Rough ride in the taxi free-for-all

Does your driver know where he's going? Is his vehicle even safe? KATHERINE HOBY looks at how the taxi industry is controlled, and what more needs doing.

Taxi!

It is not hard to hail a cab these days, unlike five or 10 years ago.

But in Auckland, at least, it is a lottery whether you get a driver who knows the shortest route, speaks good English, or even has a car that is safe.

The Land Transport Safety Authority recently ordered one of Auckland's biggest taxi firms - Ideal Cabs - off the road after what were described as problems with "general control and registration."

These included a woman driving a cab registered only to her husband, and at least one cab operating after its certificate of fitness had expired.

The authority has also warned two smaller Auckland firms that they will lose their licences if they do not shape up.

Auckland police have voiced concerns over the behaviour of some taxi drivers. A September check in the central city found 308 of 754 cabs breaking the law in some way.

Offences ranged from expired licences to double-parking, fare stealing and broken seals on meters.

Who controls the men and women we place our trust in? Do they need to know Mangere from Mission Bay? And what standards do their cars have to meet?


Taxi drivers the Herald spoke to said Government deregulation of the industry in 1989 had opened it to abuse by amateurs.

For the passenger, deregulation meant quicker service and more choice. But with that came a flood of newcomers into the industry. The upshot: too many cabs chasing too few clients.

Drivers were getting fewer fares. Some felt they must stretch the hours they worked to make a living.

One long-time cabbie, who has been driving taxis for almost 20 years, said deregulation was "a disaster."

He estimates that business dropped by a third after deregulation. It has not improved since.

He has had to dig into his retirement fund to supplement his income, and he has talked his newly married son out of becoming a taxi driver.

"It's a hard living for a young man with a family. It used to be that you could drive for a few solid hours and go home with a few bucks in your pocket. A young driver with a family would have no choice but to drive long hours in search of a few more fares these days."

The driver said deregulation had taken cab driving from "a hard-working, decent-earning job to a soul-destroying day-by-day struggle."

Despite this, he would not give it up. Taxi driving was the only job he knew, and he still enjoyed talking to passengers.

A colleague said taxi regulations were not being enforced.

"You have to answer the tests in clear English, yet some people get in a cab and can't make themselves understood or can't get the cabbie to understand the simplest street name."

He pointed out that many taxi drivers were migrants. If they passed the tests, he had nothing against them, but it was a worry that criminal checks could be done only on New Zealanders.

He felt some firms were helping drivers cheat, just to get them on the road and "get those metersticking."

"Driving a cab won't be an attractive job until there is a limit on the number of cabs and drivers."

What is being done?


The Land Transport Safety Authority is planning a rating system. Cab firms could be judged on drivers' area knowledge and general standards, as well as safety information.

There will be six rating levels - superior, good, satisfactory, new entrant, conditional, and unsatisfactory.

The proposed system follows industry concerns about adequate enforcement of standards. Good operators would get rewards such as reduced licensing fees.

The authority will seek formal submissions on the concept in March.

How many taxis are there?


It is little wonder cabbies are struggling. LTSA figures show the number of taxis on Auckland roads has risen sixfold since 1989. At November 1999, the number of P (passenger) endorsement holders in Auckland was 6626, up from 900 before deregulation.

Taxi drivers in New Zealand need a P-class endorsement to operate. How do they get one?

An appropriate driving course must be completed. An eyesight screening check must be passed.

Once the other usual requirements have been met, the applicant must undergo a "fit and proper person check."

Some factors taken into account are criminal convictions, history of mental illness and persistent failure to pay fines for transport-related offences.

The passenger endorsement can be obtained for one or five years.

When it is renewed there is another eyesight check, and another "fit and proper person" check may be required.

What is an area knowledge certificate?


The certificate says a driver has a good knowledge of the area or areas his or her organisation works in and has a good understanding of the English language.

Who needs to hold one? How do you get it?


All taxi drivers must have one - it is illegal to work without one.

Approved "area knowledge testing agencies" are able to issue the certificates.

Many taxi organisations have their own area knowledge tests.

Among the questions, aspiring cabbies are asked to describe from memory the best routes to 20 destination points, list the addresses of at least 12 of 15 major buildings, and list the locations of the main public taxi ranks. All answers must be in clear English. How well some of these tests are being handled is a question that worries some in the industry.

What is a transport service licence?


This licence is required to operate a passenger service (such as a taxi company).

What are the requirements?

Requirements include supplying evidence of a certificate of knowledge of law and practice for that transport service class, supplying personal details about the service's operators, and registering the service with every regional and district council in the applicant's operation area.

The certificate of knowledge of law and practice ensures that an individual knows general transport industry laws and safety standards.

What can a passenger expect?


A passenger can expect a driver to:

* Display a photo ID card in a clearly visible place.

* Act in civil manner.

* Display a registered fare schedule.

* Carry reasonable quantities of luggage with care.

* Provide a child restraint if required.

When can drivers refuse to carry a passenger?


If they consider their safety would be threatened, if the intending passenger is under the influence of drugs or alcohol, is in a filthy condition or is noisy, violent or disturbing the public peace, or if the number of passengers wishing to travel exceeds the number on the vehicle's loading certificate.

What if a passenger wants to complain?

If the matter is serious, or concerns criminal activity, the police should be contacted.

The initial complaint should be made directly to the taxi company.

Taxi companies are required by law to keep a complaints register.

If the response is not satisfactory a further complaint should be made to the compliance section of the LTSA.

What are the limits on hours?


Like truck drivers, taxi drivers are required to keep a logbook of hours spent on the road.

A driver must not drive for any continuous period exceeding five and a half hours.

After driving continuously for five and half hours, drivers must have at least 30 minutes' rest, and they must not drive for more than 11 hours in any 24-hour period.

They must not exceed 14 hours on duty in any 24-hour period, and must have a minimum continuous off-duty period of at least nine hours in any 24-hour period.

A driver can be fined up to $2000 for a breach of driving hours regulations.

How are taxis checked for safety?


Taxis are subject to a certificate of fitness (CoF), and like other commercial vehicles must be tested every six months by an approved Transport Service Delivery Agent.

CoF inspections of taxis check all the same things as warrant of fitness inspections for private vehicles.

The child-locks in taxis are also checked and a loading certificate is issued.

There is also a requirement to ensure the vehicle is operating on a valid passenger service licence before a CoF can be issued.

Under the Transport Services Licensing Act, operators are required to have a taxi meter fitted. It must be tested by a person approved by the director of Land Transport Safety every six months.

Additional check on vans and shuttles cover seat spacing, aisle width, emergency exits and door controls, and provision for carrying luggage.

Other operator requirements include the maintenance of roof signs, the display of fleet numbers, and general cleanliness.

While the regulations for cab drivers seem stringent, police concerns and the latest LTSA moves to introduce the rating system suggest that the present system is not doing its job well enough.

Several cabbies the Herald spoke to thought there were not just far too many cabs on the road - there were far too many "cowboys."

One welcomed the idea of an operator rating system and said a tightening of rules and regulations could not come fast enough for old-school drivers.

"The days of cruising the streets and knowing and trusting most of the guys out there are gone," he said.

"I wouldn't recommend anyone getting into this. If there's a crackdown on the rough ones, I'd change my tune. But as it stands it's surviving, not living."