Re: want to know about taxi fares
Posted by IRISH TOURIST HELP on October 30, 2008 at 09:11:35:
In Reply to: want to know about taxi fares posted by Janey on October 30, 2008 at 09:04:36:
: want to know about taxi fares and getting a taxi in Ireland
See the article in here:
http://www.ireland-information.com/may08.htm
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TOURIST TIP #4: USING TAXIS IN IRELAND
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Different countries have different protocols when
hailing a taxi. Some countries adopt a 'free for
all' where punters nearly fight each other for
their ride home. Some other countries are a bit
more restrained! Ireland would be in the mid-range
of these two experiences and with the recent
de-regulation of the taxi industry it is a lot
easier to get a taxi than it used to be.
ON THE STREET: Taxis can be hailed virtually
anywhere and at any time simply by raising your
hand, waving or otherwise getting the attention
of the driver (if you can whistle then that will
help).
When hailing a taxi in this fashion try to
position yourself at a part of a road or street
where any available taxi will have a certain
amount of space to drive into and stop, without
causing too much inconvenience to traffic behind.
Bus stops are often good places to hail taxis
from as there is often a lay-by cut into the
pathways for busses to veer into when collecting
passengers. Taxi-drivers are also well used to
picking up passengers from near bus-stops.
You can hail a taxi going in the opposite
direction that you want to go but unless the
driver can make a U-turn then you will have to
cross over to the other side of the road.
Taxis are supposed to have their yellow
roof-signs lit brightly to indicate that they
are available but this is not always done and
it is common practice to hail a taxi even if
the roof-light is off.
AT A TAXI-RANK: Most cities and towns have
taxi-ranks that are well serviced by cars.
Depending on the time of the day (or how late at
night it is) there may be significant queues. At
least by queueing you are guaranteed to get a
car, the alternative being to wander around hoping
to grab a taxi on the street (not an experience to
be recommended in Dublin City in the small hours).
At Dublin airport the only effective way to get
a taxi is at the taxi rank so use it!
BY TELEPHONE: Taxis can be ordered by telephone
and this can be very useful when planning your
trip to the airport or other important
destination. Often Hotels or B&Bs will order a
car for you if requested. Bear in mind that this
will be a bit more expensive than the other
methods described of getting a car but when you
absolutely have to have a taxi then this is the
surest option. Ordering a car at peak times
however can result in big delays and some
taxi-services may even decline your order if they
are too busy (ordering well in advance can prevent
this).
When you order a taxi by telephone don't be
surprised if you receive an unmarked car rather
than an obvious taxi. Many operators use 'hackney
cabs' for their telephone business and this is
perfectly legal and in order. Hackney licences do
not allow the driver to pick up fares from a taxi
rank or from off the street.
DISABLED AND GROUP TAXIS: The quality of vehicles
being used by taxi companies has improved greatly
in recent years. Vehicles that are wheelchair
friendly are readily available but you will need
to book them in advance. Similarly it is possible
to book a 10-seater taxi if you have a group of
friends travelling to an event.
DECORUM: Most taxi-drivers are decent people
simply trying to make a living and will be glad
to offer you advice on where to go or stay. It
helps though to have a very good idea of where
your destination is (the exact address) as many
of the newer drivers will not be overly familiar
with all of the locations and will use their
Sat-Nav to guide them. You are entitled to decide
on the route you wish to take.
Tipping is commonplace - giving a driver a twenty
euro note for a fare of 18 euro would be typical,
for example.
The very first thing you do when you get into a
taxi or cab is to note the drivers name and
number (this is good advice for any country).
If no I.D. is immediately obvious then do not
take the ride as such a car may be manned by
an uninsured driver.
Most taxis will only accept 4 passengers (unless
their vehicle is otherwise capable), which is 1
in the front and 3 in the back maximum.
If you have a complaint or have left property in
the taxi then you can contact the taxi service
you used or the Irish taxi regulator at
www.taxiregulator.ie (you do have the driver name,
I.D. or registration number don't you?)