[murphaph]

These are great improvements and I'm sure will benefit the serious taximen and of course customers. I just wish they'd mandate a standard colour for taxis as well. In Germany the tendency is now towards all over vinyl taxis, which means a well maintained taxi can still be sold on after it's too old to be used as a taxi and the buyer doesn't have to drive around in an 'ex taxi', so to speak.

See a video of the vinyl being removed here. The vinyl also protects the original paint and keeps it in almost new condition! I saw a documentary about it recently. It is also considerably cheaper than a respray and even private customers in germany can get a new car look by simply changing the colour of their car in this way.

http://www.by-nachtigall.de/gallery/finearts/index.php

[dcr22B]

Originally Posted by kearnsr

I presume that there is an NCT system or similar in place

Taxis have to be NCT'd on an annual basis.

[ninja900]

Originally Posted by murphaph

In Germany the tendency is now towards all over vinyl taxis

For a second there, I thought you meant 70s-style vinyl roof material all over the taxi

[ninja900]

On the wheelchair accessible cabs. A few years ago I was discharged from James's hospital with a broken leg. Would have preferred a saloon car and just stretched out across the back seat, but one of those 'accessible' Hiace abortions turned up. Steps to get in - that's funny when you're trying to master crutches. Individual seats with the squab at a funny angle, could not get comfortable and could not get the seat belt around me and support my leg at the same time. The thing had appalling ride and I nearly got bounced out of the seat at every bump. Terrible.

[Carawaystick]

Surely the age of a taxi has very little bearing on the standard of comfort or quality of the journey?
a 20 year old mothballed car with 200km vs a 8.9 year old car with 1e6 km couldn't be compared. quantitive standards for passenger comfort and safety should be introduced rather than a hand-wavey x year old car rule.

Also what'd the fascination for a saloon car vs a hatch back in the transfer rule?
I'd prefer an new Superb over a Polo saloon any day.

Also I didn't think there was a national taximeter area?
Can any taxi pick up any fare anywhere in the country?

[Terrontress]

Originally Posted by Carawaystick

Surely the age of a taxi has very little bearing on the standard of comfort or quality of the journey?
a 20 year old mothballed car with 200km vs a 8.9 year old car with 1e6 km couldn't be compared. quantitive standards for passenger comfort and safety should be introduced rather than a hand-wavey x year old car rule.

Yes but it is unlikely that a twenty year old taxi is a car which will have been mothballed. The fact is that the older cars tend to be the less comfortable, less safe and more polluting. While there are exceptions to every rule, you have to legislate to what is most common.

Also I didn't think there was a national taximeter area?
Can any taxi pick up any fare anywhere in the country?

No, you have to be licensed to pick up in an area. You can drive out of that area with a passenger, the metered amount stands although you are leaving the area and the metered amount is the same in all counties and cities.

[parsi]

Originally Posted by trad

more frequent production of C2 will mean less drivers will have the resources to stay in the industry.

Gee what an imposition. Someone in a totally cash based business will have to prove that he has paid tax...