Originally Posted by Busman747 (Post 503957)

Firstly, you have to define the difference between "taxi" and "private hire" !!!

All taxi's fares are regulated by the local council. Three days per year, Christmas day, Boxing day and New Years Day, they are instructed by the council to charge at "rate 3." (which is "double" normal day-time rates.)

Other times, it goes to "rate 2" after midnight or 11pm depending on the area and standard "rate 1" during a normal day! Taxi's are overseen completely by the councils to ensure that the vehicles are legal and are charging the correct price for that time of day or night.

"Private hire" are NOT responsible to the council and can put just about any vehicle on the road providing it is legal. THEY decide how much they charge, and generally undercut "official" taxi's ..........but as a customer, you must bear in mind that the cost of running a "private hire" is so much cheaper as they only have to conform with yearly MoT as opposed to a Taxi that would be taken off the road if it had a dent in a door panel!:eek:

If any private hire company over-charges during the Christmas period, they are simply profiting from the excessive charges that official "taxi's" are forced to make during this period.

I have been involved with heated discussions down south between the council and taxi companies where the taxi companies have been very much against raising rates for Christmas.........but the councils have insisted that these prices will be adhered to.

Taxi companies have no choice but to charge as instructed, Private- hire companies just want to rip you off!!!

Originally Posted by steeljack (Post 503958)

Busman , quick question , are "private hire" allowed to tout for business on the streets ? or do they have to be called for by phone ? where the price can be negotiated/settled before pick-up .
thanks

Originally Posted by cashman (Post 503992)

when i was taxi driving steeljack, in accy there were Private Hire and Hackney licenses, the Hackney could be flagged down in the street, but not the Private Hire. so suppose its still the same. hope that helps.;)

Originally Posted by thomas.lee (Post 503400)

Something that really irritates me, and is quite a heated topic.. but here goes..

WHY do taxi firms/drivers who do not celebrate Christmas (IE: Muslim taxi firms) bump their taxi fares up by double if not more on and around the Christmas period?! Its absolutely ridiculous, and something that irritates me every year.

When usually paying £8 from Blackburn to Oswaldtwistle with Adams Taxi's on a normal night.. Find yourself paying £20! on a busy Christmas night! (Based on last years fare).

So WHY I ask, do these people rob us blind whilst out celebrating a festive period?! Scandalous. Taxi firms do not bump their prices up on celebrations such as Eid, so why are we taken the p*ss out of during Christmas?

Any firm who changes their prices during Christmas should be taken off the roads. New Years fair enough.. because everyone celebrates that (except taxi drivers obv).

*Rant over*