Taxi Driver Online

If a hackney picks up a number of passengers at or below the number that they are licenced to carry, from say, a weightwatchers meeting, let us say for instance, seven large ladies weighing 22 stones each, and the driver also weighs 22 stones, although the cab would not be overladen NUMERICALLY, could the vehicle be considered legally to be overladen over the weight limit? With so many porky cab drivers around, maybe they should check out the laden limit of their vehicle? Probably just as illegal to be over the weight limit as it is to be over the numbers limit.

A morbidly obese taxi driver once challenged me to a bet where he would lose six inches off his waist. He's put six inches on recently. His E7 could be over the weight limit with him in it on his own.

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Former taxi driver

You possibly have a point but it's not so easy to enforce such a thing. Would you like to be the LO who tells the passengers they're obese and need to get seperate taxis

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

Yes.

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IDFIMH

It is very easy to enforce, because it is the LAW. not a taxi licencing issue.

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Former taxi driver

I realise that, but, who is going to tell the obese passenger they have to get another cab?

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

The driver, if he's got any sense, will realise that he can reasonably refuse...

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Former taxi driver

That's where I'd become a chicken I wouldn't want to hurt their feelings. Having said that I have asked our base man not to put certain people in my vehicle

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

Perhaps the driver's BMI could be made a condition of license (or byelaw ) , and that could be used to control oversupply.

Certainly fairer than controlling plate numbers

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Caledonian Cabbie

The LA may dictate the passenger limit but the manufacturer and VOSA dictate the GVW, get pulled onto a weighbridge and guess who gets the fine?

yep, the driver, or if a PAYE driver, the driver and the owner get points but no prizes (and a fine)

tell the fat bstards to walk, sounds like they need the excercise

Mission Impossible...Seating three of these in the back of a Vectra!!

Well it shouldn't be difficult to work out how much passenger weight a vehicle can legally carry. Has anyone got any GVW figures to hand?

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Caledonian Cabbie

Yeah of course we have. One in the boot and a couple to spare, do you want one

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

Haven't a fecking clue what you're on about Toots, but I looked up the Skoda Octavie brochure as an example and according to that the payload is 600kg, which is around 90 stone, or nearly 19 stone per person max including the driver.

But I doubt all that would fit in the Octavia anyway

http://www.thetaxicentre.com/images/pdf ... ctavia.pdf

(Page 24)

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Caledonian Cabbie

No wonder you haven't a clue what I was on about I didn't read it right before I commented. Never was much good at multi tasking

I don't suppose the Pug is much different. Do you think it would be unreasonable to ask a tubby to sit in the middle of the back seat so as to evenly distribute the weight?

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

Well there's also axle weights to consider, so it might be reasonable to try to get an even distribution between the back and front, but I'm not so sure about each wheel

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Caledonian Cabbie