Taxi Driver Online

A local driver who has no longer got a license has become a volunteer driver. Can the Council insist that he remover his taxi meter from the vehicle?

Yes

My day to disagree with Heathcote.

The meter is only a measuring device. The Driver is allowed to keep his Odometer, he can keep the meter. He can use it, he can show what a Hackney Fare would have been. He cannot use it to show a Fare to be paid. (Wouldn't work anyway, a volunteer gets 45p per mile from home and back to home, not only when Passenger is Onboard.)

I am still a Meter Agent. I have left the Taxi Trade. I am a Volunteer Driver.

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Chris The Fish

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

The council could inquire as to why he still has his meter in his car, and someone could ring him up and ask how much to the airport.

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IDFIMH

To which the answer would be 45p/mile. Then realise they're actually losing money on the set-down cost at the airport.

No

one is required in a hackney (and some PH depending on the LA) but i cannot see what jurisdiction any licensing has over a personal not plated car

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

he is probably a community service or ambulance PTS car paid by the mile, the meter means nothing

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

The information that I have been given is that in the daytime he is a volunteer with the local community transport provider but in the evenings he is taking jobs and using the meter. The meter will also be showing an incorrect tariff because the table of fares was changed a few months ago and his will not have been updated. We also have another ex driver who is not a volunteer driver but still takes bookings and uses his meter.

The use or installation of a meter is only relevent to its use in a licensed vehicle, the offences above are carrying passengers/accepting a booking for hire and reward when not licensed/plated/badged...

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

Licensing does have a say over those acting as taxis/PHVs without the required licenses.

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IDFIMH

having a meter is not "acting" as a taxi/PH, accepting a booking - maybe, carrying a passenger - for sure but the meter is hardly "acting as a taxi"

think about ex-london cabs painted white and doing weddings.....

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

If i buy a minibus to convert to a camper and it has a tachograph fitted, am i bound by UK driver hours?

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

whilst it isn't illegal for the vehicle to have one fitted I'm sure I read somewhere that a meter cannot be fitted without council approval. I'm sure chris will tell me I'm wrong on this but don't meter installers have to record serial numbers and tariff installed ?

If the vehicle is being used to carry fares what is the required insurance for voulunteer work ? If it's private hire then the vehicle is insured.

By accepting fares without an operators license the vehicle maybe breaching insurance T & C's

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

If you have a PH, the Local Authority can and should give approval to fit a Meter. Installer/Calibrators are usually required to pass serial numbers, Tariff etc. to the LA and, in effect, certify the Meter.

If you have a Private Car and feel the need to have an Speedometer/Odometer fitted that, once calibrated, is more accurate than the Speedometer/Odometer built into the vehicle is, you can fit a Taximeter. IT IS ONLY A MEASURING DEVICE and requires no permission.

As a Volunteer I have ordinary (In my case fully comp) insurance. I must tell my Insurer that I volunteer. They must accept that, and charge nothing extra.

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Chris The Fish

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

Forget the meter - it's an irrelevance.

The only real question is whether he's doing hire and reward work, and if he's got the appropriate licenses. Or if he's doing volunteer work, or whatever, then whether he's charging too much. The presence or otherwise of a meter per se is irrelevant.