Ask Phoebe: Parents responsible for child restraints in taxis

Photo / Martin Sykes

Could you please confirm whether taxis and airport shuttles are exempt from having to use car seats as we provide "only temporary transport" for passengers arriving or departing the airport with small children? I remember having read or heard this before from senior shuttle drivers but cannot find this on the Land Transport website now. Our company does have one car seat that can be used by children between the ages of 1 and 5 but sometimes people come with smaller kids or with a greater number of kids.

Raja Ganeshan, Auckland.

I am not sure about shuttle buses, but I would think the rules are similar to those for taxis. Tim Reddish, director of the Taxi Federation, says taxis are exempt from providing child restraints in their vehicles. It is the responsibility of parents to provide them.

If given advance warning, says Mr Reddish, most taxi companies will provide a child restraint, but the parent will be asked to pay for the cost of the taxi to drive to the depot to pick up the car seat, and it must be prearranged.

In regard to the give way rule, one must give way to somebody turning right into the road or entrance you are turning right out of. My understanding of this is that if there is no stop sign or give way markings, they must give way to you, for example when pulling out of a supermarket. In saying this, if I was travelling south along Nuffield St in Newmarket, and wanted to turn right into Mahuru St, and then a car appeared wanting to turn right from Mahuru St into Nuffield St, would they give way to me as there are no stop signs or give way markings?

Ben Warner, Mt Eden.

Yes they should, Ben. The vehicle in Mahuru has you on his right-hand side, and thus must give way to you.

As we are now in the depths of winter, I notice more drivers not turning their headlights on when it's dark. Could you please tell me if there are guidelines in the Road Code for this? I thought if the street lights were on so should your headlights be ... and maybe when it's raining too?

Mike Harvey, Auckland.

The Road Code states clearly that you must turn on your vehicle's headlights from 30 minutes after sunset until 30 minutes before sunrise. You must also use your headlights if you cannot clearly see a person or vehicle 100m away.

In my view, it's also judicious to have your headlights on in heavy rain or fog or mist, or at any time when visibility seems to be an issue.