Taxis and minicabs -Our report on whether the laws should change

Easy Read version of:Law Commission report number 347

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About this paper

The Law Commission wrote this report.

We are independent (not part of thegovernment).

Our job is to say if laws need changing tomake them fairer and easier tounderstand.

This report is about the law in England andWales for taxis and minicabs. Minicabs arealso called private hire vehicles.

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In May 2012 we asked people if there wereproblems with the law and how thingscould be made better.

We travelled across England and Wales,spoke with hundreds of people and gotover 3,000 written replies.

This report is about what people told usand what we think the Government shouldput into a new law.

There is a longer paper and otherinformation on our website:www.lawcom.gov.uk

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What we looked at

Only drivers and vehicles with certainlicenses can carry paying passengers.

There are 2 types of licences for:

1. taxis that can pick up passengers inthe street or at a taxi rank. You canalso book a taxi with the driver.

2. minicabs that can only pick uppassengers who book through acompany that has a proper licence.

A taxi or minicab business is breaking thelaw if they work without getting a licence.

In general, they can only take work in thearea where the licence was given.

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Problems with the law at themoment

The laws about taxis and minicabs arecomplicated and old fashioned. Some ofthem were written over 150 years ago.

Most people told us they think the lawneeds to change.

The rules do not deal with importantthings, like:

1. driver training about the needs andsafety of disabled passengers

2. how to deal with new ways of bookingusing mobile phones and the internet

3. punishing drivers licensed in one areaand working in a different one

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4. it is not clear if some vehicles arecovered by the law or not, things likestretch limos and pedicabs or cycletaxis

5. Allowing people that need to carrypassengers in their car as part of theirjob, like carers for example, to do sowithout having to have a minicablicence.

There are lots of different rules about taxisand minicabs in England and Wales but nocommon rules for the whole country.

This can mean that in some areas servicesare more expensive.

Or drivers that might not get a licence inone area, might get one in another.

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What we will tell theGovernment

There should still be different rules abouthow taxis and minicabs work.

Minicabs would still have to be bookedthrough a company that has a properlicence.

We think the government needs to makesome national rules for taxis and minicabsabout the most important things.

These are things like:

· having safe drivers and vehicles

· making sure people with a disabilitycan use taxis and minicabs and be safein them.

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The Government should ask people whatthese rules should be before they decide.

For example, it would be very important tofind out what disabled users and driversthink.

Local Councils could add local rules oftheir own for taxis working in their area.

New rules would make it easier forminicab firms to work with drivers andvehicles from different areas. This wouldgive passengers more choice.

We think there should be new powers tostop vehicles and take away their licence ifthey are unsafe, even if the driver is from adifferent area.

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Taxi and minicab drivers could be able touse bigger vehicles with up to 16passengers.

Some cars should not be included in thelaw.

These include cars used:· by carers

· for weddings and funerals.

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Cars like stretch limos and pedicabsshould be included in the new law.

We agreed with people who told us it isimportant for local councils to decide howmany taxis can work in their area.

This stops problems with too many in oneplace.

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Access

We know that some disabled people havehad problems using taxis and minicabs.

We think all drivers, of both taxis andminicabs, should have disability training tobe able to get a licence.

To help stop drivers ignoring disabledpassengers, the people giving licenses canmake it a rule that taxi drivers must stopfor disabled people in their area.

Complaining should be made easier andmore accessible.

The people who give licenses should alsogive information about accessible taxisand minicabs in their area.

Larger minicab firms should have a certainnumber of accessible vehicles.

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Making sure the rules arefollowed

If drivers break the rules it should bemade easier to do something about it like:

· allowing people who give licences, andare also specially trained, to stop thetaxi or minicab on the road

· taking away a licence if there is animmediate danger to the public, even ifthe driver or vehicle is from a differentarea.

· taking the vehicle away and tougherfines for people that tout, in particularif they try to pick up vulnerablepassengers.

(Touts go up to people and ask them ifthey want to hire a car. It is against thelaw to tout.)

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What happens next?

We have written a new draft law thatincludes all of the things in our report.

We have sent our report and the draft lawto Government.

Government needs to decide if they agreewith what we say and whether to changethe law.

Credits

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