Taxi Driver Online

Our Licensing manager is proposing that Hackneys will be allowed to do contract work off the meter through a PH's company app.
I thought this was illegal but he said he can get around this as long as the payment is handled by the company and is pre-booked. Is this right ?

No, it’s a load of old Fanny.

Of course hackneys can charge a lower rate than the council’s approved rate if they are stupid enough to do so, but the meter is there for a reason.

In short, if you don’t run the meter how can a Hackney driver be certain they haven’t exceeded the approved rate?

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IDFIMH

The reason he's trying to do this is so that Hackneys can get paid more than what the meter would have run. It is designed to help the local PH company recruiting Hackneys and pay them set fares.

Is the work entirely within the licensing area?

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

Yes,Ph company will charge £10/20 for £8 hackney ride.

If the work is entirely within the district the driver of a HC cannot lawfully charge more than the fare they are legally obliged to charge via the farecard.

I could go deeper and cite the relevant acts - but you will have byelaws and I'd suggest you refer the council officer to them

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

It's good that the LO is in favour of hackneys earning more, but there is one really easy way to address that. It's called a fare rise.

A hackney can take a fixed fare job within the local area; it's just that it can't exceed the council's approved rate. That's been the case for nearly 180 years.

I've mentioned it before on TDO that I tried, with other local reps and LOs, to have some kind of surge pricing added to the taxi tariff. There were no trade concerns, and even councillors were on board.

The problem was the law, it's simply not doable. This was confirmed by senior legal opinion. The fella all councils go to gain this kind of advice.

I would suggest you request your LO contact Mr Button before he implements anything unlawful.

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IDFIMH

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

I know, I've read them. I have questioned him over this.He reckons that he get round this by adding the extra charge as a condition on the fare chart,like we do for soiling. It'll probably say something like "if booked through an operator and extra £10 will be charged"

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

that would maybe be classed as a booking fee

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

Also,the hackney driver wouldn't be paid directly,it would be account work only. Is this legal?

However, it's not an additional fixed charge; it's an extra charge from the operator. How on earth can a council pass an extra where no one knows what it will be?

In London, there is a booking fee option for black cabs, currently capped at a maximum of £2. That is an option, but having a taxi approved rate that can be amended at the whim of a licensed PH operator is not something the law allows.

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IDFIMH

Being paid via a PH operator is quite commonplace throughout the UK.

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IDFIMH

I think we're getting ahead of ourselves, firstly the booking fee has to be added to the farecard, the fares must be advertised and objections considered

If it was added to the farecard and allowed then how the driver is paid is in my opinion down to the driver to either accept or not carry out the work

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