h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Comments on the 'Minicab' section.

"Minicabs are taxis, run by private enterprise, which provide a similar service to official, licensed taxis,"
This suggest that Private Hire Vehicles (PHV) are unlicensed - in most parts of the UK PHV's have been licensed for over 20 years, the last place to get licensed PHV's was London ans as of April 2005 all PHV's in London have been licensed. Can I also assume from this statement that taxi's with a hackney carriage license are run on charitable basis (or are they too run by private enterprise for profit?).

"but are unable to accept pick-ups from the street."
not true, while this is the case in much of the UK some local authorities do allow PHV's to pick up off the street (normally there is a restriction to specific areas and/or times) with some local authorities moving to a unitary licensing system for Taxi's and PHV's.

"Drivers of minicabs do not have to possess any particular training to allow them to complete their work, and in some instances it may appear they even manage to avoid the need to actually be able to drive."
Again not true, in some areas they are required to undergo a 'knowledge' type test, a CRB check & medical checks is becoming increasingly common throughout the UK. That said there are also parts of the UK where no 'knowledge' test is required of either Taxi or PHV drivers.


"Unless minicab drivers have served time as official taxi drivers, and therefore have passed tests in The Knowledge (for an explanation of this term see our entry on Black Cabs) they will generally rely on their own local knowledge to reach requested addresses or locations. If this is not practical they will usually resort to asking the controller at their base of operations, or even the passenger themselves. "
ho hum, see previous comments - in addition to any 'knowledge' test they may of had to pass to get a PHV license most drivers are fully capable of using maps (just like the black cab drivers had too the last two times I availed my self their service).

This section appears to of been written from a London centric viewpoint (and then one that is a decade out of date).

Just got doen to the Payment Section ... In many parts of the UK PHV's are metered.

Hi Happydude!

Many thanks for spotting that there are several areas in which this entry can be amended/improved. Do you think you could help us to update this entry properly? You clearly know a lot about the subject (are you a cabby yourself?), so you'd be ideally placed to help us put right any mistakes or errors...

If you can help us out, please pop along to the Update Forum (http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/brunel/updateforum) and post a new thread letting us know HOW we should phrase all of the changes.

Many many thanks in advance!

Paully

Given the slowness of the update forum (I've haad an update in their since Febuary F149889?thread=598926 ) and that it is just the one section that is ill thought perhap if I post a suggestion here

To reblace the current section on Minicabs

Minicab is a term used to describe both unlicensed illegal taxi touts and licensed Private Hire Vehicles (PHV) which provide a similar service to licensed taxis. Never use an unlicensed illegal taxi touts as apart from the obvious risks to personal safety there is also issues to do with lack of suitable insurance and poor maintenance which could put you at risk.

The rules and regulations relating to licensed Private Hire vary with each licensing authority (normally the local councilThe licensing authority in London is the Public Carriage Office.</FOOTNOTE&gt. As rule of thumb Private Hire Vehicles will be ordinary cars that can carry nine people or less Vehicles that carry more than nine should be licensed by Vehicle Operating Standards Agency (VOSA) as Public Service Vehicles (buses) and which must be pre-booked before the start of the journey although there are local exceptions to this. In some parts of the UK Private Hire Vehicles will have to have specific paint schemes or use accessible vehicles and again in some parts of the UK they will be metered in others unmetered, either way get an estimate when ordering your Private Hire Vehicles. In some parts (but not all) of the UK drivers of Private Hire Vehicles will have to undergo a local knowledge test but wherever you are it should be expected that the licensing authority has carried out background checks on your licensed driver and regularly inspects licensed Private Hire Vehicles.

The last place in England and Wales to get licensed Private Hire Vehicles was London and as of April 2005 all Private Hire Vehicles in England and Wales should be licensed.

All done - thanks very much!