Is there a Canadian mandate to replace their taxi fleet with prius's?

I don't know the answers, but they both seem to be good ideas. :madgrin:

 

I think there was a big coordinated mary j happy dance across the country today (I'm a student...I'm privy to these things

 

Maybe Canadian taxi drivers like making more money by driving a car that is lower maintainance and uses less fuel. I doubt they charge less for people to ride in a Prius.
In Adelaide it is illegal to use a Prius for a taxi, how stupid is that law?
All taxis must be at least 6 cylinder, white and there is a minimum wheelbase.

 

:doh:

 

That law is absolutely weird. I can understand laws that prevent certain hybrids from becoming taxis like minimum cargo space requirements and so on. But the Prius should easily make the mark on that and several other areas.

Anyway, Prius taxis in my area are so common place that now we have another sad trend forming among the more bone-headed buying public... "we're not getting a Prius because it looks like a taxi".

We should have a (poll) about all the stupid reasons and excuses some people make in order to avoid hybrids?

Cheers;

MSantos

 

Another advantage a Prius has over most cabs on the road in Adelaide. Most if not all cabs here run on LPG (propane) which means a huge tank in the boot (trunk) so the space for luggage is reduced to much smaller than a Prius.
I might write the minister for transport and ask why the rules are so stupid.

 

No kidding Pat.

Over here we have "taxi commissions" which provide regulatory control over taxi companies and their fleets and they actually make the rules. I would assume that perhaps an equivalent body exists there as well.

Cheers;

MSantos

 

No, there is no mandate to replace all taxis with Prius in Canada. Taxis are a low margin buisness so it makes sense to use a Prius.

Yes, there is a world wide marijuana smoke-in (every year) to try to get the laws changed. I forget what they call the day. Here in Edmonton they met on the Legislature lawn and smoked up. I saw no police on the news reports on TV.

 

I've heard that marijuana use can cause short term memory loss. :madgrin:

 

Here in Australia, every state's Ministry of Transport sets the regulations for taxis operating in that state. Luckily for me, NSW has approved the Prius as a taxi - we already have a couple running in Sydney and some country areas.

 

Dude, Vancouver, Victoria, and according to MSantos, Winnipeg are all swarming with Prius taxis - soley because of the economics.

 

I'm in Vancouver right now. So, I decided to take a Prius taxi to ask the driver some questions. They're so plentiful here that it's very easy to find a Prius taxi. I only had to walk one extra block to find one, and that's only because I missed one that drove right past me.

1) The Prius I got in had over 280000 km. This was a 2006 Prius.

2) There are some in the 550000 km range out there.

3) Most of the North American cars they've used need to be replaced at about the 200000 km mark.

4) Reliability is higher and maintenance costs are lower. For example, his Prius needed the brakes done at 127000 km, but the North American non-hybrids need them done at about 50000-60000 km.

5) He gets about the low 5.x L/100 km on average. In the winter he gets 5.4-5.6 L/100 km. (In Toronto, I average over 6 L/100 km, but our winters are harsher, our summers are hotter, and I tend to accelerate quickly.)

6) According to him, many of the drivers who are buying taxis are buying Priuses, specifically for the low maintenance and operating costs, and their longer usable lifespan. Some like him keep them as personal vehicles after they retire them from active taxi duty.

I was originally thinking of getting rid of my Prius in 2010, or 2011 (when my extended warranty runs out). However, given the above, I'm considering trying to keep it much longer (2015?). One thing I'm worried about though is the multi-function display dying. OTOH, I have less than 75000 km on my Prius, after over 5 years.

BTW, AFAIK, Priuses are not allowed as taxis in Toronto. Personally I think that's completely moronic.

TheStar.com | Business | Prius too small as T.O. limo

P.S. It's nice to have free wireless internet access in the airport here in Vancouver.

 

We have a bunch of Prius taxis here in Kingston, ON, so it's not a provincial rule to not allow Prius taxis. I saw a couple Echo taxis before the Prius taxis started, so size certainly wasn't an issue. The local taxi commission has come a long was since most of the cabs were these huge Caprice Classics carrying one fare. When the local cab company was complaining that they couldn't get Priuses as fast as they wanted after running them for a couple years, I took a look at the Prius. Before that I was probably vaguely enough aware of stuff from the smear campaign, so I hadn't bothered. But if they can convince Amey's Taxi of their worth then I should take a look. Glad I did.

I now have a bit over 4Mm on my car... still a hint of new car smell.

 

120,000km on my 2004 and after a $25 + 1 hour fix, it's going strong. Aussie roads are rough too!

 

Well Prius as taxis weren't seen in Edmonton - until now! Saw one yesterday, painted in the Co-Op colours as well (white with green trim). Taxi light on roof. Co-Op taxis are driver owned. They pay a fee to join the Co-Op group.

I waved, he ignored me.