By “in private offer” discussion, he meant that he wanted to show me pamphlets of tours we can do together. He was offering me tours…. I wasn’t about to be led down a dark alley to get my teeth kicked in and he wasn’t trying to pile more women on me.
As more background – I either speak or can at least read and have a basic understanding of most Germanic and Romance languages. I have zero grasp of Russian and Kazakh and booked the trip 3 days prior, spur of the moment. Lesson learned: don’t nod along to things and pretend to understand – you can always ask for clarification.
Operating a taxi service is one of the most popular forms of self-employment in Northern Ireland. There are over 10,000 taxis currently operating across the province, providing an important service and a base of stable jobs in the local economy.
The taxi sector has recently undergone a series of reforms to simplify licensing systems. It is important to know exactly what is required if you are thinking of setting up a taxi service, whether as an independent driver, or a business to operate a fleet of taxis.
If you are planning to set up and run a taxi business in Northern Ireland, there are a number of legal requirements that you must comply with.
To the average cost-conscious traveler in Japan's large cities, taxis are an expensive and unnecessary alternative to the efficient public transportation. However, taxis are often the only way of getting around once trains and buses stop operating around midnight, resulting in a sudden increase in their demand, especially on Friday and Saturday nights, when long lines and waiting times at taxi stands at train stations are not uncommon.
In smaller cities, the countryside and in Kyoto, public transportation tends to be less convenient, thus taking a taxi from the nearest train station to your destination can be a good alternative. If you travel in groups of three or more people, taxis can also be an economical option for shorter rides.
To hail a taxi, either go to a taxi stand (usually located in front of train stations) or flag one down at a location where it is safe for it to stop. A plate on the dashboard in the lower corner of the windshield indicates whether a taxi is vacant or not. Usually, a red plate indicates that the taxi is vacant, while a green plate indicates the opposite (see illustration below). During the night a light on the roof of a taxi can indicate that the taxi is vacant. You can also call a taxi by phone, app or via your hotel reception; in large cities there is usually no additional charge for calling a taxi while in more rural areas a small fee may be charged.
When you board a taxi, note that the vehicle's left rear door is opened and closed remotely by the driver. You are not supposed to open or close the door by yourself, except when using a different door. If you do not speak Japanese or if your destination is not well-known, it is recommended to give your driver the address of your destination on a piece of paper or - even better - point it out on a map, since the Japanese address system can be confusing even to local taxi drivers.
Many taxis accept payment by credit card, and an increasing number accept payment by IC card, such as Suica. Stickers on the door often indicate accepted payment methods. When paying in cash, try to avoid paying small amounts with large bills. Tipping is not done in Japan.
In some regions, especially popular tourist areas, taxis are available for charter as sightseeing taxis with the taxi driver doubling as the tour guide. Although the language barrier might be a problem, in some areas there are taxi drivers with foreign language skills or sightseeing taxi services targeted specifically at foreign tourists. Sightseeing taxis typically cost around 10,000 yen for two hours.
Taxis and minicabs and the door to door service they provide are essential for people with disabilities. They are a key mode of transport for people who are blind and partially sighted, who are unable to drive and often face barriers when using public transport.
This information has been designed to ensure that drivers and other staff working to support taxi and minicab travel can feel confident when helping passengers with sight loss.
Not everyone with vision impairment is totally blind and many retain some useful sight. Some will use a guide dog or a cane, but the majority travel without a mobility aid and so it may not always be apparent that they have sight loss.
Just like anyone else, people with sight loss will have personal preferences in how they receive support. Probably the most important tip is to always ask the person to tell you how they would like to be helped. It should be possible to assist someone safely but still enable them to retain their dignity.
If the passenger is a guide dog owner, it is a criminal offence to refuse to carry their dog, or to charge extra for doing so. The only exception to this is if the driver has a medical exemption certificate from the licensing authority due to a genuine medical condition that is aggravated by exposure to dogs. If this is the case, you or your company should help find the passenger another taxi/minicab.
If assisting a guide dog owner, do not interfere with the dog and only give instructions to its owner.
As many people with sight loss have some useful vision, wearing a high visibility jacket or tabard may be helpful for many customers with sight loss as it could make it easier for them to differentiate you from others.
If you offer a pre-booking service, ensure that your website or customer service staff taking telephone enquiries provides information about access to the minicab/taxi.
Orlando airport taxiWhen picking up the passenger, pull right up to the kerb to help vision impaired passengers avoid tripping.
If you cannot find the passenger at the pick-up point, when calling them use clear language to explain where the vehicle is parked – e.g. “I am parked on the right hand side of the road outside 1 Bridge Street”, rather than “I am in front of the red car”. Do not flash your lights or beep your horn to get the passenger’s attention. Once you have located them, you may need to move your vehicle to pull up directly in front of them so they can easily locate you.
It is really helpful to explain which direction the car is facing and the layout of the vehicle so the passenger can get into it safely – e.g. if the car door opens outwards or is a sliding door, if the seats all face forwards.
If partitions have been installed, and a microphone and speaker is not in place, inform the passenger and let them know any essential information before they get into the vehicle.
If the passenger is a guide dog owner, ask them if they would like their dog in the footwell next to them or in the back of the vehicle if suitable (for example if the vehicle is an estate car or hatchback with removable parcel shelf). Guide dogs are trained to sit with their owner at all times, not to bother other people and not to climb on seats. If the passenger wants their dog in the footwell, you may need to pull the front passenger seat forwards to increase space in the footwell.
As confirmed in the High Court case Thomas McNutt v Transport for London [2019], taxi meters should only start once passengers with disabilities have boarded the vehicle.
Before starting the journey check that the person is comfortable and if appropriate ask them if the temperature in the vehicle is OK for them (and in the case of a guide dog owner, their dog).
Before starting the journey check that the person is comfortable and if appropriate ask them if the temperature in the vehicle is OK for them (and in the case of a guide dog owner, their dog).
When you arrive at the final destination, tell the passenger what the fare is or what the meter says. Some passengers may need support when paying the fare and you must use accurate and specific language – e.g. “the card machine is to the right of your left hand” rather than “the card machine is here”. When paying with cash, please give verbal directions for where they should place the money for the fare, and when giving change, explain where you have put the money.
Once you have arrived at their desired destination, check to ensure they know where they are and ask them if they are OK to continue or if they need further assistance. They may need guiding to the door of their destination. See below for tips on how to do so safely.
Always ask the person if they would like any assistance or help and ask them what their name is.
Continue to use normal body language. This will positively affect the tone of your voice and provide extra information to the person who is vision impaired.
When verbally guiding a person, ask them if they would like you to walk ahead of them, behind or on their left or right. Their preference may allow them to use any remaining vision.
Provide clear instructions when describing a route or when you would like the person to change direction e.g. Left and Right.
Describe main features of area to help the person orientate themselves – e.g. “the taxi/minicab has pulled up on the left-hand side of the road, and when you get out you will be facing the main entrance”. You may wish to use the ‘clock face technique’ when describing the environment in front of the person - e.g. ‘directly in front of you at 12 o’clock is the main entrance, to your right at 3 o’clock is a pedestrian crossing. On your left at 9 o’clock is the start of the high street”.
Describe the environment around you as features (landmarks and sound) may act as clues to help the person orientate themselves e.g. noise such as ‘the traffic will be on your left’.
When walking always let the person know about differences in the floor surface such as kerbs, steps and elevation (up and down)
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