So I'm going taxiing and

Bearcat · 13-08-2012 10:23AM

Shaunie306 wrote: »

e39 530D High tax but bullet proof and can be bought for good money nowadays.

Disagree 1000%. I had two 530d s and they gave no end of trouble....egr's, maf's, flunked up inlet manifolds, shuddering in mid range.....put me off them for life.

Taxing....I'd be looking at avensis, passat, Octavia or if your bold those e220cdi mercs are very reliable

Just my 2c

Shaunie306 · 13-08-2012 10:52AM

Bearcat wrote: »

Shaunie306 wrote: »

e39 530D High tax but bullet proof and can be bought for good money nowadays.

Disagree 1000%. I had two 530d s and they gave no end of trouble....egr's, maf's, flunked up inlet manifolds, shuddering in mid range.....put me off them for life.

Taxing....I'd be looking at avensis, passat, Octavia or if your bold those e220cdi mercs are very reliable

Just my 2c

I guess both were autos so! They gave troubles with the swirl flaps in the intake and egr, the manual has no swirl flaps and is unaffected by the egr's. I love my manual, shuddering mid range was probably down to the egr and Maf, both massive issues with all German marques these days

bridgepeople · 13-08-2012 11:08AM

I don't know how practical a prius is for a taxi in terms of size but the hybrid engines are designed for city driving whereas diesel prefers the motorway generally. You will get better fuel economy in a prius than probably any alternative option I would have thought - although diesel is cheaper at the pump.

Also, hybrid engines generally have low maintenance costs as they do not (quoting Toyota) "have an alternator, a starter, a timing belt, a power steering belt, a power steering pump, and it has regenerative brake pads that should never need replacing".

Still, there's a reason most taxis on the road in Dublin are Avensis although you do see a handful of prius.

There's a new 7 seater prius coming out in the next few months (already launched in the UK) that might trickle down to the taxi market in a few years.

166man · 13-08-2012 11:09AM

Many taxis in Dublin these days seem to be knackered old Toyota Avensis's and sh1t Almeras. Being a car enthusiast I would far prefer to be in a nice Mercedes or Volvo or something but in general as can be seen by what cars Irish people buy they couldn't give a toss what the Taxi is as long as it gets them there relatively comfortably.

Still hate 80% of Taxi's in Dublin as most are just simply sh1t.

Spook_ie · 13-08-2012 11:47AM

GavMan wrote: »

Whats you're budget, OP? I would consider picking up an S Class or 7-er. Hailed a S Class the other week and honestly, if I saw on coming down the road behind an Octy or Avensis, I'd wait for the S Class.

Totally different level of comfort for the passenger (and obviously the driver if you're at it all day)

Thats the biggy, you have to consider the number of years you can taxi it for, pay too much and you won't/are unlikely to recoup the investment.

Other things to watch... theres a 3 year age rule on package and not all licenses are transferable, also talk is of no transfers after October

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime · 13-08-2012 02:30PM

I do agree with what you guys saying about waiting for a better car.... have done it myself where I walked up to a rank and skipped the first few cars and picked the best one there (fairly new volvo s80 with the heated leather seats and all that jazz.

I know the new rules are coming in ok but not sure if they apply to buying a full taxi (car and plate etc.)

I really do want to stand out from the standard octy and avensis and it sounds like the prius isint very practical so I'll give it a miss.

so full taxis for sale. let's find an interesting one with pics.

and I'm glad we can do a thread like this cos we all want value for money etc as driver and passenger comfort etc.

mgbgt1978 · 13-08-2012 02:43PM

If you are buying/transferring a licence the car associated with it cannot be more than 3 years old.
This means that either you find a package ('09-on car c/w plate) or else buy '09-on car and licence seperately (probably the better option if you want to get something slightly different).
Also it seems that you will no longer be able to buy (or sell) a Taxi licence privately from Oct 1st next.

positron · 13-08-2012 03:45PM

How about one of those Honda Accord 2.2 Diesel (03-07 model) cars? Very reliable, good mpg, plenty of used models with full leather and all sorts of toys like GPS and heated seats etc, and they look fairly decent too. On the downside, they are probably not as spacious as the Octavia or Passat, but not sure how it compares to Avensys.

Gumbo · 13-08-2012 04:07PM

mgbgt1978 wrote: »

If you are buying/transferring a licence the car associated with it cannot be more than 3 years old.
This means that either you find a package ('09-on car c/w plate) or else buy '09-on car and licence seperately (probably the better option if you want to get something slightly different).
Also it seems that you will no longer be able to buy (or sell) a Taxi licence privately from Jan 1st next.

this is what i was trying to get accros in an earlier post, thanks.

Panzer Paddy · 13-08-2012 05:27PM

2.0 deisel skoda superb! more room than the octavia and better engine.

Idbatterim · 13-08-2012 05:34PM

the below seems to be fairly good value...

http://www.carzone.ie/search/BMW/7-Series/730d-SE-/26113424683079050/advert?channel=CARS

I Was VB · 13-08-2012 05:57PM

What ever car the OP buys it has to be under 3 years of age in order for him to buy a taxi plate and transfer it into his name.

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/3619886

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime · 13-08-2012 06:03PM

kceire wrote: »

this is what i was trying to get accros in an earlier post, thanks.

So its not possible to buy a full used taxi as in car, plate and everything all in one pre 2009 ?

sorry if already answered , just transfer the whole taxi ?

the 7'er is some car ! :eek:

I Was VB · 13-08-2012 06:33PM

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime wrote: »

kceire wrote: »

this is what i was trying to get accros in an earlier post, thanks.

So its not possible to buy a full used taxi as in car, plate and everything all in one pre 2009 ?

sorry if already answered , just transfer the whole taxi ?

the 7'er is some car ! :eek:

Yep what ever car you buy must be registered under three years of age. So I you buy a January reged car it will be too old (3 years old and 8 months)

So really ya would have to be going for a 2010 car or a late regd 2009 car.

mgbgt1978 · 13-08-2012 06:57PM

By the way the 3 year rule does not apply to wheelchair accessible Taxis........so if you want to you could start checking out Mercedes Vito's on AutoTrader.co.uk.

Wicklowandy · 13-08-2012 07:39PM

Spook_ie wrote: »

Thats the biggy, you have to consider the number of years you can taxi it for, pay too much and you won't/are unlikely to recoup the investment.

Other things to watch... theres a 3 year age rule on package and not all licenses are transferable, also talk is of no transfers after October

Do some heavy research, plates only have one transfer and has to be transferred onto a less than 3 yr old car, no transfers at all after october, full package eg car and plate same rules apply. You need a car less than 3 years old, and can drive it until its ninth birthday if you want, but any replacement must be less than 3 years. Check out www.irishtaxi.org/forum. Beware chancers trying to sell full packages, plates are worth nothing, and any package you buy will only be usable until nct expires. By that stage you may not be able to transfer plate. Only new Wheelchair Accessible Taxi/Hackney plates now being issued.

Wicklowandy · 13-08-2012 07:41PM

And beware any non irish wheelchair access taxi, standards are changing and still unclear eg no van conversions only factory minibuses can be converted. Be careful out there.

Wicklowandy · 13-08-2012 07:43PM

If you have a psv go rent a taxi for a month or two and see if you like it before you invest any serious money, because you wont get it back

Spook_ie · 13-08-2012 08:57PM

positron wrote: »

How about one of those Honda Accord 2.2 Diesel (03-07 model) cars? Very reliable, good mpg, plenty of used models with full leather and all sorts of toys like GPS and heated seats etc, and they look fairly decent too. On the downside, they are probably not as spacious as the Octavia or Passat, but not sure how it compares to Avensys.

Too old

Spook_ie · 13-08-2012 09:00PM

Idbatterim wrote: »

the below seems to be fairly good value...

http://www.carzone.ie/search/BMW/7-Series/730d-SE-/26113424683079050/advert?channel=CARS

Too old
Even if you buy a license from a driver before Oct 1st it still has to be put onto a 3 year old car

Vehicle Requirements

When a licence is transferred, it must be associated with a vehicle that is less than three years old at the date of transfer.

Terrontress · 13-08-2012 09:00PM

Wicklowandy wrote: »

And beware any non irish wheelchair access taxi, standards are changing and still unclear eg no van conversions only factory minibuses can be converted. Be careful out there.

What about those purpose-built Mercs for London?

Rear wheel steering, taxi light built in.

Spook_ie · 13-08-2012 09:06PM

mgbgt1978 wrote: »

By the way the 3 year rule does not apply to wheelchair accessible Taxis........so if you want to you could start checking out Mercedes Vito's on AutoTrader.co.uk.

But there is a whole new raft of regulations that apply to them now

Firstly you cannot transfer a WAT license so you would need to comply with all the new specs

Technical Assessor’s Report (wheelchair accessible licences only)

If you are applying for a licence for a wheelchair accessible vehicle, you will need a Technical Assessor’s Report.

Note

If you have the Assessor’s Report, you do not need to have the Engineer’s Report as well.
Engineer’s Report (limousine licences only)

If the vehicle has been modified from its original specification (for example, a converted van, a vehicle fitted with additional or non-standard seating and/or seat belts, a stretched vehicle, or a kit car), you must obtain an Engineer’s Report for the vehicle. This must be dated within 90 days of the date of your Initial Suitability Inspection. The Engineer’s Report must confirm that the modifications comply with all aspects of the Road Traffic Acts, Construction Equipment and Use Regulations and, as applicable, regulations relating to vehicle standards made under the Taxi Regulation Act 2003 as amended. A template for this is available by calling the SPSV information line on 0761 064 000, and this template must be used for the Engineer’s Report.

Good place to start would be a thorough read of the following

http://www.nationaltransport.ie/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Initial-Suitability-Inspection-Manual-Dec-2011_PDF.pdf

and

http://www.nationaltransport.ie/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Licence-Renewal-Inspection-Manual-Aug-2011-PDF.pdf

and

http://www.nationaltransport.ie/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Model-Report-Database1.pdf

Wicklowandy · 13-08-2012 09:08PM

While a very nice vehicle, would not meet standards

Spook_ie · 13-08-2012 09:09PM

Terrontress wrote: »

What about those purpose-built Mercs for London?

Rear wheel steering, taxi light built in.

As long as it complies with

http://www.nationaltransport.ie/wp-c...c-2011_PDF.pdf

and

http://www.nationaltransport.ie/wp-c...g-2011-PDF.pdf

and

http://www.nationaltransport.ie/wp-c...-Database1.pdf

You'll probably be OK, but then you need to recoup the cost over the 9 years less the initial age of the vehicle

Welcome to the world of running your own business

EDIT:

Just checked the pricing for them on http://rsi-cda.mercedes-benz.com/content/unitedkingdom/retailer-E/kpm_taxis/my_library/media_library/used_stock_pdf/retail_pdf.pdf

so what's the VRT on one of them I wonder?

€29000+ then add your VRT then divide by 9-3=6 ( number of years you can use it for )....

Some number of fares you'll need to be doing

Wicklowandy · 13-08-2012 09:09PM

I was of the understanding that converted vans were not going to be acceptable, only converted factory 8 seaters

Wicklowandy · 13-08-2012 09:11PM

See a few uk wat scudos in use with built in light, but familiar irish type has a clear specification

Spook_ie · 13-08-2012 09:16PM

Wicklowandy wrote: »

I was of the understanding that converted vans were not going to be acceptable, only converted factory 8 seaters

Yeah it's as clear as mud really, the way I understand it is...

You convert something like a Vito "passenger" vehicle, then you need an engineers report that the replacement seats/seat belts etc are up to standard and that the Wheelchair space and door configuration comply with specs.

You could (in theory afaik ) take a bog standard vito van and do the required work as long as you get the report and ( of course ) re-register the van and pay the required VRT on converting from Goods to Passenger vehicle

Of course the ones like Scudos that are purpose built for taxiing just need to comply with the Irish Sprec for wheelchair space/Door openings etc. as they would already have been subject to an EU NCAP rating or whatever they use for EU taxis

Karen23 · 13-08-2012 09:17PM

Terrontress wrote: »

before anyone else:

The Noigerians have de biz ruined.

They use some lovely cars for Taxis though , I've seen them driving top of the range Merc's , BMW's even Bentleys & Chrysler's

Spook_ie · 13-08-2012 09:25PM

Karen23 wrote: »

They use some lovely cars for Taxis though , I've seen them driving top of the range Merc's , BMW's even Bentleys & Chrysler's

Yeah yeah and all still gonna be subject to off the road at 9 years old.

Just hope I can hold on for 5 years or so (assuming no one moves the goal posts AGAIN!!! ) then maybe, just maybe I can start to run my business as a business instead of a drop in centre for everyone who thinks it's an easy way to make a buck

Terrontress · 13-08-2012 09:28PM

Karen23 wrote: »

Terrontress wrote: »

before anyone else:

The Noigerians have de biz ruined.

They use some lovely cars for Taxis though , I've seen them driving top of the range Merc's , BMW's even Bentleys & Chrysler's

Who? The Nigerians?

I'd imagine they use the same cars as anyone else. Plenty driving scrap, some driving the luxurious ones you mention and the bulk in Avensis, Octavia and Mondeo.

So I'm going taxiing and

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