Sitting a child on your lap in a taxi

[briggsy's girl]

Drivers/company will put off supplying car seats as they are not obliged to do so. They don't keep them in the cars at all (theft risk) so a call fit a taxi plus seats requires driver to go out if their way to go back to base to collect seats, pick up the fate, then back to base to return seats. They don't get paid, and actually lose money for the time to go back to base and install seats and then return and remove them (fuel costs etc) so most will say no to the fare. The only obligation is to provide an anchor point for you to use I think

I know here (small town) bookings asking for car seat are not high on the list of wanted jobs by the drivers. And base is, at worst, 6km from a pick up in town. None of the drivers have an issue if you use your own though. If we are going to be out where we need to taxi it home we pull the seat out of our car and put it in the taxi. Takes about three minutes. Drivers are usually helpful with dropping seats to get to anchor points ( we only have station wagon taxis here)

[~clover~]

That states only under 12 months though Onyx. So once they're 12 months I assume they are supposed to just sit in a seat with a seat belt??

I do want to point out that there are people who do the wrong thing & they do sit with their child on their lap, & if anyone reading this ever does it for what ever reason DON'T SHARE THE SEAT BELT. In the event of an accident you could crush your child. If for God knows what reason it must be done, have the child on your lap, out of the seat belt.
I'm not condoning this in any way, but I think its something that people need to know.

I've only ever used a taxi needing a seat once when DD1 was 5 months old & it was provided. It was also reversable. I didn't take a car seat on the plane with me, but had DD3's with my luggage when we travelled. Car seats etc are free to travel on planes.

[Heaven]

I thought that too clover, that they shouldn't be in the seat belt with you because that was even more dangerous but they told me to do it that way a number of times!!!! Crazyness.

[glenny_c]

I believe that as taxis are classed as public transport you don't need proper child seats. Same rules as buses,

[Sagres]

In know is South Australia this is the case, you can legally have them sitting on your lap. In the event I've needed a taxi I've just found other ways around it because that is not cool with me. There are companies around who can provide transportation and car seats that you can pre-book. They might cost a bit more than a taxi but not tonnes more.

[Cass72]

Not sure where you are but I'm in the ACT.

I had to get my car serviced and thought I would catch a taxi with DS2 from the mechanic to work rather than waiting for the bus. Big mistake!

To give them credit the taxi company called me after 15 minutes and said there was a delay as I had requested a carseat but one was on it's way from the airport and should be there within 12 minutes.
After another 15 minutes I got another call to say that the taxi had taken another fare and, that they would dispatch another taxi.
A further 10 minutes later I got yet another call to say that they were having difficulty in getting a taxi with a "capsule" and, could the child sit on my lap.
I politely explained that the child was 2 years old and, as far as I was aware, it was the law that a child must be properly restrained in a car/booster seat until the age of 7. He said, so that's a no then.

After booking a taxi (with a child restraint) we were finally on our way one & half hours later!

I asked the driver to wait whilst I adjusted the seat and made sure that it was properly secured. I was a nervous wreck by time we got out of the taxi. Never EVER again!!

Just found this on the ACT Government website and, I am utterly appalled! ARE TAXI'S SOMEHOW MAGICALLY EXEMPT FROM CAR ACCIDENTS? What if this was your only way of transport and your child was injured (or, God forbid, killed) in a car accident because by law the child was not required to be properly restrained?

Do we need a child restraint in a taxi?
The ACT's laws do not mandate the use of a baby capsule, child restraint or booster seat in a taxi. In the ACT, taxi drivers are exempt from the child restraint laws that apply to the carriage of children under 7 years in motor vehicles, where a suitable baby capsule, child restraint or booster seat is not available. However, a child under the age of 7 years must not be carried in the front seat of a taxi. The road transport laws require that all taxis must be fitted with at least one child restraint anchorage bolt, so that a person in charge of a young child may provide his or her own baby capsule, child restraint or booster seat for installation in the taxi. If you can, take your child's restraint with you. Most ACT taxis carry a child safety harness (H-harness) which can be used without a booster seat.

[Cass72]

As an aside, I was charged for the use of the carseat.