(Mini)Cab Fares.

[Dinger2]

Can anyone referee the debate between my Mum and I, re;Taxi fares manipulated by taxi-drivers ? My Mum is convinced that some drivers will choose to follow a route(unless you tell them otherwise) with as many traffic lights as possible in the hope that more waiting at red lights will bump up the fare.I disagree and think that most mini-cabs have some kind of distance- device attached to the meter (if they even have one) around here the cabs seem to have a little on-board computer which only tells them where the next job is and where to. Come to think of it how many different ways do they have to calculate an ACCURATE &FAIR fare ? I'm often in arguments with drivers over (what I consider) over the top fares as soon as they announce a price for a journey that I have estimated reasonable,if it's more I always say "well, you've just kissed goodbye to the tip!" Are there local authority rules about fares?

[Jeza]

I left a hospital at 3 in the morning, it was a mini cab called by the hospital. He charged me £35. Normal price £12 when I questioned it he said "It is 3am"

[FredPuli43]

The only rule appears to be that the passenger is to be told the fare before the journey starts, but that may itself be only common practice rather than some legal requirement.

My complaint about them is that don't know how to get to places. I hired one ,at Luton Airport, who asked me how to get to London. I spent the rest of the journey navigating him to Westminster.

[factor-fiction]

It always strikes me that mincab drivers drive extremely quickly- it's not uncommon for them to exceed the speed limit by 20 mph. I wonder whether they can evade fines or maybe they know which cameras don't work. Anyway, I think it's in their interests normally to finish the job quickly and get to the next

[ToraToraTora]

I know several cabbies and there is a lot of urban mythery surrounding cabs. Traffic lights make no difference, wait time is charged but only when initiated by the driver, eg waiting at a chip shop. Distance is what is charged, there is an initial longer distance that is given as part of the initial charge then after that a shorter distance is charged per multiple, a driver should take the shortest route but if requested will take any route you say. There are unscrupulous drivers that will go round the houses if they think they can get away with it but they propbably won;t do that if they have other fares waiting.

[boxtops]

I always understood that fixed prices are charged on a per-mile ratio for private hire cabs, and hansom cabs (taxis) are on a meter anyway. The mileage thing seems fairest to me. I'm not aware that minicabs have meters, if they work for a central company they might have a device on which they call up their jobs.

[cazzz1975]

its doubtful that they are deliberately making the journey longer as most private hires do not have meters, the waiting time charge is quite insignificant as well unless they are waiting for a very long time.

[TWR]

Do not trust any one of them unless there is a Meter in the car.