Students and others using taxis/minicabs.

For current students and those of you soon to start at the U of H Can I draw attention to the use of taxi and mini-cabs in the Welwyn -Hatfield area ?

Mini-cabs are pre-booked private-hire vehicles only- it is illegal for them to tout for business ie. hang or rove around and approach you for trade off the cuff.

I understand from one of the W-H Hackney Carriage taxi drivers I know- these guys are fully licenced under the very strict criteria of The Hackney Carriage Act by the way, hence their name - and there is a poster on the taxi waiting shelter at Hatfield Station explaining this- that there have been instances of non W-H licenced mini-cabs touting for business, taking advantage of students who are not aware of the above: there have also been complaints of some drivers as well. To avail of these means you are on legally stony ground- aiding and abetting ?- and have no insurance cover should anything misfire. In fact at Potters Bar Station I noticed recently that the mini-cabs of a well known local company now have this noted on the company sign on their vehicles- " pre- booked only to validate insurance".

I well remember talking to a student about a year ago who hired such a cab from The Galleria to de Hav. I joked with him and said at his age -19 - over that short distance I would have run it in a few minutes- raining or not- and not even dreamed of getting a taxi.The point being however, my young friend said the cab tried to charge him something like £10, and this before the 11pm fixed fare cut off.

Hackney Carriage drivers are different to mini-cabs in as much as they have designated parking areas, ie at Hatfield Station for which they pay a considerable yearly sum for and can display the taxi sign on the cab roof and do not have to be pre -booked. ( Probably why they are more expensive). The mini cabs just have the company logo on the side of their vehicles, but both mini cabs and Hackney Carriage taxis have to display a valid Welwyn -Hatfield taxi licence plate normally just under the rear car registration plate.

Uber are not I am told (currently) fully licenced by Welwyn-Hatfield Council but are subject to national taxi laws. I myself hardly ever use the taxis/minicabs, about once in the last ten years, I`d rather walk.

(edited 5 years ago)

Reply 1

Blue_Cow

Original post by UnclePete

Can I draw attention to the use of taxi and mini-cabs in the Welwyn -Hatfield area:

Mini-cabs are pre-booked private-hire vehicles only- it is illegal for them to tout for business ie. rove around and approach you for trade off the cuff.

I understand from one of the W-H Hackney carriage taxi drivers I know - there is a poster on the Hackney carriage taxi waiting shelter at Hatfield Station explaining all this- that there have been instances of non W-H licenced mini-cabs touting for business, taking advantage of students who are not aware of the above: there have also been complaints of some drivers as well. To avail of this means you are on legally stony ground- aiding and abetting?- and have no insurance cover should anything misfire.

I well remember talking to a student about a year ago who hired such a cab from The Galleria to de Hav. I joked with him and said at his age -19- I would have run it in a few minutes- and not even dreamed of getting a taxi, raining or not - however this lad said the cab tried to charge him something like £10, and this before the 11pm fixed fare cut off.

Hackney carriage drivers are different to mini-cabs in as much as they have designated parking areas, ie at Hatfield Station for which they pay a considerable yearly sum for and can display the taxi sign on the cab roof and do not have to be pre -booked.

Uber are not currently licenced by Welwyn-Hatfield Council but are subject to national taxi laws.

I see this type of behaviour a lot in Edinburgh myself too. A lot of private hire drivers accepting people who just 'hail' them like they would a taxicab.