why don’t taxis carry child booster seats to increase safety?
I know its not law for children to use car seats and boosters when traveling a short journey in a taxi but why dont taxi drivers take the initiative to improve the safety of the passangers they carry?
The only time a child does not come under the same rules as when in an ordinary car is when the journey is of "unexpected necessity" – in other words an emergency.
There is insufficient space in a car to carry the correct restraints, boosters and seats to legally carry the different ages and sizes properly to comply with the law. For that reason there is no point bothering and if they carry a child without the corrcect gear they are breaking the law.
The simplest, easiest and cheapest thing for a taxi driver is not to carry any and to refuse the children – that is what I used to do.
Not sure what anyone else has written on here but be assured the above is how it is.
May 18th, 2010 at 11:37 am
I think thats an excellent idea.
My daughter uses just one taxi firm – they supply one for little one if asked.
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May 18th, 2010 at 11:42 am
Because taxi drivers can’t make money out of it.
If passengers with children chose taxis on the basis of safety, maybe taxis would take the initiative as they could advertise as having child seats. But people choose taxis based on convenience. What’s the benefit to business of having child seats?
EDIT: Clearly the answer above shows that some taxi companies do have child seats, and that some people are willing to choose them on this basis. Still, my answer stands as to why the majority of taxis don’t provide it.
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May 18th, 2010 at 12:00 pm
I think that`a very good question and prompted me to wonder with transport like national express coaches as well. Could be some sort of H&S thing.
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May 18th, 2010 at 12:24 pm
It would take up trunk space IF they had to carry them around all the time. You could argue they could have them available if you called them and asked, and I could understand that point. Although if that were the case I’d be charging more as a taxi service, I have to recoup my losses in buying it after all, as well as my losses in carrying it around until I get back to the garage. Now I base this off the U.S. where you don’t always call the taxi, sometimes you get one that is on the streets. So say they carry the seat in the trunk, well what if they pick up someone that needs to put stuff in the trunk? That car seat is getting in the way. It may seem like a rare occurrence that they need the entire trunk, but it’s probably rare that they need the car seat as well. The first answer provided the rest of the reason not to provide them, there are some that DO provide them on request. So no need for the rest to basically. People will know which one will upon request and use that one.
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May 18th, 2010 at 1:11 pm
The cost would be too great per taxi but yes it would be a fantastic idea…..
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May 18th, 2010 at 1:55 pm
The only time a child does not come under the same rules as when in an ordinary car is when the journey is of "unexpected necessity" – in other words an emergency.
There is insufficient space in a car to carry the correct restraints, boosters and seats to legally carry the different ages and sizes properly to comply with the law. For that reason there is no point bothering and if they carry a child without the corrcect gear they are breaking the law.
The simplest, easiest and cheapest thing for a taxi driver is not to carry any and to refuse the children – that is what I used to do.
Not sure what anyone else has written on here but be assured the above is how it is.
References :
Former taxi driver