shall be designed to calculate and display the fare, incrementing in steps equal to the resolution fixed by the appropriate licensing authority in the operating position "Hired". The taximeter shall also be designed to display the final value for the trip in the operating position "Stopped".

(3) A taximeter shall be able to apply the normal calculation modes S and D. It shall be possible to choose between these calculation modes by a secured setting.

(4) A taximeter shall be able to supply the following data through an appropriate secured interface or interfaces, namely—

(a) the operating position—

(i) "For Hire";
(ii) "Hired"; or
(iii) "Stopped";

(b) the totaliser data according to paragraph 25(1);

(c) the general information—

(i) constant of the distance signal generator;
(ii) date of securing;
(iii) taxi identifier;
(iv) real time; and
(v) identification of the tariff;

(d) the fare information for a trip—

(i) total charged;
(ii) fare;
(iii) calculation of the fare;
(iv) supplement charge;
(v) date;
(vi) start time;
(vii) finish time; and
(viii) distance travelled; and

(e) the tariff or tariffs information, namely the parameters of the tariff or tariffs.

(5) Where a device is required to be connected to the interface of a taximeter, it shall be possible, by way of a secured setting, to inhibit automatically the operation of the taximeter for reasons of the non-presence or improper functioning of the required device.

(6) If relevant, it shall be possible to adjust a taximeter for the constant of the distance signal generator to which it is to be connected and to secure the adjustment.

Other requirements

Section 25. —(1) A taximeter shall be fitted with non-re-settable totalisers for all of the following values—

(a) the total distance travelled by the taxi;
(b) the total distance travelled when hired;
(c) the total number of hirings;
(d) the total amount of money charged as supplements; and
(e) the total amount of money charged as fare; and

the totalised values shall include the values saved according to paragraph 19 under conditions of loss of power supply.

(2) If disconnected from power, a taximeter shall allow the totalised values to be stored for one year for the purpose of reading out the values from the taximeter to another medium.

(3) Adequate measures shall be taken to prevent the display of totalised values from being used to deceive passengers.

I think fun and games will be had by all in the future.

_________________
Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

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Gives being PH even more appeal....one less spy to worry about.

My Cygnus/LTI 400 has the 2 sets of totals, 1 can be cleared fine and the other requires you to enter the master passcode, as far as I'm aware once cleared it's cleared, there's no other "hidden" totals.

To clear the master total hold the 1st and 3rd button whilst viewing the "normal" total, it'll ask for the supervisor pin, it's all 1's (first button) by default.

I have the cygnus MR400 , i know how to clear the totals and the other totals u can clock over time , but what i have been told is this

3 taxi drivers in my district brought £40,000 brand new tx london style jobbies but were only declaring £9k a year gross takings ,

They were investigated , during this investigation a meter reader type thing was connected to the meters ( think mr400) were it could pull up permanently stored information like this

E.g Monday the 9/1/08
distance driven 200 miles
time worked 20 hours
Fares £8.60 , £5.00 , £6.40 , £25 , £34 ( etc etc )
total metered fares £150
wating time xxxx
non payed time xxxxx
payed time xxxxx


And this could be shown for every day worked in a break down like this , were as meter had shown he did £150 metered fares + anything quoted , yet that driver that day showed he earned only £50.

This is what im trying to find out , theres nothing in the cygnus manual about this , i can see the meter does record this information , with the PIN code i can delete it , but im told its still saved in the memory banks

In that case that particular taximeter already complies with The Measuring Instruments (Taximeters) Regulations 2006 [TMI (T) R 2006] & who know how many other taximeters out there already comply.

The 'further worry' is whether cab manufacturers have already provided an electonic pulse system within their vehicles' wiring, so that when a taximeter is installed in a cab, an electronic pulse system automatically registers the taxicab's VIN number into the taximeter.

This is another requirement in TMI (T) R 2006 & IMO is designed to track which taximeters have been in which taxis. On first reading of TMI (T) R 2006 it would imply that the input of vehicle identification would be a manual operation, but now I am not so sure.

If it is automated on all new taxis & new taximeters then one or two unscrupulous cabbies will be caught out.

Mr GBC; you seem to be well up on Sweden. Many years ago, probably as long ago as 1980's, I heard that cab drivers in Sweden go to their/Swedish Inland Revenue once a month & have their taximeters read & pay their tax monthly, based on these readings.

Do you know anything about this?

_________________
Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

Type a message, post your news,
Disagree with other members' views;
But please, do have some decorum,
When debating on the TDO Forum.

I have a question on this. As I am sure you will all agree, the fare as shown on the meter is the maximum that can be charged. There is no obligation on the driver to charge the full amount but if the inland revenue, or any other body that can access the information that may or may not be stored on the meter, use the information to assess the drivers liability to tax, would the driver be taxed on the full reading and not what he has actually been paid?

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Grandad,

In my honest opinion, the cab driver would be taxed on the readings of the taximeter, UNLESS he/she could prove beyond reasonable doubt to HMR&C that they had discounted individual fare & to what extent.

To prove beyond reasonable doubt, what had been discounted on each fare over a period of a tax year, would involve a mountain of documantation. Signed copy receipts from each passenger that benefitted from discounts with their contact details, so that HMR&C could sample verify, & probably a whole host of other criteria that HMR&C would require as proof.

The onus of proof would always be on the cab driver, or tax payer as it always is. And then you don't know if the 'proof' that you are rendering to HMR&C would be acceptable to them.

So in theory it could be possible, but in practice totally impossible!!!

_________________
Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

Type a message, post your news,
Disagree with other members' views;
But please, do have some decorum,
When debating on the TDO Forum.

The winners of TDO's 2008 'Thickos of the Year' Award.

_________________
IDFIMH

I will safely bet my & your last dollar that the fools were on 'Family Credit/Benefit/Support', whatever they call it now!!!!

Isn't £9K per annum the maximum threashold for this well documented low earner's benefit?

_________________
Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

Type a message, post your news,
Disagree with other members' views;
But please, do have some decorum,
When debating on the TDO Forum.

Who knows if the meter totals are set to zero even if it was brand spanking new. What I am saying is that without verification the memory banks could already have hidden totals within !

Therefore invalidating any figures

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if you cannot be yourself, then who can you be.

Because individual dated days can be pulled up and printed out , so if u got your taxi 1st jan 2007 , they would read your meter from that date .

There was also something about them allowing 10% either way from the taximeter reading.