A recent court case saw two private hire drivers fined and given points on their licences for picking up passengers who had not pre booked. This prompted The Southern Daily Echo to pose the question: ‘Is it time to simplify taxi regulations?’
The current system in the UK is a two tiered. Drivers of private hire vehicles must apply for a licence and are then only insured to carry customers who have booked in advance. On the other hand Hackney Carriage or taxi drivers, such as members of the Southampton Hackney Association, apply for a licence from their local authority and are able to pick up passengers from the street or a taxi rank.
The article suggests it may be better to scrap the old system and regulate both systems as one, however as a Hackney Association we feel the problems come down to lack of sufficient enforcement. The current system is a good one, it just needs to marshalled properly.
To ensure you are travelling around the city safely make sure when you hail a cab or use a taxi rank, it’s a registered Hackney Carriage taxi. You can easily recognise our white cabs which all have a white sign on the roof and a red Hackney Carriage license plate on the back of the vehicle. By hailing a Hackney Carriage taxi, you know you are insured to travel. Private hire cars or mini cabs can be any colour except white and do not have a taxi sign on the roof.
You can read the full Daily Echo article here: Is it time to simplify taxi regulations?
Many of Southampton's white taxis are wheelchair assisted hackney carriages. These are fitted with ramps, so that we are able to provide a service for wheelchair users. if you need a taxi you can either pre-book using the form here - do mention the type of taxi you require, or look out for the larger style white licensed taxis at the kerbside in the city, where you can hail a ride without booking.
Did you know that Guide Dogs are more than welcome in Southampton's licensed white taxis? If you or a friend have an assistance dog then do use the city's taxi drivers, they are there to help you and your guide dog get from A to B
source: wikipedia
Why not treat your loved one to a special night out in Southampton this Valentines Day? Ditch the car and take a taxi to a special restaurant in or around the city or perhaps further afield. A romantic occasion deserves a bit of sparkle, why not hail a white taxi and you can both share a glass or two of bubbly to celebrate!
Here is a helpful list of the licensed white taxi ranks in Southampton:
Both sides of the Southampton train station - in Commercial Road side and on theToys R Us side
West Quay - Portland Terrace opposite main entrance to West Quay shopping centre
Portland Terrace, near bus stops by Asda
At the Bargate in High Street by A Plan Insurance
Town Quay outside Red Jet Terminal (IOW)
Terminus Terrace, near to Oxford Street
Above Bar Street, opposite Yates pub
Church Street in Shirley
Portswood High Street
Bitterne - Angel Crescent
Opposite Debenhams in Queensway
Leisureworld cinema entrance
Hannover Buildings outside Santander bank
Bannister Street outside Night Club (night time only)
St. Mary's Road outside British Gas offices (night time only)
London Road (night time only)
You can also hail a white cab from the kerbside.
It has been brought to the Southampton Hackney Associations' attention that people on a social media site have been complaining that Southampton taxi's charge too much for the Christmas and New Year period. We always try to give a good service at the festive season and like anybody in any profession who works at this special time of year, we expect to be paid slightly more than the normal rate for the anti-social hours and missing valuable time with our families.
Naturally all prices should be displayed on the taxi meter which is sealed and calibrated with all the necessary documentation of the driver and the vehicle, held by Southampton City Council (SCC) Licensing Department.
We try our best to accommodate the needs of the general public and assist the pubs and clubs, hotels and social venues, by delivering the customers to their destination and home again safely at all times of the year. Although very belated, we would like to wish our Customers a Happy New Year for 2016.
M&B Fuel Injection Service in Eastleigh, Southampton are specialists in sorting & supplying diesel fuel injection equipment. Just before Christmas this company identified my taxi fuel problem and rectified it straight away, allowing me to work throughout the festive period which was fantastic. The SHA would strongly suggest that anybody having fuel problems use this company.
You can find them here.
Hail a White Taxi in Southampton
When you are out and about in Southampton this Christmas do make sure that you hail the right taxi at the kerbside for a safe ride home. Only a licensed white taxi cab is insured and legally allowed to be hailed from the pavement or got into at a taxi rank.
Be Safe
Make sure if you want a taxi ride at anytime that you do not flag down or hail a ride in a private hire vehicle, as they cannot legally pick you up and you will not be insured should an accident occur. These vehicles will be any colour except 'white'.
White Taxis are Licensed and Insured to pick you up at the Roadside
When you are out and about partying this coming Christmas season it's a great idea to use a taxi to get home. This way you can have a drink with your friends without the worry of the dangers of Drink Driving. A taxi shared amongst friends is a really cost effective way of getting about, indeed even if you were to foot the entire bill yourself it is a bargain when you consider the possible repercussions of Drink Driving!
Don't forget you can hail a white taxi at the kerbside in Southampton, no need to pre-book! There are taxi ranks dotted all over the city from the railway station to Town Quay and everyhere between, here is a useful list:
Both sides of the Southampton train station - in Commercial Road side and on theToys R Us side
West Quay - Portland Terrace opposite main entrance to West Quay shopping centre
Portland Terrace, near bus stops by Asda
At the Bargate in High Street by A Plan Insurance
Town Quay outside Red Jet Terminal (IOW)
Terminus Terrace, near to Oxford Street
Above Bar Street, opposite Yates pub
Church Street in Shirley
Portswood High Street
Bitterne - Angel Crescent
Opposite Debenhams in Queensway
Leisureworld cinema entrance
Hannover Buildings outside Santander bank
Bannister Street outside Night Club (night time only)
St. Mary's Road outside British Gas offices (night time only)
London Road (night time only)
Here at the Southampton Hackney Association (SHA) we are dismayed to read on the Mail Online website about the end of a training school for taxi drivers ‘The Knowledge’ in London.
After over 25 years, 'The Knowledge' training school for licenced taxi drivers is closing it’s doors. Partly, it is believed because of the influence of Uber.
Uber is a phone app which allows people to book and pay for a private hire vehicle to get around the city, rather than hailing a traditional Black Taxi Cab at the kerbside.
The Knowledge is a world famous test, and professional taxi drivers needed to pass this in order to gain their Green Taxi Driver Badge. It taught them the quickest routes across the capital and extensive knowledge of London's 25,000 streets, allowing drivers to avoid traffic and give an efficient service to clients.
Minicab, Private Hire and Uber drivers instead use a sat nav or mobile phone to navigate, rather than using personal knowledge of the city.
Traditional Black Cab drivers have been protesting about Uber since it came to the capital three years ago. At one point they brought central London to a standstill, when Transport for London decided to licence many, many new minicabs each week due to the influx of mobile phone apps such as Uber.
Taxi drivers complained that nearly 88,150 new minicab drivers had been licenced in a year, and the Uber app effectively meant people could hail a taxi via the 'e-hailing' feature, which enables people to see the nearest minicab on their phone. They felt this contravened the traditional understanding that Private Hire vehicles are pre-booked, and only Taxis can be hailed at the roadside.
If Uber decide to come to Southampton, the Southampton Hackney Association (who represent the Taxi drivers in the city), feel that any driver who enrols as a Uber driver, should have proper and correct insurance on their vehicle, a DVLA licence, and a Southampton Hackney Carriage Licence and that the old style Topography Test, which was a verbal one, should be re-introduced.
The Southampton Hackney Association (SHA) was set up for Hackney Carriage Taxi Drivers working in the city of Southampton. Our mission is to support the taxi driver trade in our city and regularly liaise with Southampton City Council and local trade bodies. We actively help to develop policies which benefit, support and promote the Hackney Carriage trade.
All of our members are taxi drivers, so we understand the time, commitment and financial investment other drivers put into their vehicle. Why not come and join the Southampton Hackney Association yourself?
You can download an application form here.
