DRIVERS HOURS ( THE LAW AND YOU)

This is something that has been in the press and raised again over the past couple of weeks below is set out the current legal situation in relation to Taxi and Private hire drivers hours. Please note that if you do have a PSV or HGV licence and drive a taxi private hire as a secondary job or income then you may fall foul of certain laws, rules and regulation to do with your HGV/PSV licence, Anybod with these types of licences must check with the appropriate Auhority as to what legislation and regulations are attached to their particular licence.


1. The EU Working Hours Directive specifically excluded such drivers from the requirements.
This makes it unlikely that we could make any change to byelaws or add as a condition.

2. The Government in the past has not placed any restraints on drivers as they were of the
understanding that time waiting for passengers would not be counted and it was only the
time they were actually driving that was considered, further to this they were not to be
included in HGV or PSV legislation on driver hours.

3. There are however rules for those who are also employed as HGV or PSV drivers when
continuing to drive for payment when such hours may count.

4. We cannot, under the current legislation, make any condition in respect of a hackney
carriage driver, whether it be in respect of hours or other matters. Any byelaw must be
approved by Sec of State and anything other than those on the Standard Model are
unlikely to be approved.

5. The fitting of a tachograph would not stop certain practices as many cars are continually
on the road with changes of driver, each driver should have his own graph, but who or
how to control would be a nightmare.

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