Section 7: Other health and safety advice

Section 7: Other health and safety advice

This section gives you other health and safety information

Smoking in taxis

Smoking and using e-cigarettes and vapes are forbidden in all taxis at all times. This includes passengers and you, the driver, even when the taxi is not being used for hire and reward.

All taxis must display TfL no-smoking signs.

You must make sure passengers do not smoke or use e-cigarettes or vapes in your taxi. If a passenger refuses to comply, you can take the following steps to enforce the law, based on advice from the Department of Health and Social Care:

• Point to the no-smoking signs and ask the person to stop smoking
• Inform them that you would be committing an offence if you allowed them to smoke, and they are breaking the law, and you could both be fined

If they refuse to stop smoking:

• You may refuse to accept the hiring
• Keep a record of where and when the incident took place, the name of the person involved if known, and the outcome following your refusal If physical violence is threatened by a person smoking, you should call 999 and seek assistance from the police.

Working hours and fatigue

As a self- employed taxi driver, you can choose the hours you work and there are no rules that limit the number of hours that you can work in a day or a week.

However, remember to take regular breaks from driving and take regular days off. Driving when you are tired greatly increases the risk of collisions.

Tips to help avoid fatigue include:

• Avoid starting driving or taking a fare if you already feel tired
• Have enough sleep before starting work
• Avoid heavy meals before starting driving
• Plan a 15-minute break for every two hours of driving
• If you feel yourself starting to get tired, stop and take a break
• Avoid drinking too much caffeine. The effects of drinks that contain caffeine don’t last long, and when they stop, you may feel more fatigued
• Take a nap (short sleep) of around 15 -20 minutes when necessary
• Remember that patterns of work can sometimes cause fatigue – for example, when you switch from daytime working to night working

When considering your risk from fatigue and if it is safe to go to work, think about how long you have been awake and how much sleep you have had. A long period without sleeping or only having a short sleep before going to work could increase your risk of fatigue. The risk may also be increased at certain times, such as late at night or early in the morning, when we tend to notice things more slowly.

Cleaner air for London

It is essential that we do all we can to improve air quality in London by reducing harmful emissions. Follow these steps to help reduce vehicle emissions – they will also reduce your fuel consumption (the amount of fuel used) and save you money:

• If you are going to be parked and stationary for more than one minute, switch off your engine
• Switch off your engine when waiting at taxi ranks
• Keep your tyres inflated (filled with air) and check the pressure (the correct amount of air) regularly under-inflated tyres are dangerous and will increase your fuel consumption
• Remember air- conditioning and electrics all add to your fuel consumption
• Brake and accelerate slowly and smoothly to save fuel and reduce wear and tear (damage) to your vehicle
• Drive within the speed limit – this is the law, and as well as being safer, this also reduces fuel consumption
• Modern taxis are designed to drive off from cold. Warming up the engine wastes fuel and causes engine wear

Remember that the steps you take benefit you, your family, other drivers and your passengers, too.