Missing flight because of cab

Donahg

If a person missed a flight becaue a cab driver refused to take them to the airport for no reason other then being lazy, Could the person who missed the flight take a case against the cab driver?

bren2002

Donahg wrote: »

If a person missed a flight becaue a cab driver refused to take them to the airport for no reason other then being lazy, Could the person who missed the flight take a case against the cab driver?

Get another cab. Dublin's full of them

Donahg

No this would have happened in a small village in the west of ireland, There is life outside dublin you know

MagicSean

Perhaps if the cab driver had already agreed to bring them and the person had relied on this promise when booking a ticket. But I doubt it very much.

Paulw

Donahg wrote: »

If a person missed a flight becaue a cab driver refused to take them to the airport for no reason other then being lazy, Could the person who missed the flight take a case against the cab driver?

You could probably make a complaint to the taxi regulator, but I don't believe there is much else you could do.

Sunnyisland

Where you prebooked ?

ScouseMouse

If you are following recommended check in times, how could you miss it. And as for a cab refusing a fare - he did what ???:eek:

source

OP what is the distance from the village to the airport?

Maybe the taxi driver could have had a fair booked and you'd be disrupting it. Repeat business is better than once off big business.

If you weren't going to be driving yourself you should have made other definite arrangements not left it till last minute. Especially if you have a large distance to make it from your house to the airport.

As an example, my mother is flying to the UK today from Dublin. Her flight is later in the evening so last Friday she booked a train from Limerick to Dublin, She has booked a train that will get her to Dublin about 2 hours before the 2 hour the airline check in time. So she will get to Dublin Airport 4 hours before her flight.....her reasoning??? Give herself enough time for any eventuality. She doesn't mind waiting in the airport once she doesn't miss her flight.

If I could say, you maybe should have planned a bit better for your trip, and don't try to blame another person for your lack of planning.

NoQuarter

Donahg wrote: »

If a person missed a flight becaue a cab driver refused to take them to the airport for no reason other then being lazy, Could the person who missed the flight take a case against the cab driver?

Was the cab pre booked? Or did you just spring it on them last minute and they said no?

Victor

Donahg wrote: »

If a person missed a flight becaue a cab driver refused to take them to the airport for no reason other then being lazy, Could the person who missed the flight take a case against the cab driver?

Hackney or taxi? Booked or not? How far was the trip?

dats_right

Donahg wrote: »

If a person missed a flight becaue a cab driver refused to take them to the airport for no reason other then being lazy, Could the person who missed the flight take a case against the cab driver?

For a start, under the relevant Taxi Regulations:

"The driver of a taxi or a wheelchair accessible taxi who is plying for hire or standing for hire shall not unreasonably refuse to carry a passenger where that passenger’s proposed journey is not more than 30 kilometres in distance from the commencement of the journey."

Two points worthy of noting here. Firstly, it would appear that there is no obligation on a taxi driver to drive a proposed passenger more than 30km, so a taxi driver would appear to be able to refuse such a journey for pretty much any reason.

Secondly, the duty to drive a proposed passenger less than 30 km is not an absolute duty. The taxi driver must only show that he has not unreasonably refused to carry the passenger. One doesn't have to be a genius to think of dozens of reasons why a taxi driver could reasonably refuse to carry a proposed passenger e.g. 'I'm finishing work now', 'my car needs diesel/to be cleaned/repaired, etc', 'I've got a booking in 10 minutes', 'I am taking a break now', 'I need to collect the wife/kids/mother-in-law in 20 mins and bring them to..'. We can all think of many, many more potential reasons why a taxi driver might reasonably refuse to accept a fare.

So far you are on very shaky ground, however independent of the above, if you had previously agreed terms with a taxi driver and he had promised to bring you to the airport and failed to do do, you may be able to argue that there was a breach of contract. However, this is very shaky ground indeed and then there is the question of whether you mitigated your own loss i.e. the courts expect those who have suffered a breach of contract to do their very best to limit their losses. This could mean in these circumstances, that you would have to show why you couldn't have driven yourself; or couldn't have got a lift from family member, neighbour, friend, etc; or why you couldn't have booked another taxi; could you change the flights; did you allow sufficient time for the journey, etc.

In the absence of further information surrounding the booking, etc it is impossible to say anymore. Suffice to say that, in my own personal view, I think only in very limited circumstances would a court impose a liability on a taxi driver in such circumstances. With the greatest respect, might it have been the case that if you were better organised and had allowed sufficient time for the journey and booking that you would have made the flight?