Taxi Driver Online

I always thought Hackney could charge whatever they like as long as agreed in advance with passenger if journey ends outside council area?

Just read Sheffield Taxi fare card?

Journeys that end outside of the district of Sheffield
Drivers may ask for you to agree a fare when the fare ends outside the district of
Sheffield. If you agree this fare, then the driver must still engage the meter. If the
metered fare at the end of your journey is less than that agreed, then you may pay
the metered fare only. (LGMP Act 1976 S66, Byelaw 19 (b) TPC ACT S54 & S55)
If the meter fare is more than agreed you pay the agreed fare only.
The driver of this vehicle must produce a copy of the byelaws to you on request. The driver of this vehicle
must display within the vehicle his identification and must always wear the badge as issued by Sheffield
City Council.
Enquiries or complaints about taxis or their drivers should be made to:-Licensing Service via
email at taxilicenisng@sheffield.gov.uk Or phone - 0114 2734264
Chief Licensing Officer, Head of Licensing January 2022.

Can't recall if it was Sheffield, or another local authority, but this has certainly been discussed on here before.

(And the Sheffield card reads very like one I've read in the past few months, but can't recall if it was Sheffield or another authority - there are certainly others who have a similar rule.)

But, and correct me if I'm wrong, what it basically means is that there is no difference between in-area and cross-border fares - the optional agreed fare (it says above that drivers may agree a cross-border fare) - is little more than an estimate if it's more than meter, or an agreed fare only if it's below meter.

So if the meter shows less than the 'estimate' for a cross-border fare, then the driver can only charge the metered fare.

If the meter shows more than the 'estimate' for a cross-border run, then the driver can only charge the 'estimate'.

So, basically, Sheffield is saying that in contractual terms you can only 'agree' a cross-border fare if it's less than meter, and if it's more than meter then it's simply an 'estimate', and you can't actually charge it.

Thus it's the same as someone asking for an agreed fare for a run in-area

Which begs the question, what is the point of the legislative provision on cross-border runs referred to if Sheffield's application of it simply means that there's no difference between in-area and cross-border runs as far as fare regulation is concerned?

But, as I think Sussex and others have said previously, the answer is basically that Sheffield isn't complying with the legislation

Didn't have time earlier, but this is one of the other councils I was thinking of, Rashid

So, basically it's saying the cross-border fare regime is the same as the in-area fare regime - you can agree a fare less than meter, but you can't agree a fare more than meter.

So what's the relevance of the cross-border fare provisions in the legislation - they're irrelevant, according to Sheffield and Ipswich councils

But, as Sussex said about Ipswich at the time, that's a load of old bollocks

This one from Rugby Coucil looks different, and more straightforward, but it's basically saying the same thing - it's meter or below, whether it's in-area or cross-border


But, which begs the question, why does the second paragraph above refer only to hirings starting and ending in the borough - to be consistent with the first paragraph, it shouldn't simply refer to 'hirings starting and ending inside the borough'?

It's like the second paragraph above is referring to the normal fare scenario - ie, meter only applies in-area.

But the first paragraph is totally inconsistent with assuming clock only applies in-area

https://www.rugby.gov.uk/w/hackney-carriage-fares

Written by numpties.

Many councils insist you put the meter on when you pick up within your licensing area, yet drop off outside, but nothing is stopping you from cancelling the meter when you are outside of your licensing area, and keeping to the quote you gave the punter.

One of the reasons drivers offer fixed prices for out-of-area work is to get the money up front. Fancying around the Sheffield council way doesn't help.

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IDFIMH