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SAFE TRIPSTOP TIPS for taxi passengers

This booklet will give you advice on your rights as a commuter. It also gives you

hints on how to help your driver so that everyone is safe on the roads.

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Taxi associations are groups of all the taxi owners in a certain area. Each association has a council with representatives.

Taxi associations make sure that taxis are safe and that drivers obey the law.

• Check which association your driver or vehicle belongs to. Different associations have different logos, and there will be a sticker and a phone number on the taxi.

• Marshals are employed by the taxi associations. They help with traffi c and smooth the fl ow of passengers to make everyone’s lives easier. So treat them with respect!

• The association has a list of drivers, taxis and marshals. If you report a problem to one of the associations, together with the car’s registration number, they can fi nd the owner or driver of the vehicle. They can then help sort out the problem.

• If you complain about an unsafe driver or marshal, you do not have to give your name to the taxi association.

Safe and reliable transport helps make the lives of all the people in our country better. Safety is everyone’s responsibility. Taxi owners, taxi drivers, other drivers, and you, the passenger, can help reduce and prevent accidents.

This booklet contains information you need to know about your rights as a commuter, and how the taxi industry works. It also tells you what you can do to make each taxi trip a good one!

Using taxis

About taxi associations

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What are your rights as a commuter?

Keep yourself safe by choosing a taxi that is in good condition.

In many areas, commuters have changed the taxi industry for the better by standing together and demanding safe, clean taxis, and good drivers.

If a driver is pulled over by the police for bad driving and bribes the police offi cer, both the driver and the police offi cer should be reported to Crime Stop on 08600 10111 as well as to the taxi association.

Report any drunk driving or drug use to the taxi association so they can take the driver off the roads to ensure your safety.

TIPS

• pull off only when all passengers are seated

• speak politely to passengers

• care about the elderly and frail

• wear their seatbelts at all times

• stick to the speed limit

• go through red robots

• overtake on the left

• turn without indicating

• brake suddenly

• talk on their cellphones while they are driving

• drive drunk or under the infl uence of drugs

• speed, even if they are asked to by a passenger

They do:They do not:

Safe taxis

Safe drivers

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Drivers who care

Drivers who care about their vehicles and their business will clean and maintain their taxis regularly – inside and out.

They should also:

• Treat passengers with respect.

• Tell passengers if there is a problem with the taxi and help them to fi nd another vehicle.

• Keep their music down. If it’s loud, encourage your driver to lower it so that other traffi c, sirens, hooters, and you, can be heard.

• Listen to passengers if there are problems in the taxi.

• Fill up with petrol when the vehicle is empty. Passengers should not have to be taken to petrol stations.

• Not drop someone off anywhere just because they ask him to slow down or drive more safely – safety is your right!

What to look out for in a good taxi:

• The tyres should be good.

• Windscreens should be clean and crack-free, and windscreen wipers should work.

• Headlights, reverse lights, parking lights and brake lights should be working.

• The taxi should not make any strange noises, or make any smoke – inside or outside.

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How you can help

Treat your taxi drivers with respect – they drive up and down, all day every day, and it’s not an easy job. You should also bring the correct change. The driver will not always have change, especially fi rst thing in the morning. Even though he gets coins all day, when he fi nishes work he gives the money earned to the taxi owner, or puts it away safely.

Other things to remember:

• It is best not to eat or drink in taxis as it’s easy to mess in the vehicle, and the next passenger’s comfort is affected.

• Sometimes a driver will give a free ride to pensioners or hospital patients, but remember this is always his choice – the driver still has to make a living.

• Children from the age of three must pay the full fare, and be on a seat.

• Don’t forget to take your belongings with you when you get out of the taxi.

• If you fi nd something that doesn’t belong to you, hand it over to the driver.

• If the driver asks you to sit in a certain seat, he is doing it so that everyone is comfortable.

No animals or pets are allowed in a public vehicle. This is for the comfort of other passengers, and to keep the taxi clean.

NOTE

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• In older taxis, passengers sitting next to the driver must wear a seatbelt at all times. In new taxis, there are seatbelts on all seats and all passengers must wear them.

• Children and pregnant women should not sit in the front next to the driver or the back seat of the taxi. This is for their own safety.

• Passengers should not stand in any type of taxi. If the taxi stops suddenly, they could get hurt.

• It is not safe for passengers to hang out of windows or to stick their arms out.

• Smoking, drugs and illegal fi rearms are not allowed in taxis. The driver and other passengers are put at risk.

How you can help

No alcohol is allowed in taxis or any public places like taxi ranks. The drinker and the driver can be fi ned or arrested. The taxi marshal is allowed to stop a drunk person from getting on the taxi as they may affect everyone’s safety.

The driver has the right to drop the person off at a police station if there are any problems.

REMEMBER

Thinking of safety fi rst

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Getting in and out of a taxi

At the rank• If you are unsure of which taxi to get into, ask the marshal.

• Pregnant women, women carrying small children, people with disabilities and those who are frail will often be moved to the front of the queue. It is to help make them more comfortable.

On the road• As you get into the taxi, ask your driver to make sure the taxi is going to

the right place.

• Exchanging passengers can be dangerous if it is done in the wrong place.

• Let the driver know in good time where you need to get off. Give a landmark, so he can fi nd a place to pull over where you and the other cars on the road will be safe.

• When you need to get off, make sure the driver can hear you. Some new taxis have bells to make sure the driver has enough warning. Use them!

• When you get out of a taxi, do not run in front of it – other cars may not see you until it is too late. Walk behind the taxi, and check for other traffi c before you cross the road.

Overloading• Four-four is not allowed according to the taxi associations. If the driver

or the marshal tries to force four-four, take down the registration number and report it to the association.

• New taxis have a specifi c number of seats. If the taxi is overloaded, the driver will be prosecuted (taken to court).

• It is illegal to overload. If the taxi is overloaded, and there is an accident, the Road Accident Fund, taxi owner’s insurance and passenger liability insurance will not be paid out.

• Remember that the driver’s assistant, who opens the door and collects fares, counts as a passenger. If the vehicle is allowed to carry 13 people and there is a driver and assistant, it is only allowed to take 11 passengers.

Keep your driver informed

If you hear or smell anything strange from the wheels or engine, let the driver know so he can check for any problems.

No matter how well your driver drives, accidents do happen – be patient and help where you can.

The taxi industry transports more than 10 million commuters to

and from work every day. It is important that we all work together

to make sure that the lives of all road users are in safe hands.

REMEMBER

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