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Busman747 · 15-12-2007, 03:25

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!

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!!!

15-12-2007, 03:25	#30
Busman747 Always EVIL within us Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Accrington Posts: 1,568 Blog Entries: 4 Liked: 40 times Rep Power: 1670	Re: What will you pay this Christmas? 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! 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!!! __________________ Pray that there is intelligent life somewhere up in space, 'Cause there's Bu""er all down here on Earth - (Eric Idle)