CAR N CAB CARE: THE TRADE’S ONE STOP HEADING
Shaun Marnell, Director of Car n Cab Care comes from a hackney back- ground and is passionate about the
industry. Over the last 20 years he has sold thousands of vehicles to taxi drivers but has now stopped selling new diesels as he believes they are no longer fit for purpose for around town work. Shaun explains: “Although older Euro 6 derv vehicles (up to 69 plate) are still a good option particularly for long- distance work; in my opinion purchasing a new 2022 plat- ed derv vehicle is a bad investment. Not only is diesel now very expensive, but in order to reduce CO2
emissions the
oil in the engines of these new vehicles gets dirty faster, reducing MPG and causing DPF sensor and injector problems. In time servicing spare parts, which are no longer mass produced, could also become expensive as there is less of a demand.”
HACKNEY TRADE SURVIVAL
There are serious concerns about the future survival of the UK hackney trade if the trade’s purchasing costs are not brought closer to those of private hire. It is predicted, that if those councils that currently demand all hackneys to be fully wheelchair accessible continue to insist that drivers invest in euro 6 derv or expensive EVs with this specification, then the hackney trade in many of these areas will disappear within the next three years. The fact is, current Euro 6 large diesel hackney vehicles will soon be hard to buy as manufacturers stop production and full electric WAV vehicles are difficult to adapt as manufac- turers of EVs have strict rules in place: • you cannot drill or bolt over batteries; • you cannot add too much weight to the vehicle as this affects braking distances and reduces battery range
• if an impact did happen and the battery was damaged by the conversion it is extremely dangerous
Here at Car n Cab Care we take original,(ECWVTA) vehicles and adapt them using industry recognised methods and procedures, without effecting the original base vehicle approval. However if any approvals are seen to be affected then we are more than happy to work with local authorities to achieve a high level of compliance to include, where appro- priate, testing of all adaptations to a recognised industry standard.
WHY COUNCILS SHOULD REVIEW 100% WAV HACKNEY POLICIES
1. WAV hackneys are not a national requirement so why do certain areas demand it?
2. Saloon type vehicles are utilised worldwide as hackneys 3. Hackney drivers do not get paid to be an ambulance there- fore drivers cannot afford extremely expensive vehicles as
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they are working off a meter compared to better paid contract WAV work booked via an operator which is how the majority of wheelchair jobs are booked each day
4. Older traditional hackneys have the least room for lug- gage and the worst restraints for the wheelchair user - for wheelchairs to be safely restrained seven points must be utilised in all other conversions
5. Most customers do not like to travel backwards on long journeys
6. Rank work is at its lowest as internet and app bookings increase
7. Only around 10% of hackneys are used as WAVs 8. Wheelchair work use off a rank is around 2% (very low) 9. There is not a one option to ‘fit all’ wheelchairs in any side loading hackney - there are many different sizes of wheelchairs, so there should be more options available for different disabilities by having a mixed fleet
ALTERNATIVE HACKNEY VEHICLES NEEDED
The fact is most hackney drivers never do wheelchair work as these jobs are generally booked via an operator and some drivers are even exempt due to health issues. However, the majority of drivers want the security of a vehicle with a screen which is why they prefer to be a hackney driver. In reality during the day, shopping and buggy jobs are the most popular type of work, taking two or three people at a time, with larger vehicles needed for school contracts, night time jobs and airport work. Shaun believes, councils must now consider giving hackney drivers flexible, cheaper vehicle options to enable them to cater for the changing requirements of the travelling public; and as such has manufactured two ideal conversions which have both already been passed by a number of councils. The fuel cost savings could pay for the vehicle PLUS minimal servicing and running costs in a full EV. E-CABBI: A large versatile eight-seater rank vehicle with a screen that has plenty of room for pushchairs, shopping and luggage. A self-charging plug-in hybrid, that can do long distances as it charges up as it drives and slows down TAXIONIQ 5: A large but smaller full-electric rank vehicle with a screen that carries four passengers but still has a very large boot for wheelchair, pushchair and luggage. Ideal for the low rider customer that needs a wheelchair, but prefers to be pushed to the vehicle then slides into a comfortable seat. The Ioniq 5 is one of the few EVs that can charge up from 0-100% within 20 minutes off a 150DC rapid charger.
WHAT WOULD SHAUN BUY IF HE WAS A TAXI/PH DRIVER?
Best value self-charging hybrid for spec and mpg • Best mpg - Hyundai Ioniq self-charging hybrid is great value • Best for style and interior space - Kia Niro self-charging hybrid is only 3mpg less than the Ioniq
MAY 2022
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