Suggested Regulations for hire car industry so taxis have a level playing field • Minicab and private hire firms must now hold a private hire operator license before they can accept bookings - your company will not be able to trade without one. In order to get a license, you will have to prove that you are a fit and proper person. Any criminal convictions, bankruptcy or breach of health and safety rules will count against you. • You should also prove you hold any relevant radio licensing or insurance documents and you must diligently ensure that your driver’s vehicles and documents are in order. Some software packages will provide a comprehensive record of all driver and vehicle documentation and automatically lock drivers out if the documents have expired. For further information look at the Cab Management System. • To get your hire car license, you need to be 21 or over, have a full driving license for at least 12 months and be able to drive a taxi competently and completed all training. you will need to prove that you are a fit and proper person, and you will be checked by the criminal records bureau.(minor crimes may not automatically disqualify you.) and will require a full medical, A knowledge test will also be required • Your home address can be your operating centre, a licensing officer may be sent to inspect the premises. • An application fee which runs for five years will be charged by the State Government Private hire cars are not required to have meters but may choose to install them. If they are installed they will have to prove they are compliant when the vehicle attends its regular road safety check 3 times a year, there is no restriction as to what a minicab or private hire operator can charge but a sticker advertising klm costs and any other costs must be in a prominent spot in hire car and registered with authorities.. • Except for exceptional circumstances the vehicles must be less than 5 years old. Drivers must have held a full driving license and taxi license for 12 months, pass a medical and make a declaration in relation to any criminal convictions. In some areas, drivers have to pass a knowledge test in order to operate. • With new technology you can track your cars using specialized software that knows the destination address and automatically places the car in the zone when they are clear. In addition to this GPS can be used to accurately pinpoint a car and jobs can be sent digitally to on-board computers or even text messages to mobile phones. • Previously high tech software and GPS systems have been out of the price range for most start-up minicab firms, but now there are firms that specialize in start-up packages such as Vital Soft Cab Management System which offers a advance software complete with National street data for $? Per week per PC. This package can then integrate with SMS dispatch or full vehicle data systems complete with GPS for under $? per week per vehicle. • Once your fleet is fitted with a data system you can talk to them in the conventional way and send them text details about pickups and so on. The drivers have five or six standard responses that they can send back to you, ranging from POB, ‘Soon to Clear’ or Panic and many more. • You must be insured, cars, drivers and third parties (i.e. passengers) must be insured, with special private hire insurance available to minicab firms. It is also worth getting your operating centre (if it is not your house) and any equipment (radios, GPS, PDAs and computer booking and dispatch systems etc.) insured too. • All hire cars must be fitted with a eftpos machine that gives a documented receipt for all fares including hire car number, driver’s license, no of klms of journey and cost.
Posted on: Sat, 15 Mar 2014 06:39:09 +0000
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