- Transport Department have announced raft of regulations to improve taxis and cabs
- They include a simplified two-tier tariff
- What do Islanders think of the new regulations? Watch the video
- The Transport Minister answers your questions below
THE Transport Department this week announced a raft of new regulations aimed at improving Jersey’s taxi and cab services over the next few years.
Under the present regime in Jersey, taxis have access to public ranks and have a regulated fare structure, while cabs operate on a private-hire basis and can charge their own prices.
One of Transport Minister Eddie Noel’s key proposals is to introduce a new simplified two-tier tariff that will apply to both taxis and cabs, which it is hoped will provide greater transparency and assurance for passengers.
Additional charges for luggage, extra passengers and Sunday services will be scrapped.
The cap on the maximum number of rank taxis operating in the Island will also be lifted.
The Transport Department, together with Driver and Vehicle Standards, has worked with the taxi and cab industry for three years over what reforms need to be made to the Island’s services.
Following the consultation, it was decided that, aside from the change to pricing, by 2019 all rank taxis in Jersey will need to have wheelchair access and distinctive colours and markings.
All drivers will also have to meet certain standards, including being fluent in English and undergoing a disability awareness course.
By March next year all taxis and cabs with wheelchair access will be allowed use of the Island’s taxi ranks.
The reforms have provoked a mixed response in the industry, with many drivers fearing for their livelihood and warning that they are considering industrial action.
Q With ranks being available to any vehicles with wheelchair access from next March, some drivers are concerned that the ranks will be now be inundated with more cars.
A ‘Rank drivers will have the 20 per cent private-hire work restriction lifted, allowing them to actively take on non-rank work.
‘In time they will be able to charge a booking fee for such work, thus supplementing their rank-based income.
‘The public, with effect from March 2016, will start to see greater accessibility for wheelchair users.
‘With the introduction of technologies such as smart phone apps it is likely that the behaviour of customers will change, as will the traditional model of taxi provision.
‘Why always walk to the rank when the driver can come and find you using an App?
‘While, of course, rank space will be monitored to ensure sufficient provision, it is also worth noting that it is rare rank space is fully occupied everywhere.
‘For instance, in the evenings, neither the Royal Square or Snow Hill rank is much used at present, but it is known that customers are walking up to Grenville Street to hail cabs, rather than wait at the Weighbridge.
‘In other jurisdictions hailing is the preferred option for getting a cab.’
Q By allowing cars with wheelchair access use of ranks from March next year, cab firms are concerned that many drivers will just sit on the ranks rather than paying them rents to use their depots.
A ‘In time, all taxi and cab drivers will be required to be affiliated to a booking agent.
‘Private-hire drivers who have the appropriate disabled-friendly vehicles will still have to maintain a relationship with a booking agent even when they have access to the ranks.
‘Simple economics state that if all vehicles purely concentrate on what would become an increasingly slim slice of the rank work, the market elsewhere will become disproportionally profitable.
‘But this is a hypothetical argument put forward by individuals and is not representative of all, some of whom see opportunity.
‘It is not my role as regulator to advise the industry how to best conduct themselves to make a profit, but rather to ensure that the supply is sufficient to meet the customers’ needs.’
Q There are concerns that some drivers will not be physically capable of assisting disabled passengers, so use of cars with wheelchair access will be impractical for them.
A ‘They will still be able to offer a private-hire service if they are not able to assist such passengers.
‘However, most disabled-friendly vehicles now come with winches, which removes much of the physical requirements to safely load and unload a wheelchair bound passenger.’
Q Drivers are concerned about the cost of having to buy new wheelchair-access cars within the next three years, especially if they have bought a new car for £20,000 or £30,000 during the last year or two.
A ‘We are phasing in over three-plus years the change-over so that current vehicles in the fleet can be used and replaced towards the end of 2018.
‘Research has proven that suitable wheelchair-friendly vehicles, that are nearly new, can be purchased for as little as £12,000.
‘Such vehicles are exempt from vehicle emissions duty and so the cost of switching should not be too onerous for owner-drivers.’
Q Some drivers feel that they are being squeezed from both ends, with additional charges for luggage, Sunday work and extra passengers being scrapped under the new regulations, while they are going to have to pay for wheelchair-access vehicles, new markings, new meters etc within three years.
A ‘There are currently four different tariffs, depending on the time of day, day of the week and indeed day of the year, plus extras for additional passengers, bags etc.
‘This is confusing and not as transparent to the public as we would like.
‘We are therefore developing a simple two-tier on-peak and off-peak tariff, which will be published in time for its introduction in July 2016.
‘We will be taking into consideration blending in the current complicated system of extras to issue tariffs which are fair to both the industry and the public.
‘My principal role is clearly to protect the interests of the public and ensure a clear and transparent tariff, not maintain the industry’s preferred custom and practice.’
‘I think in this day and age everywhere should have wheelchair access.
‘It is good that taxis should be forced to have wheelchair access. However thinking about the taxi drivers and the taxi companies, I don’t know how much it will cost them and if it would be a huge investment that might not be worth it.
‘I live out in Archirondel and if I go on a night out it costs me between £30 and £40 to get home – yeah, I do think I pay too much for my taxis.’
Hattie O’Connell (24), who runs her family businesses – fashion shop Marc2 Ltd and gift shop Amelie
‘The necessity for wheelchair access has not been looked at properly because only five per cent of the disabled population are actually wheelchair bound so therefore it doesn’t add up.
‘The people imposing these new proposed regulations on us have never ever been involved in this business.’
Danny Kevan (60), a taxi driver from St Helier
‘I use a cab every Friday because I go down to the church at Georgetown for a day out with the ladies and they are very, very good – that’s Yellow Cabs. There are three of us and they’re always very nice and most helpful.
‘There’s three of us that go and they come to me in Columbus Street, my friend up by Social Security and then we go down to Georgetown and that’s usually between eight and nine pounds depending on the traffic.’
Hannah Meloret (85), who is retired and lives in St Helier
‘Obviously it’s a bit unfair if someone is stuck in the rain or can’t get home because they live far away and they are in wheelchairs.
‘I live in Springfield and from there to the Airport my taxi – and I haven’t had it for a while – was about £22. My taxi from the Airport to my flat in Liverpool, which was probably three times or four times the distance, was only £16.’
Paul James (25), a gym instructor from St Helier
Sam Loane (17), a student at Victoria College
‘The most expensive taxi in the world is in Jersey!
‘You can do thirty miles in Italy for €25 and in Jersey you can spend £20 to go to the Airport. That’s crazy.’
Gianni Carratu, a store manager who lives in St Peter
