Caring for your passengers is an important part of taxi driving. As the driver, you're responsible for the safety and comfort of your passengers as they get into and out of your vehicle as well as during the journey. Your job is to convey your passengers to their destination
- Safety
- Comfortably
- Efficiently
- In a courteous manner.
It includes the care of your passengers as you pick them up and drop them off at their destination in a safe and convenient place.
Remember you are the representative of the licensing authority and how well you perform your role reflects on the authority.
Ask yourself
- Does your passenger feel safe and comfortable during the journey? Are they getting a smooth ride? If they aren't, you may need to adjust your driving style to enable them to have a pleasant journey.
- Do they need assistance in getting in or out of the vehicle?
- Be aware of passengers with special needs,particularly when they are getting into or out of the vehicle
To help your passengers, you should
- Look directly at them when you speak to them, it can help you to communicate effectively
- Make sure they are comfortably seated before you move away.
In the event of a breakdown, show consideration towards your passengers' safety and the completion of their journey.
Passenger seat belts - passengers must wear seat belts where they are fitted:
- Adult passengers are responsible for ensuring that children under 14 wear their seat belt. The only exception is where there is afixed partition separating the front and the rear of the taxi, in which case you are not responsible.
It is impracticable to expect the right child seat or booster to be available in a taxi unless a parent or carer has brought it with them. There is therefore qualified exception which says that if child restraints are not available in a licensed taxi or licensed private hire vehicle
- A child under three years old may travel unrestrained but in the rear only - this is the only exemption for a child under three years old
- A child aged three years and above must use an adult belt in the rear seat only.
Any child up to 135cm (approx 4ft 5in) in a front seat of any vehicle must use the seat belts or child restraints available.
Dealing with lost property - if you find any property in your vehicle after the passenger has left, you should normally hand it in a police station as soon as possible.
Some licensing authorities run their own lost property section and if this is so then you should hand it in there, again as soon as possible. Check with your licensing authority for the regulations in your area. |
