Why the last fare of a long taxi shift can be the most dangerous

The last fare of a long shift can look like the easiest money of the day. The driver is already out, the passenger is waiting and another decent job might cover the fuel bill or make the night’s takings look more respectable.

There is just one problem. The driver may no longer be fit to drive. Fatigue is an awkward subject in the taxi trade because working hours are closely connected to earnings. Drivers are understandably reluctant to finish early when there is still money to be made or targets to hit.

But tiredness does not become less dangerous because the driver is self-employed.

The Highway Code warns that driving while tired greatly increases the risk of a collision. Rule 91 advises drivers to ensure they are fit to drive, take regular breaks and avoid beginning long journeys when already tired.

Those warnings apply just as much to a licensed taxi driver as to anybody else using the road. The difficulty is that taxi working patterns can make fatigue harder to recognise.

A driver may spend several hours waiting for work, complete a succession of short journeys and then accept a long-distance booking towards the end of the shift.

The quiet periods can create the impression that the driver has been resting. But sitting in a vehicle waiting for a booking is not necessarily equivalent to restorative sleep or a proper break. Nor does a relatively low mileage figure prove that somebody is fit to continue driving.

The regulatory position is different from that applying to many larger passenger-carrying vehicles.

GOV.UK explains that drivers of non-PSV vehicles with up to eight passenger seats are not subject to the passenger-vehicle drivers’ hours regimes described in its guidance.

Different rules apply to qualifying buses, coaches and minibuses. That does not mean ordinary taxi drivers have unlimited freedom to drive regardless of fatigue.

Road traffic law, general safety responsibilities and licensing expectations are still a priority. Employment and working-time rules may also apply depending on the driver’s status and circumstances. The absence of a universal taxi-specific tachograph should not be mistaken for an absence of responsibility.

Transport for London (TfL) advises taxi and private hire drivers to obtain adequate sleep, take regular breaks and stop driving when they begin to feel tired. Its health and wellbeing guidance suggests planning a 15-minute break for every two hours of driving and considering a short nap when necessary.

That is good practical advice, although the precise break pattern needed will depend on the driver and circumstances as to whether there is parking space to pull over to take such a break. Strict parking restrictions, expensive parking space costs and camera enforcement make taking a breaking harder by the day.

A big problem is that fatigue can develop gradually. A driver may feel perfectly capable when accepting a booking, only to struggle with concentration later in the journey.

Long periods on familiar roads can be particularly deceptive too. The absence of difficult driving decisions does not necessarily mean the driver remains alert.

Night work adds another complication as drivers working through the early hours may be operating at times when their bodies would normally expect sleep. A driver who finishes a late shift and then returns for an early airport booking may have had very little opportunity for meaningful rest.

The commercial pressures are obvious.

A self-employed driver pays vehicle costs whether working or not. Somebody financing an expensive taxi may feel compelled to extend the working day to reach a particular earnings target. That should not be the case.

Private hire platforms can also influence behaviour through booking availability, incentives and the prospect of securing another fare. That does not establish that any particular platform encourages unsafe working. It does mean operators should consider how their systems affect driver decisions.

A booking offer that appears attractive financially may still be unsuitable for a driver approaching the end of a long working period. There is a difference between an operator being unable to know every detail of a driver’s activities and making no effort to identify obvious fatigue risks.

Where a business has reliable information about time spent working through its own system, that information can help inform sensible safeguards.

But the modern driver may work for several operators or platforms. One company may see only part of the working day. A driver could complete several hours of app work, undertake private account bookings and then accept a late journey through another system. No individual operator necessarily has a complete picture.

That makes personal responsibility particularly important. Drivers need to recognise when their concentration, reactions or judgement are deteriorating and stop before those symptoms become dangerous.

The temptation to rely on coffee or energy drinks should also be treated cautiously.

Caffeine can provide temporary alertness, but it does not replace adequate sleep. TfL’s guidance specifically warns that its effects are short-lived. A short break may help with temporary tiredness. Persistent fatigue requires proper rest.

There is also a question for licensing authorities. Some councils have considered or recommended working-hour limits for taxi and private hire drivers.

Bassetlaw District Council, for example, states in its licensing policy that there are no direct controls over ordinary taxi and PHV drivers’ working hours comparable to those for certain larger vehicles.

It nevertheless recommends working-time limits as a guideline to promote safety.

The intention is understandable. The difficulty is designing a rule that is enforceable, proportionate and capable of accounting for drivers working across multiple operators.

A fixed daily limit might be simple to write into a policy. Establishing whether it has been exceeded could be considerably more difficult. There is also the distinction between time spent driving, waiting for work and taking genuine breaks. Treating all three as identical could produce misleading results.

A better approach would combine driver education, realistic rest planning and operational safeguards with enforcement where there is evidence of unsafe driving.

Operators can help by allowing drivers to decline work when tired without unnecessary pressure. They can also consider whether late-night and long-distance bookings are being allocated sensibly.

For the driver, the decision is more personal. A final fare may add another £30 or £40 to the day’s turnover. That is attractive when costs are high. But a collision caused by fatigue can threaten the vehicle, the licence and somebody’s life.