UNCONVENTIONAL AND COMMUNITY TRANSPORT IN THE UNITED KINGDOM. CHAPTER 12. SHARED TAXIS AND HIRE-CARS

Passenger sharing of taxis and hire-cars is one of the most recent unconventional modes of public transport to develop as it was not fully legalised until the 1985 Transport Act. The concept of a shared taxi or hire-car is discussed and early schemes, mainly introduced through the RUTEX programme of 1977-9, are described including the Taw Valley Car Service, Colsterdale Car Service and Northallerton Hospital Transport Service, Travel patterns, passenger demand, licences and fare structures are considered. Schemes are seen to be expensive in rural areas where there is a lot of dead running. Small town, suburban and off- peak urban environments are suggested as most suitable. The distribution of schemes at the end of 1985 is illustrated and the 'Black Taxis' of Belfast considered in more detail. This is a well-established and well-used system which has spread to other parts of Northern Ireland. A review of the situation after 1985 shows a degree of uncertainty. For the covering abstract of the book see IRRD 853027.