Taxi Driver Online

Can anyone tell me when the taximeter should be started.
1) At the appointed time. (pre-booked)
2) When the customer enters the vehicle.
3) Just before I pull away.
4) When I have notifield the customer of my arrival on ASAP.
5) After I have loaded, cases, bags, bicycles, wheelchairs etc.

Some LA state that the driver cannot start the taximeter until after a wheelchair has been loaded and secured, but does this include time helping them on with their hat, coat etc, transfer from inside thier house to the vehicle etc.
I do not wish to discriminate against wheelchair users or any disabled person but I am not a charity or social worker voluntier, why should I do unpaid work for anyone. Also if drivers are not getting paid they are more likley to rush and not secure the wheelchair correctly.
This practice is unfair on the driver and potentially dangerous for the passenger.

I can help with this one poolie

tha meter starts at the appointed time if you are on site or as soon as they are aware of your presence.

or the meter starts the moment service begins, so if you are collecting wheelchair passenger, and you go into house for him put on the meter.

its cats arse to say you are discriminating, in fact you are positive discrimination, providing a service you wouldnt for anyone else.

about conditions for taxis from councils rip them up they are unlawfull, we are governed by bye laws not conditions. no council can legaly enforce conditions those are for the private hire boys.

Yorkie.

The meter should go on when you pull up outside the address if you are on time of course. We put the meter on when loading.

Oh dear.

The 1985 Act allowed a council to set conditions for taxis.

It didn't however allow them to set conditions for drivers.

As for the point at which the meter goes on. I would say when you have made contact (thus a contract) with the customer.

And in my opinion it should go off when you get paid. If you wish to help further after getting paid, then that is called service.

Or in legal terms 'pro bo-no'.

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IDFIMH

Thank you to all who replied.

On the Bournemouth fare chart it states that the meter cannot be started until the wheelchair has been loaded. Even if the Council cannot legally inforce it will still cause disputes with the customers.
Personally I always put the meter on when I arrive at the pick-up point and charge for the loading and unloading time. The majority of customers are happy to pay and give generous tips because they appreciate the service provided. In over 10 years of suppling w/C taxis I have never had anyone object to paying for the service they receive. If this is enforced in Poole I shall refuse to assist with w/c and let the customer load and unload themselves as they have to with the buses.
Why is it LA repeatedly press for more w/c access vehicles and then make life difficult for those that operate them?

Poolie

I hear what you are saying. I also know of Councils who stipulate that you cannot start meter before loading a wheelchair user.

But they don't say the same about the infirm old lady who is never ready, never got her coat and takes ten minutes to get into the car.

Discrimination is quite clear, but who will kick up a fuss, cos you soon get your face across the local rag saying what a hard [edited by admin] you are cheating the disabled. Never mentions the extra so many grand you have to pay out to provide the uneconomic service.

Now to wind Claude up. (don't think you have met Claude yet Poolie, you will love)

In London those meritous black cabs will turn their meter on when they get given an account job. Yes when given one, not on arrival or pick up. They charge something like up to 4 quid for the 'run in'.

Now if that isn't 'taking advantage of a monopoly' I don't know what is

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A member of the Hire or Reward Industry

I can never understand councils they are hypocrites, suppose a councillor managed a shop, if someone wants help to get inside, would he clock off, push her inside and clock on again?

the journal;ist that tom describes, would s/he clock off to write the story on the disabled person?

the social services worker do they get less pay for wheelchair clients?

excelent service required, and it should be paid for, as for Bournmouth silly council, they just ensure that excellent service is restricted, after all how many will pass the client?

as for Claude our london friend, he is just maligned by a forum thats so biased, against city of london drivers. tom is just out to wind up.

[quote="PooleTaxis"]Thank you to all who replied.

Personally I always put the meter on when I arrive at the pick-up point and charge for the loading and unloading time. quote]

got on word for you 'Ryanair'

I hope they win the appeal.
Did the judge that heard the case work for nothing?
Disabled get mobility allowance, whats that for if not for paying for transport related services they need.
How is it discrimination anyone that requires additional services would be charged. What if I had a twisted ankle and asked for a wheelchair ?
How do disabled people feel about being patronised in this way ?
Just more of the compensation culture created by fast talking lawyers!

Steveo, most the airlines charged extra for wheelchairs, not just Ryanair.

Bet they dont anymore though.

But here is another point: where does the line come between generally disabled and someone in need of an ambulance transit?

The airlines are now refusing to carry a whole bundle of passengers whom are quite fit and able to travel, by saying that they will not accept the risk of the person travelling as a passenger. What is then happening, is that these people are often claiming transit home on their holiday/travel insurance, and, at least from Europe, we are having to collect them by Taxis specially converted to accomodate stretchers, even though, most of them only have a broken arm or similar.

I am not complaining about it, as we like the work, but what differentiates the airlines as a travelling medium?

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There is Significant Unmet Demand for my Opinion.

I think if they did, then there would be a good case for those that run WAVs, charging extra, over those that run saloons.

But I don't think they will win an appeal.

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IDFIMH

We have to pay extra for WAVs, why arn't vehicle manufactueres forced to supply adapted vehicles at the same price as "standard" cars? We are expected to carry w/c at the same fare. Let them absorb the extra cost.
Why is a Bus driver excempt from assisting the loading of a wheelchair and clamping it down. Has anyone seen or knows of any wheelchair user that uses a bus? What happens if the bus arrives and there is already one w/c on board, is the bus company discriminating against the disabled because they have a 70:1 ration of seats to w/c spaces? Has the fear of being called anti-disabled overcome common sense.

Poolie,
like many you have totaly the wrong idea about the disabled they are people, not objects of concern.

lets get some facts right, our government give extra for thier care and transport, they get extra service so charge extra, within the rules.

if a car needs adapting it has to be paid for purely and simply,

lets stop this [edited by admin] its worse than attacks on the disabled

If you have the right vehicle, you can load a wheelchair and strap it down quicker than you type a post on here complaining about having to do it.

We are in a delimited area, so, our rates are perhaps lower than the national average. We run fairly newish vehicles.

All our wheelchair work is undertaken on a purely commercial basis.

We make a profit from doing it.

I don't have a problem with it. They are good customers.

But I would have a problem with legislation that says all our vehicles would need to be WAVs, as that would underprivelidge other customers.

As with everything, to be reasonable, you must have balance.

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There is Significant Unmet Demand for my Opinion.