Purpose
Taxis and ride-sharing or ride-hailing services such as Uber and Lyft are for-profit businesses that provide on-demand, point-to-point transportation for the public. Fees or fares are charged based on factors such as distance traveled, time taken for the journey, and sometimes additional charges for services like waiting time, luggage, or tolls. While most anyone can use these services, consumers with a disability or using a wheelchair are advised to talk with the provider to determine if their needs can be accommodated. Consumers are also advised that these services operate differently than government-funded community transportation services which have more requirements to protect consumers and accommodate special needs.
Taxi Services in New Hampshire
Taxi services in New Hampshire are licensed and regulated by municipalities and must adhere to any applicable state laws. The driver is required to hold a valid drivers license and valid taxi license. A clean driving record and a satisfactory criminal background check should also be required. A company or government agency may also require additional training and certification for the taxi driver. New Hampshire has a mix of corporate and individually operated taxi services. A company is likely to have a larger fleet of vehicles that it owns and maintains while an individual may only have one or two vehicles for which they are directly responsible to maintain. In all cases, a reliable service should have insurance in place to protect both the driver and passengers.
Ride Sharing Services in New Hampshire
Uber and Lyft are examples of ride-sharing services that provide a corporate umbrella for individual drivers to drive independently and use their own vehicles when transporting people. Drivers set their own hours and availability, responding to ride requests in real time. Drivers are required to meet the minimum age to drive in a municipality (Lyft 25 and Uber 21) and hold a valid driver’s license. Each driver using her own car is required to maintain insurance and a valid vehicle registration.
How it Works
In recent years, technology has played a significant role in the taxi industry, with the advent of ride-hailing apps that connect passengers with nearby available taxis or rideshare vehicles like Lyft and Uber. These services are commonly found in urban and rural areas to a lesser extent, but let’s face it, this is New Hampshire, not New York City so you probably won’t be hailing a taxi on the street! Fear not, now you can easily get a ride by phone or mobile applications (“apps”) on your smart phone. In more rural areas it is likely that these services are limited. This means that you need to do your research, schedule a ride as far in advance as possible, and have a backup plan if the service isn’t available.
Fun Fact
The concept of “taxis” has long been in service as early as 1600’s. There were horse-drawn carriages and other forms. But the taxis that we know today started in 1891 and is actually based on the invention of the “taximeter”. The instrument was invented by a German citizen named Friedrich Wilhelm Gustav Bruhn. The “taximeter” was designed to calculate a fixed price based on the traveled distance or time of the vehicle. By 1897, an enterprising Frenchman called Gottlieb Daimler built the world’s first dedicated gasoline-powered taxi vehicle. He then equipped the vehicle with a “taximeter” and later named it Daimler Victoria. [Source: keeptaxisalive.org]