Taxi Driver Online

some of you will remember this from December 06 and the owner driver took advice from JD


I am a one man band operating a Hackney plate and I come under East Riding of Yorkshire Authority [E.R.Y.C.] based at Beverley.

I have a Ford Galaxy which is licensed September 2003.
I have now been informed that if I get a new Galaxy it will only be licensed to carry five passengers and I must take one of the three seats out at the rear.
This policy to me, begs the question are Ford Motoring Company producing a MPV for sale in the UK market that isn’t safe for six passengers…?

Infact it raises more than one question.
How come I can quite legally carry six members of my family in my Galaxy if we go on holiday or shopping etc, or take six of my mates to a football match or whatever.
But once I start charging, the vehicle is unsuitable for six passengers…?

To me it is either suitable for six passengers or it isn’t….?
The fact that I am charging or not is irrelevant. I am also of the opinion that the
DFT advocates choice as best practice and I think E.R.Y.C. are not adhering to this policy.

Can you or your readers please give me your opinions on this matter especially legal wise.

Yours Sincerely

R.P Brocklebank

Melbourne Taxi
Melbourne
York

just found out tonight Mr Brocklebank did challenge the East Riding of Yorkshire Authority Council, ie must remove seats or they won't licence him,

he won his case

I have just bought a Galaxy. I bought a 55 plate which is the last of the old ones. There is a lot of difference between the seats in the old type and the new type. I looked at both. In the old type the centre row of seats fold down and then tip forward to allow access to the back seats. In the new ones the seats are different and the access to the back seats is restricted which would make it hard for the rear occupants to exit quickly in an emergency. By removing one seat the access problem is solved.

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Grandad,

Grandad I think on the new galaxy, the center row slide forward like they do on the zafira, by the way do they licence the zafira as a 5 or 6 seater down there, its 6 up here

I don't understand whats its all about "emergency exit", would that be lets say, a bomb scare

its the same when York LO on testing say all windows must work, when i asked the question, "i have aircon, why would you want to open the window"

answer from the LO staff, "well if you go into the river with passengers they must be able to open the windows to get out"

i said mine are all electric and problably wouldn't work under water, in any case you would wait while the interior of the car fills up with water then just open the door and swim or float out, thats providing the auto anti hijacking locks dont fail/short out, then all are fooked

My council said, when I applied for my Zafira to be licensed for 6, that there was no emergency exit for the rearmost passengers and that I could only licence for 4.

I said that they licence Ford Galaxy's as WAV's and Fiat Doblo's as WAV's where they allow disabled passengers in wheelchairs to occupy the same space in the vehicle. I then questioned whether they considered the safety of able bodied people to be more important that people confined to a wheelchair.

They then suggested that there was not adequate space for luggage for 6 people and I pointed out that the requirement for luggage space had been removed after applications from people wishing to use people carriers and LTI vehicles to carry 6 or more.

Needless to say, my Zafira was allowed its licence for 6 passengers.

B. Lucky

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"Here's a simple solution. If you don't want to pay more for a premium service then wait in the queue, problem solved".
Skull on TDO

TF pi$$ed on his chips.

Well that is very welcomed news.

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IDFIMH

The reason neither you nor I understand it is because it's complete and utter rubbish.

Everyone of us has a car that takes three punters in the back, now what's the difference between the person in the middle of those seats, and all this messing around with the Ford Galaxy's seats?

Nothing cos in an accident the mush in the middle would still have to crawl over someone else to get out.

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IDFIMH

And still our two local council's are still insisting on introducing this daft ruling.

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A member of the Hire or Reward Industry

They do slide forward but in my opinion not far enough to allow an adult to enter and exit very easily under normal conditions. As for the zafira, how the h ell do you seat adults in the rearmost seats? There is no room and their knees must be touching their chins.

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Grandad,

Its simple grandad, they are in the air craft crash position, lean forward head between the knees and kiss your ass goodbye
keep taking the blood pressure pills though with the Christmas rush about to start, and all them young things in the next to nothing minis, having to struggle to get in and out of the back seats giving you an eye full

Don't forget that I also do limos, you cop an eyefull with most of the punters. It's a good job I don't have a dicky ticker.

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Grandad,

Which begs the question how do Limos get licensed with only two doors for eight folks to get out of?

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IDFIMH

I don't think it is the number of doors but the positioning of one set of seats behind another that causes the problem.

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Grandad,

I am having the same problem, if I were to renew my Chrysler Voyager.

To quote my LA who in turn are quoting National Association of Licensing and Enforcement Officers (NALEO)
"Passengers need to be able to enter and exit in safety. So as not to impede access, no seat should need to be moved, or tilted for this to occur"

It would appear that all LA's are adopting this in the future in relation to MPV's for private hire or chauffeur work.

Conference style seating seems to be the answer IE: Mercedes Viano with facing rear seats.

Steve

Which begs the question as to why the likes of Ford and Chrysler are building vehicles that people can't exit safely.

Or maybe it's NALEO talking rubbish.

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IDFIMH