A taxi driver's advice to Joe Public!

dingding

Terrontress wrote: »

If a taxi driver cannot provide a printed receipt at the end of a journey, is the passenger within his rights not to pay?

Could not claim a taxi fare from work as the taxi driver gave a post it note as a reciept. I think think rule was no reciept no money drivers would pay more attention this

NewApproach

Could I just ask the taxi drivers on here, how do ye tend to deal with people who dont pay the fare for whatever reason?

If they run from the car do ye run after them or what?

fortuneteller

not usually, if they bail thats tuff,you can usually sense the bailers and i ask for money up front.Had 5 chineese in mine once said they wanted to go to busaras from bray,as we got close one by one they asked to be let out,until one was left in the back,he then changed his mind and wanted to go to d8 but wanted to hop in the front, i smelt a rat so i locked the door and asked for the fair,,he reluctanty paid then changed his mind about d8, and got out.:eek:

mikemac

Question for you fortuneteller, you seem to know your stuff

Is it true that taxi drivers have an exemption so they don't have to wear seat belts?
I always wear mine anyway, in the back too. But I seem to remember some drivers mentioning security like someone behind could hold them down with the seatbelt. Wrap it around them so to speak, I've explained it badly but you know what I mean

So do they have to wear it like everyone else or is there an exemption?

fortuneteller

hi,the law was changed about 3 years ago all taxi drivers are required to wear seatbelts.its proper order too.Took a bit of getting used to mind you.I was caught without mine first week the new law came in.glad the point system had not started at that stage!

L1011

Since late 2004 taxi drivers have been obliged to wear their seatbelts, prior to this they were not:

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2004/en/si/0402.html

2qk4u

mikemac wrote: »

Question for you fortuneteller, you seem to know your stuff

Is it true that taxi drivers have an exemption so they don't have to wear seat belts?
I always wear mine anyway, in the back too. But I seem to remember some drivers mentioning security like someone behind could hold them down with the seatbelt. Wrap it around them so to speak, I've explained it badly but you know what I mean

So do they have to wear it like everyone else or is there an exemption?

The exemption was removed a couple of years ago.

D'Peoples Voice

What would other taxi drivers make of this story from
Ace of Knaves
Would taxi drivers start turning off their meters and asking for cash up front?

Ham'nd'egger

D'Peoples Voice wrote: »

What would other taxi drivers make of this story from
Ace of Knaves
Would taxi drivers start turning off their meters and asking for cash up front?

There is a lot of towns around the country where drivers operated on flat prices for years and it worked very well as both driver and passenger knew what a fare was going to be and as such, disputes about fares were non existent. Nowadays fixed fares are illegal without a waiver being signed so practices like this are supposed to have ben cut out; supposed being the operative word.

Asking for a deposit prior to a trip commencing is legal and above board. Personally I'd only do it if being asked waiting for a long time on a cash pick up (In case of runners) or if I feel a passenger may not have the cash to pay; in practice I have only had to do it three times in all my years.

Húrin

fortuneteller wrote: »

Good for you! if more people did this maybe some of the junker drivers would sit up take notice and upgrade their cars.Irish people put up with too much crap.stand up and say im not travelling in your car,its old and dirty.Its your right!

That seems so fussy to me. If it's a car that will travel without malfunction from provenance to destination, I don't really care what make or age it is. The attitude of the driver is much more important.

Disonyxiated

Someone mentioned that ''the best taxi drivers are the ones who speak when spoken to..'', am I the only person who enjoys a good chat with drivers!? I mean, they tend to have the best gossip in Dublin & always know what's up. For me a good trip involves a taxi driver who's as good at entertaining as he/she is at driving.

chillywilly

Me and the other half got a taxi home from Dundrum Town Centre taxi rank last night, I noticed that as soon as we got in to the taxi the charge was €4.50(ish) on the left of the meter and €2 on the right. Im sure we were over charged. Was it that we were wrongly charged the €2 pick up charge?

steph1

chillywilly wrote: »

Me and the other half got a taxi home from Dundrum Town Centre taxi rank last night, I noticed that as soon as we got in to the taxi the charge was €4.50(ish) on the left of the meter and €2 on the right. Im sure we were over charged. Was it that we were wrongly charged the €2 pick up charge?

The pick up charge is wrong. You do not pay a pick up charge when you get into a taxi at a rank. You pay a pick up charge if you book a taxi to pick you up from your house or a hotel or whatever. The only extra that should have been on the meter was 1 euro. First passenger there is no extra but for each extra there is a 1 euro charge.

chillywilly

steph1 wrote: »

The pick up charge is wrong. You do not pay a pick up charge when you get into a taxi at a rank. You pay a pick up charge if you book a taxi to pick you up from your house or a hotel or whatever. The only extra that should have been on the meter was 1 euro. First passenger there is no extra but for each extra there is a 1 euro charge.

thanks for the reply! So just to clarify, how much should it have started out when we got in?:)

steph1

chillywilly wrote: »

thanks for the reply! So just to clarify, how much should it have started out when we got in?:)

The meter fare should be 4.45 if it was after 8pm in the evening - this is the high rate that applies from 8pm to 8am the following morning.

So the fare of 4.45 plus extras of 1 euro should have been on the meter.:)

Ham'nd'egger

steph1 wrote: »

The meter fare should be 4.45 if it was after 8pm in the evening - this is the high rate that applies from 8pm to 8am the following morning.

So the fare of 4.45 plus extras of 1 euro should have been on the meter.:)

Just a quick point, Chilly; when you were getting into the taxi, were you talking to a friend/friends as you entered the car? Occasionally if passengers are mid conversation getting into a car it can be assumed all are getting in in error. I've done it once or twice before in my early days driving:o

chillywilly

Hamndegger wrote: »

Just a quick point, Chilly; when you were getting into the taxi, were you talking to a friend/friends as you entered the car? Occasionally if passengers are mid conversation getting into a car it can be assumed all are getting in in error. I've done it once or twice before in my early days driving:o

No, it was just my girlfriend and I, no one else with us! I knew I was overcharged because I read this thread the other day, but I wanted to make sure before making a fool of myself and accusing a taxi driver of wrong doing, which he was:pac:

james116

hey chillie did u get the roof sign number

steph1

Just to remind anyone who is going to be using a taxi tonight there is a premium charge tonight just in case you think you are being overcharged. Make sure the meter is on and you get a receipt for your journey.

From the taxi regulator's website

Premium Charge
A premium applies to taxi fares at certain times to encourage supply. These are generally known as unsocial hours rates and apply in particular to taxi operation at night and throughout the day on Sundays and public holidays.

In addition to these unsocial hours the Commission for Taxi Regulation has authorised a special premium rate applicable to the festive public holiday periods of between 20-00 hours Christmas Eve to 08-00 hours St. Stephen's Day and between 20-00 hours New Year's Eve to 08-00 hours New Year's Day. During these periods Tariff C will operate immediately after the premium rate initial charge.

Spook_ie

Had someone get into cab last night and said.....

"10.00 on the meter and we haven't even moved off yet, you robbing ******, just because it's New Years Eve"


I just said " That mate is the time, you ****** "


Needless to say I didn't get ( nor wanted ) that fare......:)

fortuneteller

:DWas working myself and gots loads of grief from the ones that like to pretend they have money,Not a word out of the ordinary lad going home to fassaroe or old court in bray ,they always are the ones that tip not the social climbing fools!

steph1

Spook_ie wrote: »

Had someone get into cab last night and said.....

"10.00 on the meter and we haven't even moved off yet, you robbing ******, just because it's New Years Eve"


I just said " That mate is the time, you ****** "


Needless to say I didn't get ( nor wanted ) that fare......:)

Have had that happen to me on occasions too Spook. People who take taxis just dont seem to have a clue.

If given the choice I will go for an E class merc over a Carina E anyday and do walk down the rank to a nicer car.

I think I will ask for a printed receipt before setting out anymore though.
There is a lot of variability in prices that I put down to time of day / traffic / number of passengers but I would like to know what it is exactly.

Also in Bucharest the rates per hour are on the side of the car - older ones are cheaper than newer cars

steph1

Deleted User wrote: »

If given the choice I will go for an E class merc over a Carina E anyday and do walk down the rank to a nicer car.

I think I will ask for a printed receipt before setting out anymore though.
There is a lot of variability in prices that I put down to time of day / traffic / number of passengers but I would like to know what it is exactly.

The receipt is printed out for you by the driver at the end of the journey.

Yes of course there is variability. There is a different tariff between 8am in the morning until 8pm and then from 8pm to 8am the following morning a different tariff applies.
People would you please start educating yourselves about taxis, hackneys and limousines (small public service vehicles) and go and log onto the taxi regulator site and get yourselves up to speed on these matters. I've a pain in me face every night with arguments with punters over the fact that its a different fare (cheaper) in the daytime for the same journey than at night. Do you think its right that the same fare should apply 24/7.

Naturally I dont. I work nights and it is an eye opener to see the carry on of people with lots of drink on them and then have to put up with abuse when they get to the destination and will not pay the fare that is on the meter.

steph1

steph1 wrote: »

The receipt is printed out for you by the driver at the end of the journey.

Well yes I know that but it would be a way of flagging it at the start that no paper or a broken printer wouldn't be an excuse.

I had an experience in early December of a late night trip with one drop off and two others in the car that I had done several times being a lot more than normal (and it wasn't +8.3% it was more like +45%). I had the money ready more or less but had to go looking for more when it was totaled up.
I had a few too many drinks to argue but didn't think of asking for a printed receipt.

fortuneteller

Here endeth the lesson!,Always get a receipt even if you decide to bin it a minute later!

Terrontress

fortuneteller wrote: »

Here endeth the lesson!,Always get a receipt even if you decide to bin it a minute later!

And if the driver is unable to provide, you are "unable" to pay!

SoupyNorman

Fantastic Thread!


I have three main concerns with the Irish Taxi Industry.

1. The Taxi Regulator puts on a lovely face to the public but in reality it is just the drivers whipping boy. Just like the financial regulator is to the Banks.

2. No two taxis ever seem to charge the same fare for the same journey at the same time of day. (I'm talking euros in the difference) You may raise the point of reciepts and getting the taxi number but who do you complain to?...see point one.

3. The abysmal state of the MAJORITY of taxis. Went to Lanzarote last September and I noticed taxi prices were not cheap, but you know what...The fact every car was either a BMW, Merc or high end car with leather interior and Air Con and all a standard color makes you feel you are getting a good - superior service. The Point that was made about choosing a taxi further compounds the point, when you stand back and examine that point...There is so much disparity in the quality of Taxis you need to examine the vehicle before entering! - This is the norm for us and yet we accept it AND pay the stupidly inflated fares.


I take my hat off to the Taxi drivers posting here and if you want to pull me up on any points above I've an open mind but TBH, drivers posting here are the good guys. The fact that any joe can apply for a Taxi License, take his Seat Leon estate out to ferry the public is a farce. There is almost no comeback for the customer as the transaction is almost unrecordable, a reciept is fine for a tangible Item but its alot harder to argue your case when it comes to a service.

I feel for the seasoned taxi driver as deregulation has taken away a decent livelihood, although deregulation was needed, it in itself was not regulated and IMO the Taxi Regulator is the biggest problem.



I dont mean to be harsh above (if I am), but those are my genuine experiences and views.

Ham'nd'egger

Terrontress wrote: »

And if the driver is unable to provide, you are "unable" to pay!

At this stage, you are just trolling now.