Know your rights when traveling by taxis and ridesharing. Learn tips and tricks to make your trip easier with Travelers United.
Taxis, Limousines and Airport Shuttles and Passenger Rights
Nearly every city and town has at least one traditional taxi or limousine company. All taxi services can either be summoned via a phone call (if you don’t know the number, you can find it by Googling, looking in the local yellow pages, or asking the staff at an airport, hotel, restaurant, museum or other location) or by standing at a designated taxi stand at an airport, large hotel, train or bus station, convention center or similar location. In some major cities, taxis can be hailed at any point on the street anywhere where there’s significant pedestrian traffic. Simply wait for a taxi to drive by with a light or sign indicating it’s available (either a dome light on or a sign reading “Taxi For Hire”) and hold up your hand to signal the driver. It’s important to know your passenger rights.
Most taxi services are directly regulated by the local (either city or county) Taxi and Limousine Commission or similar agency, while in a handful of states (such as Nevada), they are directly regulated by the state government. These regulatory bodies require taxis to be specially licensed (and in some cases to have medallions), drivers to meet certain qualifications, the driver and/or vehicle owner to carry commercial insurance, and that either an approved fare meter or a zone system (wherein the fare is determined based on the number of zones traversed) be used.
Taxis are required by law and your passenger rights to take the passenger to the destination the passenger instructs the driver to go to, even if the destination is outside of the regulating commission’s jurisdiction. However, they are generally only allowed to pick up passengers within the regulating jurisdiction’s boundaries. The taxi must take you to the door of the specified address (as part of your passenger rights), unless the door is inaccessible due to construction, restricted entry, or other obstruction. Note that it is generally more difficult to find a cab during inclement weather, and taxis are required to charge higher fares when the local government declares a snow emergency or other exigency, such as for a major event where large crowds are expected.
In this chapter, we’ll explore transportation network companies and best practices to boost rideshare experience. What should you keep in mind when filing a complaint against Uber and Lyft? How does Sidecar compare to these services?
Download Chapter 15 to improve traveling by taxis and ridesharing.
