Taxis and Babies

[mydearboy]

Hi Guys searched the forum but couldnt find any info

 

If you want to catch a taxi with a baby as a passenger how do you go about it? do you take your own seat, as australian ones are not very portable as the uk ones, or have i been looking at the wrong ones?

[Prema]

Correct me if I am wrong. I asked the same thing when were hoping in and out of taxis when we first got here. Taxis are exempt from having child seats. If you want to use one then you need to carry your own. This was the answer that I got from the taxi driver.

I took my booster seats with me all the time.

 

Prema

[mydearboy]

Really??? wow???

 

Just to confirm i am talking about a new born baby!

 

Can anyone shed more light on this

Thanks

Guys

[Cannons]

I'd be interested to know the answer to this too.

[Prema]

Just got this from the web.

 

Road Safety : New child restraint laws FAQs

 

New child restraint laws in South Australia

 

The Australian Road Rules currently require that children less than 12 months of age must be restrained in a suitable approved child restraint. However, children between 12 months and 16 years of age must be restrained in an approved child restraint or a properly fastened seatbe

lt, where one is available.

 

Taxi drivers

 

Taxi drivers are not required to provide child restraints or booster seats. Taxi drivers are exempt from responsibility for passengers under 1 year old but must ensure children over 1 year old are seated in the back seat with a properly fastened seatbelt if no child restraint is available.

Taxi drivers will continue to be responsible for ensuring passengers between the ages of 7 and 16 are appropriately restrained.

[newlife]

Taxi drivers

 

Taxi drivers are not required to provide child restraints or booster seats. Taxi drivers are exempt from responsibility for passengers under 1 year old but must ensure children over 1 year old are seated in the back seat with a properly fastened seatbelt if no child restraint is available.

Taxi drivers will continue to be responsible for ensuring passengers between the ages of 7 and 16 are appropriately restrained.

 

 

I just got this of the RAA website, I think it is advisable to ring the taxi company and ask them

 

Wendy

[mydearboy]

thanks all great answers, so taxi drivers are exempt, but are parents? does that mean a baby could go in a taxi without a car seat legaly for all? , i wouldnt do this obviously!!!

 

We have a great max cosy car uk seat which is amazingly light and great for carrying now i know this is apparently illeagal in private cars but if no seat is required could we use this in taxis here.....this could be the great answer im looking for...as aus baby seats are aboyt 3 times bigger and heavier than uk car seats and cant be easily transported around ie if we all went to a restaraunt for a meal by taxi??

 

Thanks guys interesting info as always

[mydearboy]

Can anyone expand on this?

[Guest Guest5035]

With the price of a cab ride, you won't be using a cab.

 

stevo

[Prema]

I think it's one of those grey areas that can get you caught out. Taxi drivers are exempt but you aren't. After the age of 1yrs kids can be strapped with just seat belt (in taxi), but under that age you will need to carry your seat with you.

 

Just my take on it. it's what I would do anyways.

Prema

[newlife]

I just found this on the BubHub site, might be of some help

Travelling in taxis

A child under the age of 7 is safest when travelling in a capsule or child restraint correct for it's age/size. Where possible, it is best if you can supply your own car seat when intending to travel in a taxi to ensure that your child is safe along with being more cost effective. All taxis should have the correct anchor point for fitting the restraint, but it is always advisable to call the taxi company in advance to check.

Taxi companies may be able to provide child restraints if they are given sufficient notice. A surcharge is the norm for the hire of the child seat and you will often have to pay for the taxi to collect the seat from a depot or taxi company's headquarters. Your journey will be metered from the carseat collection point, to wherever you are picked up and then onto your final destination. Check all charges with your taxi company in advance and ensure that you book your vehicle well in advance (at least an hour).

Older children (up to age 7 years) must use a child restraint if one is available. If there isn't one available, the child must wear a properly fastened and adjusted seatbelt.

The rules for travelling in taxis with very young children do vary from state to state within Australia. It is advisable to check with taxi companies when booking and to order a child seat in advance. Customer service desks at airports (both within Australia and internationally) should be able to assist you with booking taxis with childseats if you are not able to pre-book a taxi prior to your arrival.

[mydearboy]

With the price of a cab ride, you won't be using a cab.

 

stevo

 

Really i caught one from glenelg to clovelly park thye other day and couldnt believe how cheap it was $14 u wouldnt get to next street for that in uk lol

[mydearboy]

Hi just bumping this up to see what people are doing here with regards to young babies and taxi's cheers.

[mydearboy]

Hi just bumping this up to see what people are doing here with regards to young babies and taxi's cheers.

 

Still struggling with this one, any new ideas?

[Guest Trevez]

Still struggling with this one, any new ideas?

 

Were just off back to the UK for a hol next week and have to get to the airport in a taxi with our 6 month old. It's obviously not practical to take our own car seat. I called 131008 and they tell me it's "legal" to hold bubbs in the back with your own seatbelt on.

Doesn't seem very safe to me in the event of an accident. Looks like we may have to bodge something like trying to attach her somehow to the middle seatbelt and hold her in position. Taxi's provide special cabs for disabled, so why not have baby-safe cabs too with a baby seat? I guess it would cost them more, but I wouldn't mind paying an extra few $ surcharge for peace of mind.

[Sallyh]

Yes definitely in the UK you don't have to have a carseat legally for a baby (oops, sorry - editing to add I mean in a TAXI you don't!!). But you could organise something ahead of time there by getting a friend to lend you a seat ( cos they are more portable than the ones here).

 

I have to say Australia and car seats is a nightmare. in some ways it's more restrictive (ie the belt you have to have around the seat that makes it "not" portable except for those horrid "baby capsules" that don't look at all cosy or safe to me... but then there are weird rules about what you can get away with say for example for the over 7s and then the rules are nowhere near as safe as they are for UK children (IMHO!). DH was told by the RAA on Sat when I sent him there to buy a carseat for the new baby, and a harness for our 8YO who will have to travel in the middle seat with only a lap belt... that he didn't need to buy a harness, the lapbelt was fine.

 

Lapbelt only restraint for children was frowned on when WE were kids!!!! Everyone knows it's not safe yet the RAA missed selling something that the road safety booklet I have - that was printed here and explains SA rules, advises.

 

I read the rules as fas as babies is that the responsibility for everyone's seatbelt is the driver. So if you are a passenger in a taxi, it's the taxi driver's responsibililty... except it isn't, because they have been exempted for convenience (nothing to do with safety!!!) from responsibilities for just about the most vulnerable people you can find while they are driving...

 

If it were me, and I had NO CHOICE (I think usually we'd find there was a choice - bus, train, tram, friend with babyseat already installed, or hire car with hired babyseat...) I would wear the baby in a wrap sling (moby / hugabub) and sit in the middle seat without the lap-sash seatbelt. Or, what about buying one of the seatbelts they use on aeroplanes that go round the baby and link into the seatbelt?

 

Realistically, if you got stopped and that was deemed unsafe, what's the worst that can happen? Your baby's safer than the silly regulations, and that's worth a fine. More to the point though, you're just not going to get stopped cos no-one will see.