Taxi Driver Online

I was on the phone with the local council today enquiring about licensing a vehicle for PH. I was told however that they may only licence a Grand Voyager to carry 4 people as the access to the rear seats is limited. It is rather annoying as the 6 seats are the whole point in me wanting to use that vehicle.

Has anyone heard of this before?

Cheers
Matt.

I'm sure I've heard of LAs not licensing MPVs at all because of the percieved access problem.

Is it the new-style Voyager or the old one you are talking about? The old-style one (could be the new one as well!) has only two seats in the middle row and thus three in the back, so since in most MPVs only two are seated in the back, in the Voyager the back seat is too narrow for three and thus I think some LAs will only license them for two in the back, thus five passengers in total - ie one in the front and two each in the middle and back rows.

Of course, this is a different issue from access, and I'm not sure where the limit of four passengers that you mention might come from.

Again, the reason for the two seats in the middle of the Voyager is because there's access between the seats to the back, which is good, but the problem then becomes squeezing three onto the back bench.

So I think it's generally accepted that access to the back of the Voyager is better than for most MPVs, so it all seems a bit strange.

I think the old-style Kia Sedona was the same, again I'm not sure about the newer one, but I think it was based on the Voyager.

What is the seating configuration in the Voyager you are talking about, and where do the LA envisage seating the four passengers?

I am looking at the brand new grand voyager with two captains chairs in the middle then the three seater bench at the back. This arrangement can be changed though.

I dont know what to do now as i do not want to take delivery of the vehicle to have the LA tell i cant use all the seating. I've no idea on how he wants me to seat 4.

Matt.

Yes, that sounds like what I was on about with the old Voyager/Sedona - there's a gap between the two captain's seats to get to the back bench.

I would ask him precisely what seating configuration he has in mind for the four people, and precisely what the problem is with access.

As I said, I've heard of some LAs having problems with the width of the back bench and only allowing two on it, thus reducing passenger capacity to five.

I thought access to the Voyager back bench was easier because of the gap between the two middle chairs instead of struggling in past a row of three, but maybe access is more difficult than it seems in my head.

The only thing I can think of is that your LO thinks there's three seats in the middle, thus making four in total.

Are there other MPVs licensed in your area?

Does you authority grant HC licenses to rear loading WAVs ........... VW Sharan .......... Fiat Doblo ?

I ran a 7 seater Fiat for years .............. two rows of 3 seats in the back and one seat next to me ............ not a single question was asked here. We currently have 2 Voyagers on our fleet both 6 seaters.

I didn't think a 7 seater Fiat would run for years....

I think that might be the case, i will get back in touch with him before i order the vehicle.

In Brighton we have them licensed for 6 as PH.
3 in the back, 2 in the middle and 1 in the front.
I think they can take 7 with 3 in the mifddle, but the council say one must be moved from the middle.
Surely the size of the back bench is no smaller than the Octavia?

That must be one hell of a back seat if you can get an Octavia on there

hehe

Captain cab

But to answer the question it certainly does seem to be smaller width-wise, and to look at it it certainly is a small bench for three.

The problem is trying to stick three people where most MPVs stick two.