Taxi features

The driver of a taxi must hold a parking permit displayed on the vehicle. This authorization is attached to a geographical area in which the taxi has the right to “maraud”, that is to say:

• Take care of passengers who hail him in the street or via the State application « Le.taxi » ;
• Pick up passengers waiting in lines reserved for taxis at train stations and airports ;
• Waiting at a “taxi station” where a passenger can request it directly or call it.

2022: Switch to digital for taxi raiding

Parking permits are issued by the mayor – the prefect of police in Paris – who sets the number and defines the “marauding” zone.

The taxi must be equipped with special equipment because of its right to “maraud”:

• A taximeter: meter that records the journey, the duration and indicates the amount to be paid. The taximeter dial must be legible for passengers.
• A printer, connected to the taximeter, to print the ticket for the passenger, which specifies the price to be paid;
• A payment terminal, in working order and visible to the passenger, allowing the passenger to pay for the trip by credit card;
• A lighted external device bearing the word “taxi”, indicating the municipality of attachment and the information according to which the taxi is available or not. It is also equipped with lamps whose color varies according to the tariff.

Customer Support

Taxis can pick up ‘marauding’ consumers in their ‘marauding’ area, and only in that area.

If they have been reserved, they can however take care of customers anywhere in the national territory, such as VTCs, that is to say outside their “marauding” area. But beware, in this case, except in certain large cities such as Paris or Lyon where reservation packages exist, the journey made by a taxi between the reservation and the moment the customer is picked up is invoiced. The route should be as short as possible unless the passenger specifically requests another route of their choice. However, since the taxi is responsible for any toll rates, it can choose a route without tolls; if the passenger nevertheless prefers the toll route (because it is faster for example), he must indicate this to the taxi and pay the corresponding toll charges.

A taxi cannot require a minimum distance to be covered.

The route should be as short as possible unless the passenger specifically requests another route of their choice. However, since the taxi is responsible for any toll fares, it can choose a route without tolls; if the passenger nevertheless prefers the toll route (because it is faster for example), he must indicate this to the taxi and pay the corresponding toll charges.

A taxi cannot require a minimum distance to be covered.

In its marauding area, a free taxi (“taxi” luminous device on) cannot refuse a customer unless it is a reservation or for a legitimate reason (for example if the vehicle is likely to be soiled or damaged due to passengers, objects or animals to be transported, with the exception of guide dogs) or if it is a reservation.

Prices

Taxi fares are regulated by the state, both for marauding and for reservations. The evolution of the maximum prices is set each year by the Minister for the Economy. Prefectural decrees set the different components of the price of the trip in each department, taking into account the rate of increase adopted annually.

Except in special cases (packages), the price of the taxi is not known in advance. In all cases, it is displayed at the end of the trip on the dial of the taximeter, the taxi being however free to grant a discount on this price. Every year, the taxi has its taximeter updated to incorporate the new prices.

Except in the case of packages, the taxi price includes the following components:

• The support, lump sum applicable from the start of the race, different in each department, its maximum amount is €4.18;
• A kilometer rate: each kilometer traveled by the taxi will be charged at this amount, except when the taxi is stationary or at low speed; this rate is subject to increases which are specific to each department (night journey, distance of the taxi from its marauding area, snowy roads, rush hours);
• An hourly rate: each minute the taxi spends at a standstill or at low speed will be charged this amount;
• Supplements: three types of supplements, different in each department can be applied:
  • the “passenger” supplement from the 5th adult or minor;
  • the “luggage” supplement when it cannot be transported in the boot or in the passenger compartment of the vehicle and requires the use of external equipment or when a passenger has more than three suitcases or luggage equivalent size;
  • the “reservation” supplement: for the cities of Paris, Lyon, Nice, Cannes, Antibes and Toulouse only.Please note: no return supplement or compensation can be claimed.

If a taxi is reserved,it is tolerated that the taxi activates its meter before picking up the passenger, in order to take into account the route traveled to get to the meeting place. This practice is subject to a framework specific to each department.
Warning: consistently, the invoicing of an additional booking supplement is strictly prohibited.

In accordance with the regulations, the taximeter never displays an amount lower than €7.30, which corresponds to the amount that a taxi can always charge a passenger, even if the journey is very short. If he wishes, he can agree to a reduction on this amount.

Furthermore, any toll charges are the responsibility of the taxi and not of the passenger, unless the latter has expressly requested to take a toll route.

Parisian taxis (2022 prices)

In Paris, there are only three horokilometric tariffs: in addition to the basic tariff (tariff A – applicable during the day, on weekdays, in Paris intramuros), if adds two increased rates (rates B and C) depending on the circumstances (night, peak hours, weekends, Sunday mornings, inner suburbs, outside the inner suburbs).

All the relevant elements are specified on the site de la préfecture de police (cf. Accueil > Démarches > Un particulier > Transports > Taxis parisiens).

Warning: There is no additional baggage charge in Paris. No baggage supplement can thus be applied, even in the case of airport packages.

In addition, in Paris, in case of reservation, the practice of the approach race is strictly prohibited because “immediate” and “in advance” reservation packages of 4 and 7€ have been set up. If you book the taxi, the horokilometric rate (A, B or C) does not start to apply until the passenger enters the vehicle, or if the passenger is late, from the meeting time. In order to take into account the journey that the taxi made to get to the meeting place, only the reservation package should apply.

Finally, journeys between Paris intramuros and CDG and Orly airports are subject to flat-rate fixed prices which replace the price of pick-up and the horokilometric rate (the supplements are extra). A single package must be applied for the same trip, even for the transport of several passengers (without additional baggage).

Packages in Paris
Airport packages (maximum amounts)	Between Paris – Charles-de-Gaulle airport and Paris “right bank” Between Paris – Charles-de-Gaulle airport and Paris “left bank” Between Paris-Orly airport and Paris “right bank” Between Paris-Orly airport and Paris “left bank”	53,00 € 58,00 € 37,00 € 32,00 €

Supplements in PARIS
Supplements (maximum amounts)	“Immediate booking” supplement Advance booking supplement BaggageAdditional passengers (per passenger from the 5th passenger)	4,00 € 7,00 € 0,00 €4,00€

Other taxis (2022 rates)

In the provinces, there is generally a single hourly rate. However, some departments provide for an increase in the hourly rate for the night.

Fares and timetables can be viewed in the following document:

Invoicing – note delivery

The driver can refuse certain methods of payment such as payment by check but must indicate this on the exterior window of the vehicle. He is required to accept payment by credit cardregardless of the amount of the fare, and must therefore have a payment terminal in his vehicle. bank card visible to the customer and in working order.

For races for which the amount is less than 25 euro (including tax), the issue of a note is optional, but it must be given to the customer if he so requests. For races whose amount is greater than or equal to 25 euros, the issuance of a note is mandatory.

The note should be printed.

She understands :

a) The date the note was written;
b) The start and end times of the race;
c) The name or corporate name of the service provider or its company;
d)The registration number of the taxi vehicle;
e) The postal address to which a complaint can be addressed;
f)The amount of the minimum ride;
g)The price of the trip, all taxes included, excluding supplements.

However, elsewhere than in Paris, supplements can be handwritten on the note. The passenger can also request that his name, the place of departure and the place of arrival be written, in a handwritten way, on the note.

In case of disputes

At first, an “amicable” approach with the carrier or the competent customer service of your transport operator is to be preferred (keep a copy of your complaint);

Secondly, other amicable or legal procedures are possible:

Reports can be sent by registered letter to the town hall of the municipality where the taxi is parked and, for Parisian taxis, to the Paris Police Headquarters. via the simplified procedure online form (Taxis and VTC) or at the taxi and public transport office – 36 rue des Morillons 75015 Paris.

In any case, remember to communicate:

• your contact details,
• a vehicle and/or driver identification element such as:
  • registration number,
  • radio code (number written on the rear window of the vehicle,
  • driver’s professional card number (displayed on the windscreen)
  • parking number (marked in red on the black plate at the front right of the body)

• any useful document or proof of the facts (race note, credit card ticket, photograph, etc.)

You can contact the consumer mediator chosen by the service provider: cf. the sheet relating tola médiation.

The above items are for information only. They are not necessarily exhaustive and cannot replace the official texts.

 

ARTICLE SOURCE : https://www.economie.gouv.fr/dgccrf/Publications/Vie-pratique/Fiches-pratiques/Taxi

Regulations: VTC

 

Need a transportation solution other than public transit? You have the possibility :

• hail a taxi on the street or in a ‘taxi queue’, especially at train stations and airports (see also the ‘taxi’ sidebar);
• to book by phone or via a smartphone application a taxi, a transport vehicle with driver (VTC), a light public transport vehicle (known as LOTI^[1] ) or a motorized vehicle with 2 or 3 wheels (motorbikes-pro).

Since 1^st January 2018, LOTI vehicles can no longer run races in a vehicle with less than 10 seats (including the driver’s seat), in urban areas with more than 100,000 inhabitants .

To travel, it is also possible to use non-professional drivers in the context of carpooling (see the sheet on carpooling).

The characteristics of the vehicle

Taxi vehicles, VTCs and LOTI vehicles are all vehicles with a maximum of nine seats. Moto-pros are 2 or 3-wheeled vehicles carrying at most one passenger.

Taxi vehicles must meet obligations of varying size and age depending on the department.

VTCs and moto-pros meet obligations in terms of size, age and power throughout the national territory.

A LOTI vehicle gives rise, throughout its life, to an obligation to set aside funds by the company. This reserve increases with the age of the vehicle, in order to ensure that the company is able to maintain it in good condition.

In addition, a minimum comfort level and types of vehicles are generally defined by reservation platforms according to their commercial policy.

These vehicles have distinctive signs, which make it possible in particular to distinguish them from non-professional activities (carpooling, illicit activities, etc.):

• Taxis: a light on the roof indicating “taxi” and the name of the municipality of attachment;
• VTC: a RED sticker affixed to the corner of the front and rear windscreen;
• LOTI vehicles: a PURPLE sticker affixed to the corner of the front and rear windscreen;
• Motos-pros: a BLUE sticker affixed to the corner of the front and rear windscreen.

What are the driver’s obligations?

Taxi, VTC, LOTI vehicle and motorcycle-pro drivers are all professionals, that is to say people whose job is to transport travelers by road. They are subject to a periodic medical examination.

Taxi, VTC and motorbike drivers must pass an exam before they can practice. They also undergo continuing training every 5 years within a state-approved body. Their criminal record is checked (absence of conviction for offenses causing a reduction of half of the points of the license, for driving without a license, for crimes, for serious offenses in matters of morals or for offenses relating to narcotics).

The State issues a professional card to the driver which must be affixed to the windshield of the vehicle.

LOTI vehicle drivers carry out their activity under the control of a manager who must follow a compulsory training course of 200 hours and pass an exam allowing them to acquire a “certificate of transport capacity”. The manager’s criminal record is also checked.

The price of the race

• For taxis, the price is generally not known in advance and its method of calculation is regulated by the State and integrated into special equipment on board the vehicle: the taximeter . The taximeter displays the price at the end of the trip. Taxis are required to accept payment by credit card regardless of the amount of the fare. For more details, see the “Taxi” sidebar.
• For VTCs, LOTI vehicles, motorcycles-pros, the price is freely set by the carrier. Often the price is set by the booking platform. In practice, each platform thus has several commercial offers corresponding to differentiated prices and quality of service and carriers adhere to several platforms by adapting their price according to the one through which they are booked.

The price can be known when booking or, as for taxis, calculated after the service according to the travel time (duration of the service) and the distance traveled (horokilometric basis). Some platforms leave the choice to the consumer between these two price calculation methods.

In all cases, for all of these professionals, when the amount of the trip is greater than or equal to €25, the consumer must receive, before payment, on paper or electronically, a summary note (the note must also be issued for trips under €25 if the consumer requests it).

 

What to do in case of dispute?

At first, an “amicable” approach with the carrier or the competent customer service of your transport operator is to be preferred (keep a copy of your complaint).

Secondly, other amicable or legal steps are possible:

• for taxis; you can send a report by registered letter to the town hall of the municipality where the taxi is parked and, for Parisian taxis, to the Paris Police Prefecture via the online simplified procedure form (Taxis and VTC) or to the taxis and public transport – 36 rue des Morillons 75015 Paris.
• in other cases, you can contact the consumer mediator chosen by the service provider (see the sheet relating to mediation).

In any case, remember to communicate:

• your contact details,
• a vehicle and/or driver identification element such as:
• a registration number,
• a driver’s professional card number (displayed on the windscreen)
• any useful document or proof of the facts (race note, credit card ticket, photograph, etc.)

ARTICLE SOURCE: https://www.economie .gouv.fr/dgccrf/Publications/Vie-Pratique/Fiches-pratiques/taxis-vtc-loti-motos-pro

Touring car with driver – VTC

 

The VTC is a vehicle with up to nine seats, also providing transport for people and their luggage for a fee.

The driver of a VTC must hold a professional card which attests to his skills to carry out his activity.

The vehicle is quite luxurious since it must:

• be under 6 years old,
• offer luxury comfort and interior fittings,
• have an engine of at least 120 horsepower.

In order not to be confused with a taxi, it must not have a horokilometric counter and an external light device.

The VTC can only take care of a customer if its driver can justify a prior reservation from the customer.

It can neither park nor drive on the public road in search of customers. As an exception, a VTC can park near a station or an airport (or inside their enclosure) while waiting for the customer who has booked, but only for a maximum of 1 hour before picking up. in effective charge.

The prior reservation must be able to be proven by means of a reservation ticket (on paper or electronic medium), which must include the following information:

• name or corporate name and contact details of the company carrying out the activity,
• registration number issued by Atout France,
• name and telephone number of the customer requesting the transport service,
• date and time of the prior reservation made by the customer,
• date and time of the pick-up requested by the customer,

pick-up location indicated by the customer.

The use of VTC is growing in France and abroad with mobile applications that facilitate customer orders and reduce waiting times.

 

The elements above are given for information only. They are not necessarily exhaustive and cannot replace the applicable regulations.

 

SOURCE ADVERT: https://www.economie .gouv.fr/dgccrf/Publications/Vie-pratique/Fiches-pratiques/car-tourism-with-driver-vtc

VTC user: what are your rights?

Touring car with driver (VTC): what characteristics?

A passenger vehicle with driver (VTC) is a vehicle less than 6 years old offering travel for a fee in order to transport up to 8 passengers</ strong>. Unlike a taxi, a VTC is prohibited from parking or driving, while marauding, looking for a customer. Also, if you want to use its services, you must necessarily make a prior reservation.

So that no confusion can be made between VTC and taxi, the Transport Code provides for transport cars with driver to be provided with distinctive signage . Thus, a VTC cannot have a hour-odometer and an external lighting device, equipment specific to taxis.

VTC journey: how is a race?

As specified above, any race must be the subject of a prior reservation. Once your reservation has been made through an online platform, you will receive a confirmation, indicating the place and time of pick-up as well as elements allowing you to identify your vehicle with driver such as:

• the registration number of the vehicle
• the make and model of the vehicle
• a photograph of the driver.

Remember to check these items before boarding.

Read also: What is you should know about carpooling

VTC trip: what fares?

Often, the price you have to pay is flat rate, indicated at the time of booking, more rarely horokilometric therefore determined at the end of the service.

Unlike taxi fares, which are regulated by prefectural decree, VTC fares are freely set by the platform you use. Thus, the price of your trip may be subject to an increase for various reasons that may lead to an increase in demand, such as bad weather or strikes affecting public transport.

Finally, be aware that if the amount of your trip is equal to or greater than €25 including tax, the issuance of an invoice, on paper or electronically, is mandatory.

 

ADVERTISEMENT SOURCE: https://www.economie.gouv.fr/particuliers/acteur-vtc-droit</ a>