🟥 𝐁𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐄𝐃: 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐚𝐱𝐢 𝐃𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐟𝐢𝐱 𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬, 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐥𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐞. 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞….𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐓𝐃𝐀?

The actual Law in the UK Regarding Seat Belts:

In the UK, taxi drivers who carry passengers or ‘ply for hire’ are not legally required to wear seatbelts. 

Sounds confusing, doesn’t it? 

British law prohibits taxi drivers from wearing seat belts for their safety. 

Most of the time, the goal is to prevent robberies. 

Also, drivers find it difficult to escape dangerous riders quickly when wearing a belt. 

There is a higher risk of assault among seatbelt-wearing drivers. 

It appears, seat belts are not required for licensed taxi drivers but only if they are carrying passengers according to British law. 

In contrast, taxi passengers must always wear a seatbelt and are not subject to the same rule.

In a letter to the assistant commissioner, the LTDA wrote:

Dear Assistant Commissioner,

Exemption of Taxi Drivers from Wearing Seat Belts

I write concerning a number of fixed penalty notices for not wearing a seat belt, incorrectly, being issued to our members, London Taxi drivers.

The relevant legislation is the 'Motor Vehicles (wearing of Seat Belts) Regulations 1993'

Within the exemptions category the driver of a licensed taxi is exempt (from wearing a seat belt) "while it is being used for seeking hire or answering a call for hire or carrying a passenger for hire".

We are aware of numerous instances where members have been issued a fixed penalty because the officer is either unaware of the exemption, or in some cases, mistakenly believes that the 'for hire light on the taxi must be illuminated for the cab to be 'seeking hire'. This is not the case, and the driver may be responding to hire or seeking hire via a telephone, various hailing apps or any of the radio circuits that our members subscribe to.

I would ask that you address this issue and disseminate accurate information to your officers who may not be fully aware or trained in the relevant legislation nor the intricacies of the definitions of 'seeking hire or plying for hire' This would avoid undue distress for taxi drivers who are fulfilling their duties within the parameters of the law.

We fully support all the efforts by your roads policing and other teams and recognise the vital role they play in ensuring road safety for us all, including taxi drivers and their passengers. However, we would ask that you also recognise that our members should be able to go about their lawful business without fear of being incorrectly targeted or penalised.

Yours sincerely,

Anthony Street

LTDA Executive

𝐓𝐀𝐗𝐈 𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐒 𝐄𝐗𝐓𝐑𝐀 𝐁𝐈𝐓:

On the Met Police's own website on seat belt, section 6 on exemptions, (g) says….The driver of—

(i)a licensed taxi while it is being used for seeking hire, or answering a call for hire, or carrying a passenger for hire.

It goes on to say that this is not the same for Private hire drivers. 

It says there is an exemption for private hire vehicle while it is being used to carry a passenger for hire. 

Don’t forget that the law on a Taxi driver displaying a lighted for hire sign, is only ap.I able in the hours of darkness. In daylight, there is no legal need to have an illuminated sign.

Taxi Insurer UK advertise this…..

Taxi driver exemption

While not wearing a seat belt can land drivers with a £100 fine, if you’re a licensed taxi you are exempt from this rule in certain circumstances. The rule requiring drivers to wear a seat belt does not apply to a licensed taxi driver when seeking hire, or answering a call for hire, or carrying a passenger for hire. 

However, when you’re not ‘working’ you must wear a seat belt. en your seeking hire, or answering a call for hire, or carrying a passenger for hire. However, when you’re not ‘working’ you must wear a seat belt.