1.  This Order may be cited as the Heathrow Taxi Sharing Scheme Order 1987 and shall come into force on 1st June 1987.

2.  The Secretary of State hereby makes the Heathrow Taxi Sharing Scheme as set out in the Annex to this Order.

ANNEXTHE HEATHROW TAXI SHARING SCHEME 1987

Interpretation

1.  In this Scheme, unless the context otherwise requires:

"authorised destination" means any destination of a journey within the zones described in paragraph 1 of the Schedule to this Scheme;

"authorised place" means the hackney carriage stand at Terminal 1 at Heathrow Airport;

"exclusive service" means a service other than at separate fares;

"shared service" means a service at separate fares;

"taxi" means a vehicle licensed under section 6 of the Metropolitan Public Carriage Act 1869(2).

Application

2.-(1) The requirements of this Scheme shall apply to taxis standing for hire or hired at separate fares under the terms of this Scheme for a journey from the authorised place to an authorised destination.

(2) Any taxi may at the option of the holder of the licence for that vehicle be used for the carriage of passengers at separate fares under the terms of this Scheme.

Authorised place and availability

3.-(1) The authorised place is designated as the place from which taxis may be hired under this scheme.

(2) A taxi shall be available for hire under this Scheme when it is standing at the authorised place and displaying a notice containing the words specified in paragraph 4 of this Scheme.

Signs on vehicles

4.  There shall be displayed on any taxi standing for hire under the terms of this Scheme (in addition to any other sign, mark or notice which is required to be displayed on the taxi) a notice containing the words "Shared Taxi".

Arrangements for a shared service

5.  If a person seeks to hire a shared service a taxi available for hire under this Scheme and the driver is unable to find at least one other person to share the hiring within a reasonable time, then no fare shall be payable and the driver shall be free to seek an alternative hiring provided that the driver and the first mentioned person may continue to wait for another person to offer to share the taxi for so long as they both agree to do so.

Fares, meters and signs

6.-(1) The maximum fare payable by each passenger for a journey shall be the appropriate amount indicated in paragraph 2 of the Schedule to this Scheme.

(2) No fare shall be charged for any child under the age of two years, and no such child shall be counted when calculating the number of people sharing the vehicle.

(3) For the purpose of computing fares, each child over the age of two years but under the age of ten years shall be charged at half fare and when calculating the number of people sharing the vehicle-

(a)if an even number of such children are being carried, one half of that number shall be counted; and

(b)if an odd number of such children are being carried, one half of the even number immediately following that odd number shall be counted.

(4) A charge shall be made for each article of luggage equal to the charge that would be made if the taxi were hired by a single passenger for an exclusive service(3), and this charge shall be payable by the passenger whose luggage it is.

(5) Before the commencement of any journey from the authorised place by a taxi for the purpose of a shared service, any person may (notwithstanding any earlier agreement) decide not to be carried as a passenger and no fare or other charge shall be payable by that person.

(6) The taxi meter shall not be operated and the roof sign shall not be illuminated during the hiring.

Obligatory hirings

7.  The driver of a taxi available for hire under this Scheme shall not, without reasonable excuse, refuse a hiring to two or more persons seeking a shared service to any authorised destination or destinations; but he may, with the agreement of those persons, wait for a reasonable period for further passengers to share the hiring.

Luggage

8.  The driver shall not refuse to carry in his taxi the luggage of a passenger if the luggage can be accommodated safely within the luggage compartment of the taxi with the luggage of other passengers already accepted by him.

Route

9.  The route taken by the taxi and the order in which passengers are set down shall be determined by the driver, but he shall not unreasonably prolong the journey of any passenger.

Paragraphs 1 and 6

SCHEDULEZONES AND FARES

1.-(a) In this Schedule-

"the West Zone" means Paddington and Victoria stations and the area within a boundary formed by the following roads:

Holland Road; Addison Crescent; Addison Road; Warwick Gardens; Pembroke Road; Earls Court Road; Redcliffe Gardens; Redcliffe Square; Redcliffe Gardens; Edith Grove; Cremorne Road; Cheyne Walk; Chelsea Embankment; Grosvenor Road; Besborough Gardens; Vauxhall Bridge Road; Victoria Street; Bressendon Place; Lower Grosvenor Place; Grosvenor Place; Hyde Park Corner; Park Lane; Marble Arch; Edgware Road; Harrow Road; Bishopsbridge Road; Westbourne Grove; Pembroke Villas; Pembroke Road; Notting Hill Gate; Holland Park Avenue.

"the East Zone" means Marylebone, Euston, Kings Cross and St Pancras Stations and the area within a boundary formed by the following roads:

Vauxhall Bridge Road; Victoria Street; Bressendon Place; Lower Grosvenor Place; Grosvenor Place; Hyde Park Corner; Park Lane; Marble Arch; Edgware Road; Marylebone Road; Euston Road; Pentonville Road; Kings Cross Road; Farringdon Road; Farringdon Street; New Bridge Street; Victoria Embankment; Bridge Street; Parliament Square; St Margaret's Street; Old Palace Yard; Abingdon Street; Millbank; Bessborough Gardens.

2.  The maximum fare payable by each person for a journey in a taxi to which the Scheme applies shall be the sum of the amount indicated in the Table and the charge for luggage (if any) under paragraph 6(4) of the Scheme.

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order contains in its Annex the Heathrow Taxi Sharing Scheme.

The Scheme applies to taxis standing for hire or hired at the authorised place (namely, the hackney carriage stand at Terminal 1, Heathrow Airport) for a journey to an authorised destination (being any destination within the zones described in paragraph 1 of the Schedule to the Scheme)-see paragraphs 1, 2 and 3(1) of the Annex.

Taxis available for hire under the Scheme are to display a sign containing the words "Shared Taxi"-see paragraphs 3(2) and 4. The fares payable are specified in paragraph 6 of the Annex, read with paragraph 2 of the Schedule.

Paragraphs 5 and 7 to 9 contain supplementary provisions relating to the arrangements for shared services, obligatory hirings, luggage and the route to be followed.