New Taxi area ID's

Spook_ie

So it's now been 23 days since the regulation requiring a taxi driver to display the area(s) he's licensed for on the roof sign came officialy into force. ( Don't tell me no ones spotted all the D's LH's MH's etc. )

http://taxiregulation.nationaltransport.ie/for-operators/spsv-driver-licensing/new-area-roofsign-stickers/

So decided it's time for a straw poll.

Has anyone found it easier to get a taxi that knows ( more or less ) where they're going by selecting a taxi with a relevent roof sign sticker or have you noticed no difference? or come to that have you even noticed the letters?

AlekSmart

I very much doubt it Spookie.....I'v begun to notice some really well travelled Drivers on the Dublin circuit....

One problem for the prospective passenger is that whilst the Dublin D is big enough to see in the middle distance on its own,if you have a Driver who's knowledge is bountiful the lh,mh,ww,ke wx soon makes the Taxi Sign look like some form of motorised ouija board.

I really do feel that the NTA,s Taxi Directorate needs to have it's focus adjusted....colouredy stickers,holograms and sticking plasters are all to be welcomed,but only in a Taxi system which is fit for purpose....

-Chris-

If you're getting a taxi on a rank, you realistically won't get to choose a taxi with the "right" letter on the sign.
If you phone for a taxi, will the taxi company send out a driver with the right region on the plate for the destination?

I.E., is this just just for show, or will it actually be of any use for the customer?

Losty Dublin

-Chris- wrote: »

If you're getting a taxi on a rank, you realistically won't get to choose a taxi with the "right" letter on the sign.
If you phone for a taxi, will the taxi company send out a driver with the right region on the plate for the destination?

I.E., is this just just for show, or will it actually be of any use for the customer?

The stickers are only issued by the Regulator to drivers who have passed each county/area knowledge test, with drivers limited to a maximum of 3 areas they can be allowed to pick up in. The stickers are hologrammed and marked with the relevant area so they can allow a garda check a drivers status with ease. Of course they come at a price and they are not allocated for free to drivers; ho hum I hear you all cry.

In the case of phoning a cab, it's pretty much first come first served. That said, despatch companies can send out or bypass certain drivers/cars as need be. Hackney's don't need a local PSV licence as it's a private hire and as such the standing for public hire doesn't come into it.

-Chris-

I'm still unsure how this will practically affect the average punter.


Also, apologies if I'm taking the thread off-topic ref: the straw poll

Spook_ie

Hence the straw poll, I'm not convinced that the letters are going to do anything for anyone, except generate some revenue for the TRD/NTA

L1011

I've seen the stickers and not been sure what they were.

Nearly entirely D's in Maynooth of a weekend evening.

What happens if an honest driver living in somewhere such as, erm, here actually wants to put on stickers for all (three here) counties he'll inevitably serve? You'll run out of space

mikemac

There are parts of Limerick city practically in Co. Clare

Are these drivers now barred form getting pickups if they are registered for Limerick

I don't see how this new system helps me or a driver

icdg

People seem to be forgetting why the National Taximeter Area was created in the first place.

Before the national area, people who unfortunately lived just beyond the Dublin county boundary (we're talking the likes of Leixlip/Bray/Clonee/Dunboyne here) were massively overcharged for taxis. Going an extra km or 2 outside the taximeter area could mean doubling the price. People were being charged up to €70 or so to get home from town. I know people who used to get taxis to just before the boundary, get out, and call a local hackney for the remainder of the journey (or even walk) - it was simply a lot cheaper.

There can be no return to those days. Particularly with Nitelink services being massively cut back taxis are sometimes the only way home. I'd be fearful that this will be a prelude to abolishing the national taximeter area and returning to local authority boundaries - which I bet a lot of taxis particularly in Dublin would love.

AlekSmart

Losty Dublin wrote: »

The stickers are only issued by the Regulator to drivers who have passed each county/area knowledge test, with drivers limited to a maximum of 3 areas they can be allowed to pick up in. The stickers are hologrammed and marked with the relevant area so they can allow a garda check a drivers status with ease. Of course they come at a price and they are not allocated for free to drivers; ho hum I hear you all cry.

Interesting,Losty Dublin..I was behind a lad the other day with four sets of litireacha stuffed into a corner of his sign.

It looked cheap n tacky and was in no way legible in a moving environment.

Unless the NTA has quadrupled it's Taxi Directorate enforcement team It's another example of mad stuff....:rolleyes:

Spook_ie

icdg wrote: »

People seem to be forgetting why the National Taximeter Area was created in the first place.

Before the national area, people who unfortunately lived just beyond the Dublin county boundary (we're talking the likes of Leixlip/Bray/Clonee/Dunboyne here) were massively overcharged for taxis. Going an extra km or 2 outside the taximeter area could mean doubling the price. People were being charged up to €70 or so to get home from town. I know people who used to get taxis to just before the boundary, get out, and call a local hackney for the remainder of the journey (or even walk) - it was simply a lot cheaper.

There can be no return to those days. Particularly with Nitelink services being massively cut back taxis are sometimes the only way home. I'd be fearful that this will be a prelude to abolishing the national taximeter area and returning to local authority boundaries - which I bet a lot of taxis particularly in Dublin would love.

Yeah but that doesn't mean a driver is licensed to work (ply for hire) nationaly, which is the notional reason for these stickers. The national taxi area just designates an area where the meter must be used rather than plucking a figure from mid air

Losty Dublin

AlekSmart wrote: »

Interesting,Losty Dublin..I was behind a lad the other day with four sets of litireacha stuffed into a corner of his sign.

It looked cheap n tacky and was in no way legible in a moving environment.

Unless the NTA has quadrupled it's Taxi Directorate enforcement team It's another example of mad stuff....:rolleyes:

Alek, perhaps I am wrong (Steph, Spookie, am I right or wrong?) but when I was a young taxi driver I was told that 3 areas was all you could hold licence to ply for hire in. I do agree with you, it does look tacky but as with most exercises from those who are meant to know more about the trade it looks half arsed.

@ ICDG; the whole "Outta my area" thing was farcical but it was not the fault per se of the drivers, plate licencing regulations saw to it that we were only allowed to use a taxi meter within the area that the plate was issued to. A simple edict saying that drivers could and should use the meter when they leave their issued boundary area would have solved it but rest assured it wasn't going to be done the easy way.

Spook_ie

mikemac wrote: »

There are parts of Limerick city practically in Co. Clare

Are these drivers now barred form getting pickups if they are registered for Limerick

I don't see how this new system helps me or a driver

If they don't have a license for where they are working then they aren't supposed to be picking up fares off the street, period. Anacdotal evidence suggests there was/is an increase of this going on over the last couple of years.

AlekSmart

Losty Dublin wrote: »

A simple edict saying that drivers could and should use the meter when they leave their issued boundary area would have solved it but rest assured it wasn't going to be done the easy way.

Here now Lost Dublin...we'll have none of this kind of talk...the "easy way" indeed...cheek of ya...any more of this and it's off to the bold corner with you...or even to the Mod Clinic :eek:

Expert Review Groups have expertly reviewed and then submitted Expertly Written Expert Reports to other Experts in totally different fields....mainly the Political one...it appears that in none of the Expert Reports was the term "easy way" used....It's not how we do things

Spook_ie

Losty Dublin wrote: »

Alek, perhaps I am wrong (Steph, Spookie, am I right or wrong?) but when I was a young taxi driver I was told that 3 areas was all you could hold licence to ply for hire in. I do agree with you, it does look tacky but as with most exercises from those who are meant to know more about the trade it looks half arsed.

@ ICDG; the whole "Outta my area" thing was farcical but it was not the fault per se of the drivers, plate licencing regulations saw to it that we were only allowed to use a taxi meter within the area that the plate was issued to. A simple edict saying that drivers could and should use the meter when they leave their issued boundary area would have solved it but rest assured it wasn't going to be done the easy way.

TBH I don't know if you're right or wrong, trying to find information like that from the TR is akin to looking for a needle in a haystack. I believe I saw somewhere a 1 or 2 liner that said the maximum number of stickers allowed was to be 3, but it didn't clarify if LH/MH counted as one area (anyone who took an LH license automaticly qualified for a MH license and vice versa ) or 2

Losty Dublin

Spook_ie wrote: »

TBH I don't know if you're right or wrong, trying to find information like that from the TR is akin to looking for a needle in a haystack. I believe I saw somewhere a 1 or 2 liner that said the maximum number of stickers allowed was to be 3, but it didn't clarify if LH/MH counted as one area (anyone who took an LH license automaticly qualified for a MH license and vice versa ) or 2

Twas a friend who told me; I can ask him tomorrow and ask.

AlekSmart

Spook_ie wrote: »

TBH I don't know if you're right or wrong, trying to find information like that from the TR is akin to looking for a needle in a haystack. I believe I saw somewhere a 1 or 2 liner that said the maximum number of stickers allowed was to be 3, but it didn't clarify if LH/MH counted as one area (anyone who took an LH license automaticly qualified for a MH license and vice versa ) or 2

Does'nt this just sum it all up in relation to modern Ireland....?

After the expenditure of many millions of € to set up various regulatory agencies who'se primary function is to put clear space between Government and Governance,we now can't even locate basic information on many of the issues affecting those areas.

Nobody appears to be responsible for anything,it's always another department or another entity altogether....nowhere is this more apparent that the Taxi business !!

wexford12

You can have as many licences as you like for as many counties once you pass the test for each county.I know someone who has 4 i rang awhile ago to ask if i get a 3rd one would i be charged for each one when it comes time to renew but no the one charge of about €250 covers any amount of licences you have.

Spook_ie

wexford12 wrote: »

You can have as many licences as you like for as many counties once you pass the test for each county.I know someone who has 4 i rang awhile ago to ask if i get a 3rd one would i be charged for each one when it comes time to renew but no the one charge of about €250 covers any amount of licences you have.

I think the question is more akin to how many stickers can you have. not licensed areas. The belief is that there was some mention of 3 stickers per roofsign to prevent some one having

D MH LH G CW WW C W or such like plastered the entire length of the roof sign, To be fair there is probably only sufficent space to show 4 max anyway

Which leads you onto the question, if there is a notional limit to the number of stickers you can display, would you ( I assume so ) need to have a spare roofsign in the boot with the rest of the stickers?

Losty Dublin

Spook_ie wrote: »

Which leads you onto the question, if there is a notional limit to the number of stickers you can display, would you ( I assume so ) need to have a spare roofsign in the boot with the rest of the stickers?

Sure, don't forget their wonderful suggestion of bigger cars having two roofsigns this will only give them ammunition to introduce such a silly idea all the quicker