Fares for Hackney service

tesla_newbie

I’m planning to operate a local area Hackney service and was wondering is there a basic rule of thumb re_ fares - what to charge ?

if I make a ten minute drive from my house to the passengers home and drive them another twenty minutes to their destination of choice , that’s a half hour used up , say the distance in total is around twenty Km and the same if I return them home later and then return to my house

is thirty euro return a little low ?, bear in mind that I will be covering a rural area for the most part so in many cases just because I drive person A to destination B , there may not be another fare waiting for me at destination B so plenty of running here there and everywhere for passengers

Spook_ie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058318944/fares-for-hackney-service

I would point out that the NTA do say

The key element of this service is that it will benefit the community by providing licenced, insured, economic transport by Garda vetted drivers in local areas. A Local Hackney may only pick up passengers within a designated area of about 7 – 10km from a chosen point, normally the residence of the licenced driver.

So there would be the question of if you take them outside of your designated area would you be able to "legaly" pick them up again?

Other than that charge them what you think they'll pay, you are running a business not a charity even with the €6k a year the NTA grants provide.

Dubwat

https://www.transportforireland.ie/fares/taxi-fare-estimator/. will give you an idea of what a taxi would charge.

Try and work out your costs and don't undersell yourself. Good luck!

tesla_newbie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121269812#Comment_121269812

The journeys must originate in a designated area , there is no limit to how far you can drive the passenger

tesla_newbie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121269851#Comment_121269851

That allows a charge of €40 in total so it appears the price I had in mind was on the low side

I didn’t think a taxi driver would expect to bring in €80 euro an hour gross but perhaps they do during the period of 8 pm to say 3 am ?

Spook_ie

But as I asked would you legaly be able to pick them back up for a return journey?

tesla_newbie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121271615#Comment_121271615

Yes

Del2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121271615#Comment_121271615

You can only pick up within 10km of where you applied for the licence. So if they are going somewhere 11km away you can bring them but they'll have to walk 1km for you to bring them back.

.

tesla_newbie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121271956#Comment_121271956

Well that’s good to know, I’ll be sure to instruct my customers

Spook_ie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121271954#Comment_121271954

Not according to NTA

pappyodaniel

I didn't know they were issuing Hackney licences anymore. I Might look into this myself.

Spook_ie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121272600#Comment_121272600

Very limited but there are now 2 types of Hackney licence. The one in the OP a Local Area Hackney (very limited on areas covered ) and the old Hackney licence for an area such as Dublin which is now only allowed as a Wheel Chair Accessible Hackney

https://www.nationaltransport.ie/taxi/vehicle-licensing/applying-for-an-spsv-vehicle-licence/

Losty Dublin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121269812#Comment_121269812

My understanding of the pilot scheme is that the hirer can engage you for a return trip as part of the booking, either as a drop off and wait or to collect you later. It however needs to be booked at the time and not as a separate hiring, although you can respond to their request to come pick you up after an appointment etc.

How they proposed this be enforced is quite another story altogether.

pgj2015

I have seen court cases where local area hackeys operated outside the rules resulting in them stepping on taxis toes and being reported so make sure you operate within the rules.

L1011

I got a hackney last year in rural Ireland that was not a WAV - it was a brand new Superb. The start and end point were rather a lot more than 10km away (and I booked the same trip back the next day) but I would consider it to be 'local' none the less

Are there still ye-olde licences around - the driver was easily in his 70s - or is there more leeway given to local hackney licences in the ultra-sticks?

Actually, the driver could possibly have lived half way there and it would have been under 10km radius.

pgj2015

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121402653#Comment_121402653

There is a difference between a hackney licence and a local area hackney. still plenty of hackneys around, they dont need to have a wheelchair accessible vehicle.

sharkman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058318944/fares-for-hackney-service

I take it you have the appropriate Licence and insurance , then you may only operate within a 5-7km radius of the area for which your licence is granted.

downtheroad

Why will the NTA just not allow Uber/Bolt/Lyft to operate here, so much easier.

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121563242#Comment_121563242

Uber/Bolt/Lyft can operate here using actual licenced drivers all they want to.

The NTA are not neoliberals willing to remove all basic standards just because someone wants to safe a few cent on a trip (and then get absolutely rogered when its busy with surge pricing)

downtheroad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121563270#Comment_121563270

I'm not sure what basic standards are removed by these operators. The standards of any Uber/Lyft/Bolt vehicle and driver overseas have been equal to, if not better than, many Irish taxis and hackneys in my experience.

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121563291#Comment_121563291

In many, many markets services such as Uber have had their licences removed due to hideous safety concerns - primarily relating to poor quality and/or criminal drivers. Uber are on repeated short term licences in London due to their poor public safety records and other operators are banned forever. This isn't random hearsay about safety, its reality.

This is why drivers have standards and licencing, and those services are perfectly entitled to operate using those. And long may that stay the same.

downtheroad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121563310#Comment_121563310

Interesting that Uber continues to have its short term licence renewed in London all the same.

Plenty of well renowned criminals driving taxis in Dublin too.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121563291#Comment_121563291

Then they'll have no problem complying with the existing standards for all drivers.

Spook_ie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121563522#Comment_121563522

Of course they'll have a problem, because they'll need to be tax compliant as current Irish taxi drivers are.

That means that every year they would need to fill out a tax return.

Punishment for not filling one out is usually a fine of €1250 per missed return

https://www.revenue.ie/en/corporate/press-office/list-of-defaulters/2023/defaulters-list-part-1-september-2023.pdf

but filling one out with erroneous data can be a fine, interest and a jail term depending on what turns up in an audit

https://www.revenue.ie/en/corporate/press-office/list-of-defaulters/2023/defaulters-list-part-2-september-2023.pdf

Losty Dublin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121563321#Comment_121563321

Continued is the wrong phrase. Try reinstated.

Del2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121563242#Comment_121563242

Uber takes over 50% of the fare, not sure how much the others take but with a Hackney licence the operators get 100% of the fare. If you live in any mid sized town you can get a Hackney licence and pick up in the whole town, there is not going to be a return fare in most cases so the restrictions are irrelevant, yet no one is willing to get a Hackney licence and you think that people will do Uber instead. Ribbon development is the problem with providing public transport and taxis not regulations.

With surge prices Uber will never work outside of big cities for consumers.