Letters to the Editor: Taxis have rights also

Re: “Poor service on city cabs,” (page 6, Oct. 27)

I am a taxi driver in Melbourne, Australia, and I read your editorial which was forwarded to the “Taxi-List” Yahoo internet group. I am also a university graduate. Please permit me to make some observations. They are based on my experience of driving taxis here in Melbourne, but the situation in Boston is likely to be similar:

You wrote “But if taxis are to charge higher fares, they should also be subject to a higher standard of service.” Not necessarily. Surely the taxi industry, like any business, is entitled to take the cost of providing the service into consideration when deciding on its fare structure. The standard of that service is a separate issue. In other words, a lousy service provider which incurs $2 a mile in fuel costs is entitled to charge more than a lousy service provider which only incurs $1 a mile in fuel costs.

Asking for directions: If a taxi driver asks for directions, it doesn’t necessarily mean that he/she “doesn’t know the way.” Many passengers simply assume that the driver will take a particular route. When drivers take a different route, the passenger may complain that they are going “the wrong way.” Some drivers who ask for directions are simply trying to protect themselves against such a complaint.

It is not always obvious which route the passenger is likely to want to take. The fare structure is based on time and distance, and the passenger may wish to take the fastest route or the cheapest, and they are not always the same. And of course taxi drivers don’t have crystal balls or X-ray vision, so they can’t be sure that there won’t be a traffic jam or other hold-up on the way. Traffic reports on the radio or taxi computer can’t cover everything.

A passengers’ bill of rights: Any taxi service charter should mention drivers’ rights as well; e.g. in Victoria a driver is entitled to ask for a deposit or proof of ability to pay the fare.

Mobiles and tolls: Of course it is unprofessional for a taxi driver to talk on a mobile phone whilst a passenger is in the taxi. It may also be illegal. As for tolls, there are several issues here. Any toll should be displayed on the meter if the meter is capable of displaying it. (The meters in Melbourne taxis are not.) If the toll can’t be displayed, the driver should make sure that the passenger wishes to take that route, and is aware of the toll and their obligation to pay it.

Roof signals: As with the meter, this would be a matter for the taxi owner or depot and the regulatory authorities.

Driver I.D. cards: The card should ideally contain a photo of the driver and a number that identifies the driver.

Chris Manning Victoria, Australia