Camberley Taxi Safety Tips
Most of us have heard or seen and read upsetting stories of the public experiences with minicab journeys and when you look into the report in detail most occur in unlicensed taxis and mini cabs. 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 you should only use licensed taxis for you safe journey home from Camberley.
The difference between and unlicensed and a licensed or an authorised taxi is your safety. Surrey Heath Borough Council is the area's local authority or council and are responsible for Camberley 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. Firstly looking at the taxi itself, the vehicle must be fit for purpose and in good repair . It must be roadworthy with a full MOT certificate and the majority of council will require a separate taxi test quite often this extra test is compulsory 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 local licensing authority to make sure taxis working in its area keep to the required standard the main consideration being the safety for the driver and its passengers. They also require proof of an insurance policy for every taxi not only to check that it is up to date but also to make sure that it includes 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 unlicensed cab or taxi its probable that the vehicle even if it is insured you or it will not be covered for hire and reward as a taxi and thus operating illegally .
Once the areas local licensing authority is satisfied the taxi has complied with all its conditions it receives a numbered plate this will show the details of the authority the vehicle make model and number plate, some also show the colour. It also displays the maximum permitted number of passengers that the vehicle is allowed to transport and the license expiration. Please never ask a taxi driver to carry more than the maximum number of passengers as they will risk losing their job and the taxi will not be covered by insurance for that trip .
Additionally to the taxi , the driver is also licensed by the local licensing authority. This requires the applying driver to have a full medical examination , as well as an enhanced criminal records or police check to make sure the taxi driver is a worthy person to hold a license usually every three years. Nobody with a criminal conviction for anything the licensing authority considers improper conduct will be issued with or will have his license cancelled should any convictions be discovered between checks, this additionally protects anyone travelling in licensed taxis.
Prior to a taxi driver receiving his or her license they also have to take an extra driving test designed for taxi drivers, that's additional to having a full driving license test. In addition an examination on the local area they are going to work in known in the taxi trade as the knowledge. Once the driver has satisfied all the requirements of the local authority they will be given a taxi drivers photo I.D badge with their information on which should be clearly visible for customers to inspect.
Anyone intending to take a taxi journey in Camberley 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 date if in question, wait for the next taxi to come along Today it is easy to use most mobile phones to go on the Internet and pre book or find the contact details of a licensed taxi cab or private hire taxi operator from a good mobile taxi directory, or airport taxi directory, it is much better to be safe rather than sorry. All Ace Taxis Camberley's Private Hire and Hackney Carriage Taxis are fully licensed and insured complying in full with Surrey Heath Borough Council's strict requirement, so you can rest assured you and your party are in safe hands when you need your next Camberley Taxi.