Mini Cabs and Private Hire Vehicles in london.

I think almost everyone on this forum has had an incident with some kind of private hire cab service be it on the bike or sitting in the back as they steam down a residential street at 60mph. After a year of getting cut up and nearly swerved into by these guys. It made me wonder exactly what skills are needed to become a Private Hire Taxi in London.

Unsurprisingly... not alot!

A quick search on TFL shows that other then a driving license, a grand in fees and some small typographical tests (for which many are exempt) there isn't an awful lot.

Most surprisingly or maybe not, there seems to be no formal training or testing of driving ability.

Whenever I get a minicab
Which is not very often at all
They never seem to know where they r going
and yeah i got doored by 1 couple of months ago
broke 3 bones in my hand :D

If i could be arsed i'd winge to boris

It's actually surprisingly easy for them to loose their minicabbing license apparently.
Got cut up badly by one while riding in a work truck last year, nearly causing nasty incident on highbury corner. My collegue(who i hadn't been working with very long and didn't know all that well) then raced him down, cut him off and gave him a serious talking to(i thought things might go bad at this point). Took the number off the tag in his window, formal complaint, 4 days later received a letter explaining that the joker had lost his license after having received numerous complaints for various madness.
So, sometimes the system can work i guess, if they fuck with you, take the tag/license plate numbers and get everyone you know to make formal complaints to tfl.
Take em off the road one by one.
Safe.

everytime a car does something stupid on the road, the first thing i think is 'i bet it's a minicab', and sure enough, it generally is.

+1

i agree i fucking hate minicabs. it's very easy to get your licence. very easy.
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/businessandpartners/taxisandprivatehire/1344.aspx

, 4 days later received a letter explaining that the joker had lost his license after having received numerous complaints for various madness.
So, sometimes the system can work i guess
Safe.

a one off case. and it is not the blantant cases that are the problems it is the fact that they are untrained, drive like lunatics and a pretty ineffiecient at getting people around.

In a cab on Sunday night / Monday morning, we were discussing going to the carnival the next day. Later-on the the mini-cab driver asks, 'this carnival tomorrow, where is it?'

The Knowledge.

typographical tests?

Why would a minicab driver need to know his helvetica from his arial?

everytime a car does something stupid on the road, the first thing i think is 'i bet it's a minicab', and sure enough, it generally is.

Yeah, or a Beema.
You can sense when they are behind you. Poor foot control on the accelerator is the first give away.

oh yeah, BMW drivers are usually hard on the gas, hard on the brake.

As we've found out from trying to follow up from this unresolved incident, "tfl are not liable for any damages caused by taxi driver, who are self employed" and will fob you off with a cut and paste response of you contact them about incidents, but they do have the power to issue or remove licenses.

such a response....

*Thank you for your email dated 22 July 2009.

I must explain that the Public Carriage Office can only deal with offences that are contrary to the Hackney Carriage Acts and Orders. Under the circumstances you describe, we are unable to take any action against the taxi driver involved.

The Public Carriage Office has no legislative power to investigate road traffic offences, such as dangerous driving, damage to vehicles or failing to stop after an accident, committed by cab drivers. I can only advise you that you should follow the advice given by the Police and report the matter in person to the nearest police station.

Whilst I recognise that the police have many responsibilities placed upon them, the fact remains that they are the only authority that can investigate the road traffic offences that you describe. In any event that action is taken, for example by way of a conviction this will result in the taxi driver’s fitness to remain licensed being reviewed by the Licensing Authority.

I must further clarify that the Public Carriage Office is the licensing authority for taxi drivers, and is not liable for any damages caused by taxi driver, who are self employed. Such issues are civil matters between you and the taxi driver and could be pursued through the courts.

I am sorry that you had reason to complain in respect of a licensed cab driver and wish to thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. The incident has been noted on our records.

Kind regards

Mr Dimitris Phanos
Complaints Support.

Phone 020 7126 3152
*

How does one report spam on this forum? Not sure if giving the above negative rep would alert the mods?

Jezston:

https://www.lfgss.com/post3205972.html

Ta much.

For other readers I should state there was a spam message advertising taxi firms in canada or something above mine which has been subsequently removed. I am not accusing A EF of spamming.

http://blog.uber.com/London-regulations

Uber App 'legal' but refered to High Court as Lawyers need more money for Black Cab fares