Unsuitable Taxis

Panda Moanium

Came across a Fiat Panda being used as a taxi in Italy this week with three large men squashed into the back seats. It was a three door as well.

Got me thinking about what are the most unsuitable cars being used as taxis in Ireland.

Saw a Subaru Outback taxi in Dublin the other week. Just think of the fuel bills on that!

What else?

chris85

Daewoo Matiz

colm_mcm

I've seen an Accord Type R, a Lexus RX300, and an Izuzu Trooper in Dublin.

Guy:Incognito

They should allow single cab pick ups with benches in the back. It'd be like bing in the army.

KTRIC

What about the 3 door Punto that was stopped on Dawson Street in Dublin last year with the hand drawn taxi sign on the roof

Volvoboy

KTRIC wrote: »

What about the 3 door Punto that was stopped on Dawson Street in Dublin last year with the hand drawn taxi sign on the roof

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUosET-5kvs&NR=1


New laws are coming into force the end of this year. has to be a certain wheel base and model.

Toyota and Skoda are going to have a good year anyway!


I know someone who is using a 08 Merc S320 CDi, most of his work is limo work but still.


-VB-

Hagar

There's a couple of Chrysler 300Cs in use near where I live. Nice taxis.

pete4130

KTRIC wrote: »

What about the 3 door Punto that was stopped on Dawson Street in Dublin last year with the hand drawn taxi sign on the roof

That was for a hidden TV camera show.

niceirishfella

Tata NANO

Barlow07

Renaults and Hyundai's....

colm_mcm

what's wrong with Hyundais, they'd outlast most European cars, and the Sonata is available in auto with a diesel engine.

Rowley Birkin QC

Got a lift in that Accord Type R, sound enough bloke and seemed to know his motors. Seen a few 06/07 5 Series around and there was a 01 320d on the Malahide Rd. on Friday.

Niall1234

Volvoboy wrote: »

I know someone who is using a 08 Merc S320 CDi, most of his work is limo work but still.


-VB-

You can only claim capital allowances on the first €25,000 of a diesel car for ordinary businesses.

I'm guessing the same rules apply for taxis or are these cars classed as commercial vehicles for taxi usage ?

G Luxel

Opel Antara. I remember seeing a Rolls Royce Silver Spirit being used as a taxi in Dublin about 20 years ago.

colm_mcm

is that a Mazda2 in your sig G?

leincar

A Fiat Sedici in Stillorgan last Saturday night!!!!

leincar

Niall1234 wrote: »

You can only claim capital allowances on the first €25,000 of a diesel car for ordinary businesses.

I'm guessing the same rules apply for taxis or are these cars classed as commercial vehicles for taxi usage ?

For new cars in the Taxi business you write off the value of the car against tax over a 3 year period. 40%,40%,20%.

Volvoboy

Also seeing a few Lexus LS400 knocking around unless they've thrown a Nissan 2.7 Diesel in there i dont know how they are making money!


-VB-

bazz26

There is a Honda HR-V taxi doing the rounds in my area. Also seen a Subaru Impreza, Toyota Prius, Honda Legend, Lexus LS400 and numerous MB S Class.

A neighbour of my parents used to drive a Lada Riva estate as a taxi many years ago.

zilog_jones

Yeah I've seen that HR-V around Limerick too - really don't get that (not like the car appealed to anyone in the first place). Wonder if that 1990 Carina II is still in service?

Volvoboy

zilog_jones wrote: »

Yeah I've seen that HR-V around Limerick too - really don't get that (not like the car appealed to anyone in the first place). Wonder if that 1990 Carina II is still in service?

I see on a regular basis a
'88 Carina
'89 Merc 420SEL
'88 Corolla Sprinter
'87 Merc E300



-VB-

Max_Damage

Saw a Mercedes W123 estate used as a taxi recently, with pre-'87 reg. plates and all.

Also saw a LHD Citroen Picasso taxi here too.

Guy:Incognito

Max_Damage wrote: »

Also saw a LHD Citroen Picasso taxi here too.

Of all the things I would have thought one of the basic taxi requirements was RHD.

See a few MPV's around Dublin ,couple of Scenics and Picassos mainly, and a Pajero or somesuch. It really shoudl be limited to Saloons and Van derivitives for th ewheelchair accessable/9 seaters etc as well as the upcoming age limit on the cars.

unkel

Volvoboy wrote: »

Also seeing a few Lexus LS400 knocking around unless they've thrown a Nissan 2.7 Diesel in there i dont know how they are making money!

You're showing your age there

Back in the early-mid 90s many taxis were old 80s Merc S-class cars that had been converted to Nissan 2.8 diesel engines. They all rattled like bejaysis, but at least you felt safe and you could stretch your legs a bit

Ireland must be unique in the western world in that little ****ty old cars are allowed as taxis. Even in much poorer countries a Mercedes E-class is the norm

Max_Damage

For the people that complain that we have so-called 'shítty taxis', here's Cameroon's finest:

Eoin

I've seen a Peugeot 206 as a taxi, which is as bad as it gets. I'm fairly sure I've seen some others in the same class as well.

I've seen an Alfa 156 as well, and the driver had to put illuminous stickers on the rear door handles with arrows pointing to them. I love the cars, but they're not the roomiest in the back or the boot.

I don't agree with a taxi having to be n many years young - the wheelbase limit VolvoBoy mentioned sounds much better. I'd much prefer a lift in a 10 year old LS400 than a new little hatchback.

jdivision

there's apparently a maserati registered as a taxi. Yer man only has it in order to use the bus lanes though

Eoin

jdivision wrote: »

there's apparently a maserati registered as a taxi. Yer man only has it in order to use the bus lanes though

I think Michael O'Leary did the same, but it was a big tank of a Merc from what I remember.

unkel

eoin_s wrote: »

I'd much prefer a lift in a 10 year old LS400 than a new little hatchback.

That's exactly the point I was trying to make. A few weeks ago I was in a late 90s Mercedes E-class taxi (in the Canaries) with nearly a million kilometers on it. Not even a rattle on it. It was the basic "Classic" model with a manual 6 speed transmission, but it was so much better than being in an Avensis / Corolla or whatever ****ty cars we get here as taxis and I don't even want to mention those vans / people carriers you see here more often these days. Whenever one of those is allocated to me at Dublin Airport, I say "no thank you" and move on towards the next one in the queue

L1011

In the same week I was in a Pug 206 hackney, Pug 406 taxi (falling to bits) and some E-type Merc that used to be an ambassadors car (and felt like) taxi... some range.

S.I.R

couple of skodas down theroad aswell as a 2.4 vtec accord... not very suitable forthe task but a nice car alll the same...

was ina mondeo which looked like a branc car except forthe alloys... :rolleyes:

Terrontress

Why do people buy nice cars to taxi when they know they can get away with old junk?

I was in a new model S60 on Friday night. It had cream leather seats in it. I made a point of putting my battered sausage and chips in the boot so as not to stink it out.

I asked the man if he was mad and he said he prefers to have a nice working environment.

Still, cream coloured leather seats in a cab? Mad.

Rowley Birkin QC

Well leather is harder wearing than cloth isn't it?

I got a spin home in one of the last model S class one night from Coppers, very odd. Absolute poverty to absolute luxury in about 2 minutes:D

will1977

eoin_s wrote: »

I think Michael O'Leary did the same, but it was a big tank of a Merc from what I remember.

They do that in London to avoid paying the congestion charges.

nialler

Regulator is changing the rules this year. All NCT'd cars can only be a limo or a taxi so you'll see a lot of the S & LS go off the roads as taxis, I'm sure the drivers will pick up 4-5 year old passats/modeos and skoda diesels to do that part of their business.

The taxing a tank as a limo is a very cost efficient way of doing things btw.

Spook_ie

leincar wrote: »

For new cars in the Taxi business you write off the value of the car against tax over a 3 year period. 40%,40%,20%.

Actualy its depreciated on a rolling 40% basis, ie 40% of residual value per year and then an entry under disposed assets at the remaining value...

G Luxel

why not have something unique, some vehicle equivalent to the London Taxi (metrocab/fairway) or New York cab (yellow cab) or Tokyo (Toyota Crown)?
At least they have a carrying capacity as opposed to something like a Smart Car..........:D

rebel.ranter

There's a guy in Cork using a Kia Rio!!! Fara far too small!!
(same colour as the one on the website

http://www.kiamotors.ie/rio.asp

Wishbone Ash

I ordered a taxi in an African city one day for 3 people and a Fiat Seicento arrived!

Something like this:

G Luxel

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

I ordered a taxi in an African city one day for 3 people and a Fiat Seicento arrived!

Something like this:

I have seen two of those cars on the roads here from Poland. They are called Daewoo Tiko. In Crete there are still some Mercedes E class from the early 80s used as taxi's.

Wishbone Ash

G Luxel wrote: »

In Crete there are still some Mercedes E class from the early 80s used as taxi's.

I got an E Class taxi in Crete a number of years ago and it had 960,000kms on the clock! The driver told me(in broken English) that it was driven by 3 people in 8 hour shifts 'around the clock'.

Now that's how to run a taxi - it's not making money sitting on a driveway.

Leon11

You won't believe this but there's a Merc A Class being used, I've spotted it regularly in Clondalkin Village, owner is from the area.

unkel

G Luxel wrote: »

In Crete there are still some Mercedes E class from the early 80s used as taxi's.

Nothing wrong with that imho. In fact the car with the highest ever mileage (about 5 million kilometers iirc) was a Greek Mercedes taxi

unkel

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

I got an E Class taxi in Crete a number of years ago and it had 960,000kms on the clock!

Yeah I had a W210 late 90s E-Class taxi in Tenerife (Canary Islands) a couple of week s ago with nearly a million km on it. Basic spec 6 speed manual. No rattles. I'm still convinced no other make can pull this kinda longevity off. Nothing Japanese for sure

Wishbone Ash

unkel wrote: »

Yeah I had a W210 late 90s E-Class taxi in Tenerife (Canary Islands) a couple of week s ago with nearly a million km on it. Basic spec 6 speed manual. No rattles. I'm still convinced no other make can pull this kinda longevity off. Nothing Japanese for sure

I've a bit to go in my 160,000 (miles) 1998 W210 then so!

bazz26

unkel wrote: »

Yeah I had a W210 late 90s E-Class taxi in Tenerife (Canary Islands) a couple of week s ago with nearly a million km on it. Basic spec 6 speed manual. No rattles. I'm still convinced no other make can pull this kinda longevity off. Nothing Japanese for sure

Well considering how much more expensive the Merc cost when new compared to an average Jap car given similar use I would expect the Merc to out last them. Isn't that one of the things your paying the extra money for?

Unfortunately Mercs of that caliber, built in the last 10 years or so are the exception rather than the rule. Very common to still find plenty of W123 or E Classes still doing the taxi rounds on the Continent.

Spook_ie

G Luxel wrote: »

why not have something unique, some vehicle equivalent to the London Taxi (metrocab/fairway) or New York cab (yellow cab) or Tokyo (Toyota Crown)?
At least they have a carrying capacity as opposed to something like a Smart Car..........:D

Jeez, that looks just like the jap import Camry's that people complain about being used here.

goldenbrown

driver who I use often from the ranelagh rank uses a 1998 corolla, he says every 10euros on the meter one euro goes on petrol, for a 1400cc petrol car, he says he mostly has one passenger as he works during the day, seldom 3/four getting in, he rarely opens the boot, less overheads all round I guess

itarumaa

chris85 wrote: »

Daewoo Matiz

My Romanian friend informed that those ones are used as Taxis in Romania:) I think some of those are build there as well, not 100% sure.

2stageturbo

Seen a LEFT HAND DRIVE Renault Megane, mammy wagon, mpv type yoke in Drumcondra yesterday.

LEFT HAND DRIVE!!!!!!!!!:eek::eek:

Guy:Incognito

2stageturbo wrote: »

Seen a LEFT HAND DRIVE Renault Megane, mammy wagon, mpv type yoke in Drumcondra yesterday.

LEFT HAND DRIVE!!!!!!!!!:eek::eek:

Thats the 2nd left hand drive taxi mentioned. I really thought RHD would have been a minimum.