Taxis - useful information for passengers, drivers and others

Victor

Please post useful information on taixs here, be it for passengers, drivers or others.

Infomation only please, no comment or opinion.

blahblah06

http://www.taxireg.ie/ - this is the main industry website.

http://www.worldtaximeter.com/dublin - this site will provide you with a fairly accurate idea of the pricing of a journey in Dublin.

http://www.taxi-mart.co.uk - this is a great site for a huge range of products in the taxi game.

http://www.discounttillrolls.ie - this site supplies cheap till receipt rolls for anyone in the business.

http://www.pumps.ie - this will give drivers the best idea of were the cheapest fuel in the country is to keep expenses down.

Ham'nd'egger

Victor wrote: »

Please post useful information on taixs here, be it for passengers, drivers or others.

Infomation only please, no comment or opinion.

Taxi fares in Ireland are as follows.....

Monday-Saturday 8AM-8PM; €4.10 for the first kilometer or 170 seconds and €1.03 per KM or over 14KM or 40 minutes, €1.35 for the next 15 KM or 42 minutes and €1.77 per KM

Sundays, Public Holiday's and anytime between 8PM to 8AM; €4.45 for the first KM, €1.35 per KM or over 14KM or 40 minutes, €1.55 for the next 15 KM or 42 minutes and €1.77 per KM thereon.

Christmas Eve 8PM-8AM St. Stephen's Day and New Years Eve 8PM-8AM New Years Day, €4.45 for the first KM/170 seconds and €1.77 per KM thereafter.

If a taxi is booked by any means other than at a rank or on the street (Eg, if you phone, e mail, SMS or web book a taxi), a €2 booking fee applies. There is a €1 per extra passenger i; in the case of kids it is €1 per two kids. There are no other charges for baggage, luggage etc anymore. Road tolls or parking charges, if incurred, are added onto the fares as "extras".

Note that where a taxi firm offers a discount, these discounts are taken off the metered fare only; road tolls are not included in the discount. Also, not every firm offers a discount. You are entitled to ask a taxi hailed off the street for a discount off the fare but don't cry on my shoulder if you don't get one

Ham'nd'egger

Oh yeah, if you lose something in a taxi, the Carriage Office still deals with lost property. In Dublin, this is located in Dublin Castle; local counties have dedicated Gardaí who deal with PSV issues so contact your local station.

Other than that, all taxi enquiries for entry into the industry are dealt with initially by the Taxi Regulators Office. This includes purchasing taxi plates. Currently new, they are €6,500, wheelchair taxis are cheaper and generally carry more people but the range of suitable vehicles are lesser and dearer to operate/fuel/service. Bear in mind that this does not include the actual roof sign, meter, printer and fitting of same so budget another €800-€1,000 for same. Plates can be purchased second hand for €5,000; this will usually include roof sign meter and printer.

All cars used must be pre-tested before they can be okayed to work legally as taxis and they must be insured, and taxed as taxis to be road legal; contact the Taxi Regulator for more information about minimum standards required.

amtaxi

As a customer it is your right to choose which taxi you wish to travel in. You do not have to travel with the first taxi on the rank. You do not have to give a reason to the driver as to why you wish to travel in his/her vehicle nor do you have to give a reason to any other taxi as to why you don't wish to travel in their vehicle.

When travelling in a taxi you should make yourself aware of the drivers ID which should be placed on the dashboard within easy view of the customer. If this is not displayed either ask the driver to see it or refuse to travel with them. If for any reason you have a complaint against the driver, vehicle, cost or the service received you will need a printed receipt (entitled to by law), this receipt should clearly display the licence number of the vehicle, (the licence number is also available form the yellow discs displayed on the front and back windows) and if possible the name and licence number of the driver. You should contact the taxi regulator with any complaints. A complaint form is available to download on line. All complaints need to be received in writing. If the drivers refuses to give you a printed receipt take as many of the details as you can and if you are in a position to do so contact the local Garda. It is almost impossible to have a complaint followed up on without some if not all of this information.

kajo

Please remember its against the law to refuse to pay a taxi or a hackney fare.
If you are unhappy with the fare get a receipt and contact the taxi regulator and not the garda as the garda do not deal with this kind of complaint.
Never refuse to pay the fare the garda will arrest you for not paying the fare if they are called even if you feel you are getting over charged.
A Hackeny fare should be agreed before you enter the car as there no price controls on hackneys and you must pay what ever he says if you do not agree the fare before you enter the car.

Most drivers cannot change a €50 note so if you intend to pay with one please tell the driver before you start the journey so he can stop at a shop for you to get change.

Just to remind you its against the law hire a taxi or hackney without having money on your person..... stopping at the bank or going into your house for money is by agreement with the driver only.
If the driver agrees to let you leave the car to get the money from your house make sure you leave something of value with him ... phone ect.....meter keeps ticking like your heart so be quick.

Ham'nd'egger

A few other points to remember....

You can't eat that kebab/burger/duck curry in the car on the way home, or even on the way anywhere. The same applies to drinking anything in the car, be it beer or gin or cider or hot chocolate or minerals or smoothies or putting on make up or bottles of any liquid (Try cleaning it off seats); if it's consumable then it's not allowed to be consumed in a taxi. Apart from the fact that it stinks the car out, it is illegal and if it messes the car up, you may be liable for a soiling fee of €140 on top of your fare home. It may sound like a lot of lucre but a professional interior valet can cost up to €100 plus the taxi is off the road for at least a day after being messed up.

If you require a taxi to go a certain route or road to your destination, please let the driver know in advance of leaving. You are entitled to go the route you please (within reason) but with one way systems, traffic lights etc to allow for, sometimes it takes a second or two to map out a route in the head. Likewise, if there are a few people in your party going to different places, let him know before you go to try and avoid doubling back en route.

Bags and luggage are not charged on the meter as extras. If you have a few cases or bags to move, the driver will help you load them into the car and out when you get to your destination. Normally these will be put in the boot though in some cars it can vary; a few vans have luggage holds in the front. If you know in advance that you have a huge amount to move (ie, 4 suitcases or more), either ring a cab company and ask for a larger car or pick a larger one from a rank if you are coming from a hotel or train.

steph1

Excellent posts by all here.
I particularly like the one about the eating and drinking in the taxi as that is one that I have major issues with. Many a row have I had with people who want to eat curry chips, fried rice (with their fingers) pizzas, getting into the car with bottles of beer and in one case a muppet trying to get in with a full pint of Guinness telling me he wouldn't spill it. FFS.
We are not mobile restaurants, bars or discos. We are providing a service to the public to get them from A to B safely and move on. We dont have time during our busy periods especially on a Friday and Saturday nights to be cleaning up your mess after you.

prodigal_son

Children are 2 for a euro but importantly you get the first child free, the counting of children for fare starts at the second child, First child under 12 free, 2 or 3 children €1.00, 4 or 5 children €2.00 & 6 or 7 children €3.00.

Easy way to remember it is, any odd numbered children left at the end of counting are not charged for.

Ham'nd'egger

prodigal_son wrote: »

Children are 2 for a euro but importantly you get the first child free, the counting of children for fare starts at the second child, First child under 12 free, 2 or 3 children €1.00, 4 or 5 children €2.00 & 6 or 7 children €3.00.

Easy way to remember it is, any odd numbered children left at the end of counting are not charged for.

And kids in arms don't get charged for period

Taxipete29

Just a couple of quick ones.

1, There is no need for passengers to sound so apologetic when paying with coins. Change is always welcome.

2, And I cant stress this one enough. If you only have a €50 note tell the driver at the start of the trip so it can be determined if a stop for change needs to be made on route. We are not banks or shops who have access to large amounts of change. This will reduce unneccesary hold ups at the end of a journey for both passenger and driver.

3, If you order a Taxi to your home only do so when your ready to go. Most companies nowadays will dispatch a car immediatly and the driver is entitled to start the meter once you know he has arrived. Booking for a specific time is optimal if you think you need time to get ready. Be aware though, once again the driver is entitled to start the meter as soon that time is reached and they are outside the point of collection, house etc.

ciaran67

Also...

Large van taxi's do not cost anymore than cars

taxi wife

Commission for Taxi Regulation website
http://www.taxiregulator.ie/


Making a complaint
http://www.taxiregulator.ie/consumer/complaints-and-lost-property/making-a-complaint.html


Complaints Form pdf
http://www.taxiregulator.ie/files/Complaint_Form_March-2008.pdf

steph1

And if you dont pay the fare (this happened to me last night) well then the next step is bring you to the nearest garda station or they will be phoned and thankfully (thanks to the gardai in Ballina) I will get what is rightfully mine. The fare for going out to the middle of nowhere to pick you and your friends up and bring you home. I had the meter on everything above board but you refused to pay your fare. You bring it on yourself if you dont pay. My car does not run on fresh air or water. I expect to be paid for doing you a service. :mad:

blossom180

as in town to night and went for a taxi,went to my bag no money:eek:went down the taxi queue said i will pay at home,i was told no no no i know people do this and the taxi person is stuck,got a very nice man his name was joe and he was from blackrock taxis,just like to say thank you joe,am home safe and sound

scoondle

Book a Hackney Cab :

- Fare known in advance regardless of traffic delays.
(Get the fare quote before you book)
- Good Hackney Cab companies charge the same fare regardless of weekends and time of day.
- No extras, apart from descretionary waiting time
- A personal collection service at airports, train stations, etc.
- For best fare, choose a company close to your origin or destination, but always check the fare before you make the booking.

everyday taxi

There are some new changes coming regarding roof signs and ID's. Alot of drivers who have licenses for e.g wicklow louth meath kildare etc were working in dublin illegally. To try prevent this the taxi regulator is introducing new roof signs which will now include a letter for your county as well as the normal 5 digit number. E.g ..... D 12345. They will also be changing the incar ID to make it easier to read.

turbodiesel

everyday taxi wrote: »

There are some new changes coming regarding roof signs and ID's. Alot of drivers who have licenses for e.g wicklow louth meath kildare etc were working in dublin illegally. To try prevent this the taxi regulator is introducing new roof signs which will now include a letter for your county as well as the normal 5 digit number. E.g ..... D 12345. They will also be changing the incar ID to make it easier to read.

Just rang to renew my driving licence psv. Paid the €250 and then asked where i can get the form for renewal (due in August). They told me that as of today the carriage office in Dublin Castle wasn't sorting out taxi's driving licence renewals anymore. You have to go to Santry Garda Station or contact them on 6664117. Have been trying all day and as was always the case with the Dublin Castle carriage office can't get an answer.....

A friend has also decided to sell his car and plate as a package and asked me to download the forms for him. Looks like things have changed and no longer do you call into Dublin Co Council offices(thats what i did when i bought my plate back in '05) but now you post off the paperwork to a PO Box in Togher - Cork.

ciaran67

everyday taxi wrote: »

There are some new changes coming regarding roof signs and ID's. Alot of drivers who have licenses for e.g wicklow louth meath kildare etc were working in dublin illegally. To try prevent this the taxi regulator is introducing new roof signs which will now include a letter for your county as well as the normal 5 digit number. E.g ..... D 12345. They will also be changing the incar ID to make it easier to read.

Yea and all Dub drivers turn their lights off when dropping off in N. Wicklow, S. Louth and E. Kildare.

I just did my SGS. V easy. Was warned about failing lots of stuff next year like fixed ramps. Fire extinguisher must be in the back even though i have two, one in front and one in back. *Sigh*

winston82

If you leave a bag in the boot of a taxi, with nothing of value in it, you will get it back no bother. If you have something expensive in it i.e. Mobile, iPod & expensive watch, you will never see it again. - as told by the guy in the carriages office about 2 months ago.

ciaran67

winston82 wrote: »

If you leave a bag in the boot of a taxi, with nothing of value in it, you will get it back no bother. If you have something expensive in it i.e. Mobile, iPod & expensive watch, you will never see it again. - as told by the guy in the carriages office about 2 months ago.

Yes, we're actually all magpies in disguise.

Mike 1972

kajo wrote: »

Please remember its against the law to refuse to pay a taxi or a hackney fare..

Is this still the case where a taxi driver refuses to use a meter ?

AlmostFamous

Hey guys.
My friend a couple of months ago got sick in the back of a taxi. He was charged 150 euro for this. Is there a standard price for puking up in a taxi?
His mother was forced to pay as my friend didn't have that sort of money on him. Although in this case my friend was mouldy and was totally responsible. What would happen if my friend got sick due to the taxi driver's dangerous driving?

Ham'nd'egger

Mike 1972 wrote: »

Is this still the case where a taxi driver refuses to use a meter ?

The use or non use of a meter is one thing (It has to be used even if a fare is fixed or agreed between you and the driver) but it doesn't absolve a passenger of any obligation to pay the fare.

Victor

AlmostFamous wrote: »

He was charged 150 euro for this. Is there a standard price for puking up in a taxi?

"Soiling charge €140.00" http://www.taxireg.ie/consumer/fare-information/national-maximum-taxi-fare.html I presume the €150 includes his actual fare.

What would happen if my friend got sick due to the taxi driver's dangerous driving?

Has this ever happened anyone?

Ham'nd'egger

AlmostFamous wrote: »

Hey guys.
My friend a couple of months ago got sick in the back of a taxi. He was charged 150 euro for this. Is there a standard price for puking up in a taxi?
His mother was forced to pay as my friend didn't have that sort of money on him. Although in this case my friend was mouldy and was totally responsible. What would happen if my friend got sick due to the taxi driver's dangerous driving?

Soiling charge is €140; this is in addition to the metered fare. The soiling charge is applied if you render the taxi unusable through any spillage in the taxi; this generally is if you get sick but it also applies if you spill food or drink inside it, have excessively muddy feet that spoilt the carpets/seats, spill any oils, paints etc or if you rip or destroy the car interior to name a few circumstances. Aside from covering the cost of an interior valet, you have also taken the taxi off the road until such time as it can be made good so as such this charge needs to be high. Should you get sick on the exterior of the cab then be decent and offer up something to cover a car wash (I'd suggest €10)

Should you feel sick for whatever reason, please alert the driver ASAP so they can stop to avoid you getting sick inside the car.

Ham'nd'egger

Victor wrote: »

"Soiling charge €140.00" http://www.taxireg.ie/consumer/fare-information/national-maximum-taxi-fare.html I presume the €150 includes his actual fare.

Has this ever happened anyone?

It's like the bad pint that made you sick, not the good 12 pints before it;)

Fuinseog

kajo wrote: »

Please remember its against the law to refuse to pay a taxi or a hackney fare.
If you are unhappy with the fare get a receipt and contact the taxi regulator and not the garda as the garda do not deal with this kind of complaint.
Never refuse to pay the fare the garda will arrest you for not paying the fare if they are called even if you feel you are getting over charged.
A Hackeny fare should be agreed before you enter the car as there no price controls on hackneys and you must pay what ever he says if you do not agree the fare before you enter the car.

Most drivers cannot change a €50 note so if you intend to pay with one please tell the driver before you start the journey so he can stop at a shop for you to get change.

Just to remind you its against the law hire a taxi or hackney without having money on your person..... stopping at the bank or going into your house for money is by agreement with the driver only.
If the driver agrees to let you leave the car to get the money from your house make sure you leave something of value with him ... phone ect.....meter keeps ticking like your heart so be quick.

when does the fare begin? once you enter the cab or once the cab moves off. if for example you sit into the cab and suddenly realise that you get an uncomfortable vibe do you still have to pay the basic rate?

Losty Dublin

Fuinseog wrote: »

when does the fare begin? once you enter the cab or once the cab moves off. if for example you sit into the cab and suddenly realise that you get an uncomfortable vibe do you still have to pay the basic rate?

The instant the driver agrees to take you wherever you ask to, you are liable for the metered fare. This applies no matter how incompetent or whatever the driver does or says or if the driver asks you to leave the car. As it stands, the procedures are there for a passenger to complain legally if you are unhappy or hard done by; equally the law is there if you don't pay the requisite fare.

That said it's not too likely that they will chase you for the cash if they were acting the maggot

mikemac1

Look at the meter when you get in and see it's the correct rate.
It's not complicated, it's usually either A or B. I think C is only New Years eve and Christmas. Takes only a second

So drivers have their meter out.
I booked a taxi one morning and deliberately waited before I called the cab company so he'd arrive past eight am.
Got in, the news on the radio was ending, the weather report was starting yet the more expensive rate was on the meter

Took the journey anyway and I paid him what I usually paid
Got a receipt and his timing was out by seventeen minutes

So speak up and make it clear
If I had said nothing I would have paid the higher rate and he would have been happy for the extra money :rolleyes:

Aard

What's the story if the driver forgets to start the meter altogether? A few weeks ago, I was brought to my destination while having a grand chat and he notices he forgot to set the meter. He said €12 is 'probably' what it costs. I offered him €10 as it's usually around that. He seemed OK with that.

Legally speaking, was I obliged to pay any fare all? (Of course, even if I wasn't I'd still have offered the €10 as that's what I'd been prepared to pay from the outset.)

Victor

Fuinseog wrote: »

when does the fare begin? once you enter the cab or once the cab moves off. if for example you sit into the cab and suddenly realise that you get an uncomfortable vibe do you still have to pay the basic rate?

I imagine msot drivers won't have a problem if they haven't pulled off yet. Claiming you forgot your wallet solves most of the rest.

Aard wrote: »

What's the story if the driver forgets to start the meter altogether? A few weeks ago, I was brought to my destination while having a grand chat and he notices he forgot to set the meter. He said €12 is 'probably' what it costs. I offered him €10 as it's usually around that. He seemed OK with that.

Legally speaking, was I obliged to pay any fare all? (Of course, even if I wasn't I'd still have offered the €10 as that's what I'd been prepared to pay from the outset.)

It has to be on the meter. It was the driver's responsibility. He might have been able to insist on the minimum fare of ~€4.50

wilkie2006

kajo wrote: »

Please remember its against the law to refuse to pay a taxi or a hackney fare.
If you are unhappy with the fare get a receipt and contact the taxi regulator and not the garda as the garda do not deal with this kind of complaint.
Never refuse to pay the fare the garda will arrest you for not paying the fare if they are called even if you feel you are getting over charged.

Coming home from a night out, I've found a taxi cost can fluctuate by up to 10E. The conditions are always the same:
- roughly the same time of night (never any traffic on the road)
- always alone (I'm working on it )

Presumably, the more expensive trips mean the driver's been tampering with the meter? What do I do?

I've heard that a printed receipt gives all of the journey's details but what happens if the driver says he doesn't have any paper in the machine or can't issue receipts for whatever reason (is it possible some don't have them or they can be broken?)

If the driver can't/won't give you a receipt, a friend suggested that you can ask them to take you to a police station, where a Garda can write a receipt but I'm not sure they'd be so keen on you wasting their time?

If anyone knows for sure, I'd be really grateful to hear...

foggy_lad

wilkie2006 wrote: »

Coming home from a night out, I've found a taxi cost can fluctuate by up to 10E. The conditions are always the same:
- roughly the same time of night (never any traffic on the road)
- always alone (I'm working on it )

Presumably, the more expensive trips mean the driver's been tampering with the meter? What do I do?

I've heard that a printed receipt gives all of the journey's details but what happens if the driver says he doesn't have any paper in the machine or can't issue receipts for whatever reason (is it possible some don't have them or they can be broken?)

If the driver can't/won't give you a receipt, a friend suggested that you can ask them to take you to a police station, where a Garda can write a receipt but I'm not sure they'd be so keen on you wasting their time?

If anyone knows for sure, I'd be really grateful to hear...

If the printer or meter does not work for any reason the taxi should not be in service.

wilkie2006

foggy_lad wrote: »

If the printer or meter does not work for any reason the taxi should not be in service.

What should a passenger do in that instance?

Going Forward

wilkie2006 wrote: »

What should a passenger do in that instance?

First and foremost, in any taxi always note the vehicles license or plate number the minute you get in, maybe dial it onto your keypad.

If the service is not up to scratch, like in the instance outlined, report it to the taxi regulator.

If more people reported chancers something might be done about them.

ciaran67

wilkie2006 wrote: »

Coming home from a night out, I've found a taxi cost can fluctuate by up to 10E. The conditions are always the same:
- roughly the same time of night (never any traffic on the road)
- always alone (I'm working on it )

Presumably, the more expensive trips mean the driver's been tampering with the meter? What do I do?

I've heard that a printed receipt gives all of the journey's details but what happens if the driver says he doesn't have any paper in the machine or can't issue receipts for whatever reason (is it possible some don't have them or they can be broken?)

If the driver can't/won't give you a receipt, a friend suggested that you can ask them to take you to a police station, where a Garda can write a receipt but I'm not sure they'd be so keen on you wasting their time?

If anyone knows for sure, I'd be really grateful to hear...

Its the worse thing about driving a taxi. As soon as things dont appear right, people immediately assume the driver is up to something dodgy. Funny how people dont worry about spending quite a bit of money over the bar yet want to argue about 6 euro on the way home.

I have no idea how a driver would tamper with a meter while driving. A driver is always supposed to give you the receipt. 99.9% dont want it. If ever in doubt make him/her take you to the police station.

Going Forward

ciaran67 wrote: »

Its the worse thing about driving a taxi. As soon as things dont appear right, people immediately assume the driver is up to something dodgy. Funny how people dont worry about spending quite a bit of money over the bar yet want to argue about 6 euro on the way home.

I have no idea how a driver would tamper with a meter while driving. A driver is always supposed to give you the receipt. 99.9% dont want it. If ever in doubt make him/her take you to the police station.

Driver may have had a few euros notched up on meter before OP got in.
Having said that, you are 100% right about people being able to chuck it across the counter all nite.

mardybumbum

Is it only the License Holder who may actually operate the taxi?

foggy_lad

mardybumbum wrote: »

Is it only the License Holder who may actually operate the taxi?

Afaik the car must be licenced as a taxi with meter plate and roof sign but anyone with a spsv can drive it as long as they are allowed work in the same areas indicated on the roof sign.

wilkie2006

ciaran67 wrote: »

...I have no idea how a driver would tamper with a meter while driving.

With respect, I don't think it's crazy to assume that a driver could tamper with the meter; it's only a piece of technology, after all. While I'm sure that the majority of taxi drivers are honest and decent, there must be a few dodgy ones around. I have no doubt that if someone really wanted to do something to their device they could easily find someone to organise it. Even without tampering with a meter, wouldn't it be possible to just charge for an extra couple of passengers?

ciaran67 wrote: »

Its the worse thing about driving a taxi. As soon as things dont appear right, people immediately assume the driver is up to something dodgy. Funny how people dont worry about spending quite a bit of money over the bar yet want to argue about 6 euro on the way home.

Well, given that last time I took the journey the fare was 21E but a few months earlier it had cost me about 32E, I think that my cynicism is justified. Maybe there's an innocent explanation for the discrepancy but certainly not an obvious one.

Regarding spending money behind the bar and arguing about 6 Euro on the way home, I think they're quite different things really!

mardybumbum

foggy_lad wrote: »

mardybumbum wrote: »

Is it only the License Holder who may actually operate the taxi?

Afaik the car must be licenced as a taxi with meter plate and roof sign but anyone with a spsv can drive it as long as they are allowed work in the same areas indicated on the roof sign.

Thank you.
I searched the regulators website but there was scant information on this.

clusk007

A new wheelchair taxi website which allows the user to search for wheelchair accessible transport in their area. http://wheelchairtaxi.ie/

Spread the Word!!

yellowbellie44

im lookin to put a taxi phone in a hotel one that has a sim card and dials me when the receiver is lifted thanks i really need it this week please help

pappyodaniel

yellowbellie44 wrote: »

im lookin to put a taxi phone in a hotel one that has a sim card and dials me when the receiver is lifted thanks i really need it this week please help

So what do you want?

Going Forward

pappyodaniel wrote: »

So what do you want?

This might do the job:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GSM-calculator-listening-device-Desk-top-calculator-style-gsm-voice-ear-bug-/170779345374?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item27c33e01de

Cookie_Monster

this might do ya:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firefly_(mobile_phone)

yellowbellie44

i was loking for the said telephone to buy but iv got one in england thanks

yourpics

There used to be a facility online to check if a car and/or driver was licensed as a PSV.

Anyone have a link? Can't seem to find it

Actually I found it!

https://onlineregister.nationaltransport.ie/

Paudie0796

Does anybody know where I can get DVD for spsv test I am doing it in limerick and am at a dead end questions would also help thanks.