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HI, Ive been on the private hires in Liverpool for just over a year now and have only just had my first vomiter in the car.

Young girl was sick after a night out, she tried to open the window to do it but she didnt get it all the way down. Vomit went inside my window and down the upholstry on the door and some splashed onto the seat. Most of it went outside but was all down the window and door (door handle was covered in it). This was 11:30pm on a Saturday evening. She was only sick about 30 seconds before we arrived at their destination (a hotel).

Her partner offered to "box me off" as a result and asked how much I required. I have a sign displayed on my dash detailing a soiling charge of £50. He was not at all happy about this. After arguing back and forth he eventually gave me £30, their fare was £13 but he gave me a total of £30. Already barely able to contain my anger I had no choice but to take the £30 as his arrogance and tone was winding me up. I went home and spent close to an hour cleaning the car before it was road worthy again, total time off the road as a result was about 1hr 40mins.

As a taxi driver do I have any legal rights here (if this were to happen again)? Is the person committing any sort of offence by being sick and then refusing to pay the soiling charge? Actually is refusing to pay the fare even a criminal offence? Incidentally, I couldnt get rid of the smell of vomit so after a few days I had to get the car valeted and seats shampooed etc. Cost me £40 and I lost a days work due to the cold weather causing my seats to need all day and night to dry out.

Thanks in advance and sorry for a very long first post. It just really pi**ed me off

One of the disadvantages of being in the trade and having an ordinary saloon as a cab so to speak
I personally have a purpose built cab, so as long as they manage to vomit on the deck it can be cleaned out pretty quick....
As for any legal rights, well is it really worth the hassle?
You do have legal rights, but for all the trouble you'll have getting some reimbursement well.....
Take my advice..... if they look a bit iffy, decline to take them or warn them before taking them (politely of course) like the fouling charge upfront plus the fare....
No vomit, return upfront fouling charge on completion of journey

By the ways a private hire vehicle is not a taxi....
A taxi driver is someone who holds a Hackney licence and will drive a taxi (even if it is a saloon licensed as a Hackney vehicle) all though he/she are permitted to drive a private hire vehicles as well.
Private hire licences only allow the use a of a private hire licensed vehicle (depending on requirements of the licensing authority).

yeah I know but its just easier and more common to say taxi driver than private hire vehicle driver in the eyes of everyone apart from cabbies and licensing authorities they are the same thing anyways.

I meant more along the lines of what if I had phoned the police about it or at least threatened him with the police. I did consider accusing her of criminal damage and threatening to call the police but thought if he called my bluff then I'd look pretty stupid

That's where the confusion kicks in
I'm sorry to disagree with you but they are not the same..... If they were we would not have all the problems associated with the trade as a whole. London is an example!!
The reason why private hire licences were brought in was to stop the illicit trade from "stealing" trade from Hackney license holders who originally existed before the trade was swamped, so local authorities brought in PH licences as a way of making more money instead of having the plod involved as it was just not feasible to arrest so many of them
As far as I'm concerned I'm legit and private hire were the cowboys that got in through the back door..... But that is my opinion and I'm sure that many will disagree!! That's life

Don't expect the plod to do anything about it! They woulnd't be too pleased if you did!! Like I said just don't take 'em next time if you think they look "iffy". Gut instinct is usually the best way

Hello everybody,
I think there are 2 issues here;
As to the soiling I have never witnessed any passenger who paid the full soiling charge (£30-£60)in my 10 years experience as a PHO in London. You are lucky to recover £20. I know it costs the driver alot more, especially the time wasted.
The second issue is the long lasting animosity between private hire & hackney taxis. I have never seen such a meaningless clash between 2 arms of the same service that is benefiting nobody at all. Any idea of how we can reconcile between them? Moreover, I think there is a mutual interst in cooperating between the 2 taxi services. Any more ideas in this direction?

Y Yousif (Dr)
PHO Operator, London
www.medwayexpress.com

You have to look at the reasons why private hire originally came into being....
Authorities just started issuing such licences (PH) as they were unable to do anything about it. It was the only way that Licensing Authorities could keep some sort of control (what good it did is controversial in the least!!) that is why there is so many more of them than the Hackney trade and you wonder why there is so much animosity between the Hackney trade and so called "private hire"?
When I started in the trade one had to obtain or aspire to a Hackney licence which meant one had to fulfill certain criteria such as a topographical test (knowledge), driving test and so forth to be considered fit for the purpose of being Hackney licensed, in other words competence, whether you drove for a company or for yourself.
Private hire were originally individuals or companies that set themselves up without the criteria required to become Hackney licensed, so were considered "cowboys"
Nowadays the difference has levelled out a bit in that PH drivers get to know the topography in their ares and can go on to obtain Hackney licenses.
In the main PH are still looked upon as individuals who just want to do it part time to earn extra cash or a fill in job till they can get something better, therefore indirectly taking work away from those who choose to enter the trade as proper full time pro's (Hackney)
In general the image of taxi drivers to Joe Publique has always been controversial, that is probably why Authorities treat us with the indifference that they do and contributes to the mess the trade is in generally