Keeping Safe in an Oxford Taxi
We all hear, see and read upsetting stories of the public experiences with minicab journeys and when you look into the story in detail most occur in unlicensed taxis and minicabs. Most victims say it was cheaper or the only kind of taxi to hand but at the end of the day it’s their safety and well being that they are risking. The reason to make sure of a safe journey home you should only use licensed Oxford Taxis.
The difference between and unlicensed and a licensed or an authorised taxi is your safety. Oxford City Council are responsible for taxi licensing; they have a section that issues licenses for both the taxi and its driver. Every licensing officer works from the same guidelines so throughout the UK with the exception of a few slender differences all applicable taxi regulations are quite uniformed. The first consideration is the taxi itself, the vehicle must be fit for purpose and in good repair . It must be roadworthy with a full mot certificate and most local authority will require a separate taxi test quite often this extra test is required every six months. Because of the high mileage a taxi drives in a year often more than 50 K miles, this is an extra check on the taxis road worthiness.
Enabling the licensing authority to make sure taxis operating in Oxford keep to the required standard above all safe for the driver and its passengers. They also require proof of an insurance policy for every taxi not only to check that it is upto date but also to make sure that it provides sufficient cover not only for the taxi vehicle but also that it has adequate public liability cover so in the event of an accident you are covered. The majority standard car insurance policies do not include for hire and reward with taxi insurance this is included . So if you are willing to take the chance with and un licensed cab or taxi in Oxford it is unlikely the vehicle even if it is insured you or it will not be covered for hire and reward as a taxi and therefore operating outside the law .
When the Oxford taxi licensing authority is satisfied the taxi has complied with all its conditions it receives a numbered plate this will show the details of that authority the vehicle manufacture and vehicle type and number plate, somealso show the colour. It also displays the maximum permitted number of passengers that the vehicle is licensed to transport and the license expiration. Please never ask a taxi driver to take more than the maximum number of passengers as they will risk losing their job and the vehicle will not be covered by insurance for that trip .
Additionally to the taxi , the driver is also licensed by Oxford City Council Taxi Licensing. This requires the applicant driver to have a full medical check up , along with an enhanced criminal records or police check to ensure the taxi driver is a worthy person to hold a license usually every three years. Anyone with a criminal conviction for anything the licensing authority regards as improper conduct will be granted or will have his license removed should any convictions be found between checks, this additionally protects anyone using licensed taxis in Oxford.
Prior to a taxi driver receiving his or her license they must also take an extra driving test designed for taxi drivers, that’s in addition to having passed a full driving license test. In addition a test on the local district they are going to work in known in the taxi trade as the knowledge. When the driver has meet all the requirements of the local authority they will be granted a taxi drivers photo I.D badge with their information on which should be clearly visible for customers to inspect.
Anyone requiring to hire a taxi in Oxford should take a few extra seconds to check both the taxi vehicle has valid license plate and that the taxi drivers photo id badge is also visible and up to current if in doubt, wait for the next taxi to turn up Today it is easy to use most mobile phones to go on line and pre book or find the phone number of a licensed taxi cab or private hire taxi operator from a reilaible Oxford Taxi company.
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