Large taxi needed - but they cannot guarantee?!?

SakisP

Tomorrow I am flying with my wife and our 15-month baby out of Dublin Airport. As we take 2 big and 3 small cases as well as a foldable pram, it's not practical to take anything but a larger taxi - at least estate type, up to minivan.

When I called one of the big providers in Dublin, they said that they could not guarantee that a big-enough taxi would be available!!! Not only that, but they also had the nerve to suggest that I take TWO taxis!!! Travelling from Tallaght, that would have to make me the biggest sucker in Ireland if I accepted to pay so much more for a service easily available on larger taxis. Unless the big providers mostly deal with saloon cabs...

Do you know of any providers that guarantee the type of taxi you really need? Or am I better off going to the local shopping centre near the time that I need the big taxi and just pick it up from the queue? I'd have to count on luck as well for the latter...

Victor

I think take out the Golden Pages and phone around.

Alternatively, if you spot one at a rank, ask him for his (own) number and if he would be able to do an airport run for you.

AlekSmart

Oddly enuf SakisP,this was to be one of the much trumpeted benefits of the Deregulation of the Dublin Taxi market.

Following on from last weeks RTE Liveline Buggy Pusher vs Wheelchair User spat on the 27 Bus,I found it interesting to note that whilst Bus Atha Cliaths current 60% Low Floor Accessible figure was given faint praise,not an eyebrow was raised about the absence of Accessible Taxicabs.

There is a little spoken of current running through the Taxi industry which recognises that Investing in an Accessible Vehicle,even with the special Licence deals from the Government is simply not commercially worth it.

Hotblack Desiato

Not that they're accessible in any meaningful sense.

I had the dubious pleasure while on crutches of being collected from James's by an 'accessible' bloody Hiace with two sodding steps leading up into it.

Why can't we introduce London black taxis and be done with it.

Victor

ninja900 wrote:

Why can't we introduce London black taxis and be done with it.

They aren't accessible for wheelchair users.

AlekSmart

The latest version of the FX 4 design is indeed Wheelchair freindly.
One of the problems we have here is in the lack of agreed specification from our Authorities.

The current London PCV regs allow the wheelchair access on one side only and that works very well thank you.
However it seems our People want all wheelchair access to be dual-sided,which is fine if it were`nt for the lack of such designs on the general market.

It would appear that designs which work in "Other Juristictions" are not capable of catering for our vastly different range of disabilities...

Ham'nd'egger

AlekSmart wrote:

The latest version of the FX 4 design is indeed Wheelchair freindly.
One of the problems we have here is in the lack of agreed specification from our Authorities.

The current London PCV regs allow the wheelchair access on one side only and that works very well thank you.
However it seems our People want all wheelchair access to be dual-sided,which is fine if it were`nt for the lack of such designs on the general market.

It would appear that designs which work in "Other Juristictions" are not capable of catering for our vastly different range of disabilities...

Ya see, as Alex says, Mrs. Regulator insists that a wheelchair can gain access from both sides of a cab unlike other markets who are happy for one side. The two best cabs on the market for wheelchair access, namely the converted Peugeot Partner (You see a great many of these in the UK) and the London Cab are not accepted by the Taxi Regulator as being fully accessible for wheelchairs. In fact, the Reg told Peuget to move the drivers cab forward to make it allowable for wheelchair plate use, a comment that was not well received! The London Cab missed the grade due to lower doors. Consequently, there is all of 1 London Cab on the streets here, and maybe a handful of the Peugeot. Ironically, if a driver were to buy these two cars, he could merrily use them as a taxi and take wheelchair passengers; just not while licensed to a wheelchair plate. For the taxi driver, there is no incentive to get a wheelchair plate, as although the plates are almost nothing, the cost and hassle of obtaining a suitable vehicle is exhorbitant (A TX4 London Cab is £27-£34k new, convert that to € and add taxes and see how much it leaves you; a FIAT Scudo is €31k new and is bare to the bone; spec it up to a car level and your into silly money).

Back to the OP, no taxi base can guarantee a specific vehicle will be in your area at a set time as taxi drivers are self employed and will work their own hours. If you were more central, then you would have more help so location can have a bearing; also time of day helps. What time are you going at?

SakisP

Hamndegger wrote: »

...

Back to the OP, no taxi base can guarantee a specific vehicle will be in your area at a set time as taxi drivers are self employed and will work their own hours. If you were more central, then you would have more help so location can have a bearing; also time of day helps. What time are you going at?

... and several months later, here's the update

We ended up calling a local hackney company, who WERE able to guarantee the size of vehicle needed. Worked like a charm! I suppose that's the best one can wish for, unless one is prepared to accept the London model and pay for the fare from wherever the taxi is before it comes to pick one up as well as the real fare until one's destination...

Anyway, now we've got our own car and I'm happy to pay long-term parking fees for peace of mind while away on holidays. We use taxis now only for emergencies.

Run_to_da_hills

I know three old ones that live up the road, when they need a lift out to the airport they hire a stretched black limo used by their local funeral home. It works out the same for them as a taxi and they have heaps of room for excess baggage.

MOH

I booked a wheelchair accessible taxi for my father last year from one of the biggest taxi companies in Dublin, giving 24 hours notice. They phoned 5 minutes after the taxi was due to arrive saying they didn't have a wheelchaair accessible one, would a regular one do? Shower of jokers.

Ham'nd'egger

SakisP wrote: »

... and several months later, here's the update

We ended up calling a local hackney company, who WERE able to guarantee the size of vehicle needed. Worked like a charm! I suppose that's the best one can wish for, unless one is prepared to accept the London model and pay for the fare from wherever the taxi is before it comes to pick one up as well as the real fare until one's destination...

Anyway, now we've got our own car and I'm happy to pay long-term parking fees for peace of mind while away on holidays. We use taxis now only for emergencies.

A 9 month holiday, was it?

I'm glad you got sorted out in the end

Terrontress

Unless you are travelling a very long distance or for a very short trip away, taxi is always cheaper than long stay. Add to that the fact that it drops you right to the front of the airport. Also if you are travelling late on the day you come back then you can have a wine or even a drink on the plane.

Airport parking is very poor value.

Tipsy Mac

Well whatever amount of large taxis there are on the road at the moment there will be alot less soon as van derived taxis are to become illegal due to safety converns which basically knocks out almost the whole 7 seater fleet.

Ham'nd'egger

Tipsy Mac wrote: »

Well whatever amount of large taxis there are on the road at the moment there will be alot less soon as van derived taxis are to become illegal due to safety converns which basically knocks out almost the whole 7 seater fleet.

What concern is this?

Spook_ie

Tipsy Mac wrote: »

Well whatever amount of large taxis there are on the road at the moment there will be alot less soon as van derived taxis are to become illegal due to safety converns which basically knocks out almost the whole 7 seater fleet.

I presume you're refering to theTRs removal of van conversions from the fleet, it won't happen till 2012 and if it's a passenger vehicle derived from a van ( factory built that you can buy from the dealer, like the Transit Tourneo, Scudo Combi, Mercedes Vito, Nissan Primastar, etc.) then there's no problem at all

meathstevie

Spook_ie wrote: »

I presume you're refering to theTRs removal of van conversions from the fleet, it won't happen till 2012 and if it's a passenger vehicle derived from a van ( factory built that you can buy from the dealer, like the Transit Tourneo, Scudo Combi, Mercedes Vito, Nissan Primastar, etc.) then there's no problem at all

Nail on the head Spook. It will be no longer possible to convert a goods vehicle into a passenger vehicle. For example : a converted Transporter is a nono while a Transporter Shuttle is ok. A converted Vito is a nono, a Vito Kombi ( coincidentially my yoke is one of those, non wheelchair ) is ok etc etc. The big reason behind this one imo is that the factory fit ones have CE stamps and type compliance while you can't really guarantee uniformity and consistency in one of conversions. Don't get me wrong, a competently executed conversion should in no way be more unsafe than a factory fit.

Tabnabs

Terrontress wrote: »

Unless you are travelling a very long distance or for a very short trip away, taxi is always cheaper than long stay. Add to that the fact that it drops you right to the front of the airport. Also if you are travelling late on the day you come back then you can have a wine or even a drink on the plane.

Airport parking is very poor value.

That's a very debatable point. The distance I live from the airport means it's €40/50 each way in a taxi (only twenty minutes by car at ungodly hours and no roadworks). That will very nicely cover my longterm parking up for up to two weeks. I have no stress of wondering if the taxi will turn up when I booked it, will I be standing in a queue in the rain at the airport waiting up to an hour for the queue to move? Or do I sit into my car and drive myself home?

At €7.50 per day, the longterm car park is a godsend. (Quickpark, not that DAA rip off which may as well be in Meath it's so far from the airport)

Ham'nd'egger

Dyflin wrote: »

That's a very debatable point. The distance I live from the airport means it's €40/50 each way in a taxi (only twenty minutes by car at ungodly hours and no roadworks). That will very nicely cover my longterm parking up for up to two weeks. I have no stress of wondering if the taxi will turn up when I booked it, will I be standing in a queue in the rain at the airport waiting up to an hour for the queue to move? Or do I sit into my car and drive myself home?

At €7.50 per day, the longterm car park is a godsend. (Quickpark, not that DAA rip off which may as well be in Meath it's so far from the airport)

One big advantage a taxi has is that it is door to door; at times you need to allow 20 minutes+ getting into, parking and using the shuttle bus to and from the airport door, longer at busier times. I wholly agree though, it is a question of costs; little point in spending a ton on a cab if you cab park for half that amount.

Just on Quick Park, I used it a few weeks ago for a day trip to the UK. When I got back, my car was filthy from the residue of lime dust from the poor road surface and took 3 visits to a car wash to remove fully :mad:

Spook_ie

Hamndegger wrote: »

One big advantage a taxi has is that it is door to door; at times you need to allow 20 minutes+ getting into, parking and using the shuttle bus to and from the airport door, longer at busier times. I wholly agree though, it is a question of costs; little point in spending a ton on a cab if you cab park for half that amount.

Just on Quick Park, I used it a few weeks ago for a day trip to the UK. When I got back, my car was filthy from the residue of lime dust from the poor road surface and took 3 visits to a car wash to remove fully :mad:

Have to agree, you need to cost it out. If I have to park for anything above 4 days then taxi is the cheaper option. Though if you do use the carparks you'd better make sure you don't leave your lights on or anything like that, the charge for jump starts is extortionate!! The other answer is, if you find it a problem ( being too far away ), you can always sell up and move closer to the airport