Other types of coverage may or may not be included in the policy. Some policies may include breakdown and assistance coverage, theft and fire coverage, legal expense coverage, loss of income coverage, windshield and glass coverage, and others. However, most instant taxi insurance policies will not include these types of coverage and you will have to make a determination of whether or not to use this optional coverage. Most of the coverage should not be considered optional if you want to remain on the road. Breakdown and assistance coverage could be a livelihood saver if your taxi breaks down and you need to have it towed and repaired quickly. Everyone has to be concerned about theft and fire. If someone breaks into your taxi and you do not have this type of extra coverage, you could find yourself with delays or costs that you cannot afford. Legal expense coverage can make up the difference you may need to procure a legal representative to help you out. If for some reason your vehicle is out of commission, loss of income coverage can make the difference between being able to pay the bills and going out of business. If you want to get an instant taxi insurance quote that will provide you with an instant taxi insurance policy, be sure to consider the extra coverage that you may need.

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If you are transporting goods with your commercial vehicles, you will want to purchase the extra goods in transit insurance. Usually this insurance is a separate policy from your regular commercial vehicle insurance policy. This type of insurance will help to provide coverage for your goods if they are stolen while in transit, if they are damaged in a vehicle accident, if they are lost while in transit, or if they are damaged while you are transporting them.

Some businesses often have more than just one commercial vehicle in use, and if you do, you will probably want to consider getting fleet insurance for your commercial vehicles. This will save you a great deal of time and money both. Whether you have two or three vans or you have an entire fleet of vehicles for hauling goods, this type of insurance can be a huge help. When you are choosing your fleet insurance, be sure that you choose the coverage that will best cover the types of use that your commercial vehicles get.

The costs associated with courier van insurance can be quite large, especially since there are so many of these types of vehicles on the road. Not only are there a lot of commercial vehicles out there, but most of them are larger than the average vehicle and can do more damage if they are involved in an accident. These factors result in the costs being higher for courier van insurance.

Even though costs may be high for courier van insurance, having this type of coverage is extremely important to you. There are a few ways that you can save on your insurance costs as well. Just increasing your access, insuring named drivers, and keeping your vehicles in secure locations at night can help reduce your costs.

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Recently, my husband and I were driving in a busy city in a third world country. This city has few driving rules. All you are required to do to get a license is pay the fee. No driving test is required. I drive in this same city at times, but I am amazed at the differences in how we manage the traffic. My driving technique is “defensive” driving. His strategy is “conquer and kill”.

I come from a family of female gaspers. When your are faced with a close call, you gasp. Well, this is annoying to my husband. I am learning to ride in the passenger seat with my eyes closed. It’s the only way I can keep from gasping.

Driving calmly through the city, this mini bus began to merge into our lane. He wrongly assumed my husband would drive like any other local, reduce his speed, and let him bully his way in front of him. Well, this “conquer and kill” male had no such thought. My husband never even braked. I was very proud of how I watched this vehicle side swipe us and never uttered one gasp.

It was not until after the mini bus had scraped down the side of our car, that he realized my husband was not budging and returned to his lane. He looked over at my husband and gave him a look that said, “Don’t you know how to drive?”

Now, I want to ask you, “Is it any wonder why insurance companies give women cheaper rates?” Several days later, I brought the subject up at home. I knew better than to say anything in the car at the time.

I said to my husband, “Now there’s the difference between you and me. I would have opted to slow down and let the taxi driver get in front of me rather than letting him hit me.” He had no rebuttal. It was true. It would have violated his masculinity to let that guy “conquer” him!

Of course, insurance rates are not being based on my husband’s driving (thank goodness). But, they are based on proven statistics. And, ladies, you are going to love this! Women have been shown statistically to be more overall more reliable drivers, and they file fewer claims.

The conclusions drawn by insurance companies are that women tend to be more cautious. Most of them are so convinced of this fact that they are willing to bet on it by giving them a cheaper rate.

Studies reflect that when women get in an accident, there is less damage done to the vehicle. That’s probably because we use the brakes even if it is the other guy who should! The story above is a case in point.

The insurance companies have found that women are less aggressive. I could have told them that years ago from driving with my husband.

Another interesting fact, that was brought out in one study I read, was that more women pass the driving test on the first try than men do. This has nothing to do with intelligence (the article pointed out), but that women tend to practice and prepare more for the test. (It must have been a woman who found that tidbit of information!)

So ladies, we may not be first in traffic, but we can take that extra 10% we’ve saved on our monthly premiums and get our nails done!

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Setting priorities is most important like if any bodys priority is to find the best deal and the cheapest limousine in town, then the best bet is not to hire a limousine at all and find alternative transportation according to the event. Mostly the limousine companies call and cancel the booking day before the wedding as they find someone who is willing to pay more at the last minute. Then the person gives hundred excuses like the car was really old and smelled like it, the chauffeur didn’t look or act professional or the air conditioner didn’t work. Also there are companies which are priced cheaper than the other. This is because each limousine company in town knows what they are worth and they charge accordingly. One should always look for few following points before hiring out a limousine. Firstly the manufacturer of the car should be considered. Secondly the insurance should be taken into consideration then thirdly the permits then fourthly the chauffeurs and finally the contract. Many different styles and colors are available in stretch limousines. One should have a look at all the available models and should make sure of the latest design makes that the limousine operator can provide.

Also the older vehicles should be considered as many older limousines are likely to have a higher mileage, which will show wear both in interior and exterior which is not like new Regal Limousines. Many old models of limousines don’t have the amenities that modern coach builders provide. Limousine manufacturer is another consideration. One should only ride in limousines that are built by manufacturer certified coach builders.

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Cambodian Taxis

Having spent two weeks in the relaxing beach town of Sihanoukville, I was getting bored and so were the three chaps traveling with me. It was time to head to the supposed chaos of Phnom Penh and eventually Angkor Wat. Despite the legendary reputation of Cambodian roads, the owner of our accommodations told us the road to Phnom Penh was smooth as glass. For twenty U.S. dollars, a local taxi would get all four of us to the city without incident.

Around noon, two Australians, an Englishman and myself crammed into a Toyota Camry with our backpacks and miscellaneous junk. Our driver was a good guy, smiling constantly. We did have a communication problem since he spoke about two words of English and we only spoke English. The road, however, was as smooth as promised and we congratulated ourselves on our stroke of luck.

For about an hour, we cruised through the placid Cambodian countryside. It was difficult to imagine the chaos that must have occurred when the Khmer Rouge was in power. There really wasnt much to see beyond the occasional village. About half way through the trip, the lack of any sizeable towns became a concern.

In the proverbial middle of nowhere, our driver pulled over to the side of the road and turned off the car. Since we couldnt verbally communicate, much finger pointing was undertaken. Were we lost? Did he want more money? Was he going on strike? What the heck was going on?

Eventually, we foreign idiots were able to decipher that the car was overheating. Lest you think us complete idiots, I must mention that the temperature gauge wasnt working. Regardless, our driver popped the hood and our smooth trip came to a cracked end. Steam poured from a half-inch crack next to the radiator crap.

Road site assistance seemed an iffy prospect in the middle of Cambodia. I mean, you couldnt really call your car insurance company.

Me: Hi. My car is broken.

Operator: Okay, we will send someone out. Where are you?

Me: Um, somewhere in the middle of Cambodia.

Operator: [hysterical laughter] Click.

The driver looked at us. We looked at him. Simultaneously, we all started laughing. What else could you do? We were in the middle of nowhere, the radiator was shot and it was 60 miles or so to Phnom Penh.

Looking back, I can tell you that Cambodian taxi drivers are a committed and creative group. We sat on the side of the road, contemplating the fact that we were about to have a much more authentic Cambodian experience then any of us had planned. Mysteriously, our driver had gone off into the brush on the side of the road. After a few minutes, he returned with a dark green leaf and a big smile.

Putting MacGyver to shame, he proceeded to patch the crack in the radiator using only the leaf and tube of superglue. We all moved back as he applied the superglue to the boiling hot radiator, but nothing went up in flames. After allowing for a suitable amount of time for drying/praying, all we needed was water.

Although admittedly not a car expert, I do know pouring cold water into the radiator of an overheating engine is a bad idea. MacGyver, err our driver, didnt bat an eye despite our extensive arm waving. With a big smile, the water went into the radiator as we watched in horror. The only question was what would happen first, the leaf patch bursting or the engine seizing up?

Well, you can guess how it turned out. Not only did we make it to Phnom Penh, we later learned the radiator had two other leaf patches on the bottom. The road had been smooth, but my nerves were still shot. At least I had ample ammunition to mock MacGyver fans.

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Who uses GPS tracking?

GPS tracking systems are used by businesses in the service, transportation and manufacturing industries. Businesses of all sizes, with fleets of 1 to thousands of vehicles, rely upon their tracking systems to add to their profitability.

Types of businesses using GPS tracking:

* Contractors who provide HVAC, plumbing or electrical services

* Limousine and taxi companies

* Uniform / Linen Services

* Food and Beverage Distributors

* Street Sweepers

* Pest Management Services

* Snow Plow Services

* Car Carriers

* Landscaping and Irrigation contractors

* Cable Company Contractors

* Bulk and Route Delivery

* Fuel / Oil Haulers

* Hazmat and/or Chemical Haulers

* Produce / Perishable Delivery

* Utility companies

* City, county and state motor pool fleets

What is it?

GPS tracking systems consist of a device installed in the vehicle, a central server and software for the owner to access the information.

All GPS tracking devices use data from the U.S. Governments constellation of Global Positioning System satellites to determine a vehicles location, speed and direction of travel.

The tracking device transmits data from GPS satellites overhead to a central computer server via either a communications satellite or, more often, via the local cellular phone network. The vehicle data is updated every 2 15 minutes, depending upon the owners preferences and manufacturers settings.

The central server makes the tracking data available to the system owner through the Internet. The owner logs onto the tracking companys secure web server and sees their vehicle data on a map and in text form. Some tracking companies make the data available for download, so the owner could archive it on their own computer.

Why do they use it?

Users of GPS tracking systems have many reasons why theyve installed them:

1. Tracking systems reduce vehicle costs by targeting speeding employees, who waste fuel, cause excessive engine wear and ultimately, drive up insurance rates.

2. Using the system’s automatic mileage reminder reduces downtime and enhances vehicle resale values by encouraging scheduled, preventative maintenance. Your tracking system will remind you when it’s time to rotate tires, change oil or perform other scheduled maintenance.

3. Many insurance companies offer discounts of up to 30% for vehicles protected with tracking systems.

4. Productivity is improved by:

a. documenting long lunch hours,

b. exposing unauthorized breaks,

c. comparing driver overtime requests with system reports of driver activity,

d. logging personal vehicle use after hours or on weekends.

5. GPS tracking systems improve customer service by showing you which employee is closest to the client who just called. WOW your customers–give them precise arrival or delivery estimates, based upon the actual location of your vehicles at the moment they call.

6. Your system can tell you the exact time and date each employee reached each customer. If a customer questions when your employee arrived or left –prove it to them.

7. Is one employee more productive than another? –Check the data. Is it time to add a vehicle? –Use your system and there’s no more guessing.

8. Use your system to correlate overtime performed with your employees’ overtime requests. See who is putting in extra time.

9. Never make another phone call to find out where your employees say they are.

10. Simplify asset management by displaying everything on one computer screen. Make work easier for your dispatcher.

11. Tracking systems work without any input from the driver. No driver logs needed.

Purchasers of GPS vehicle tracking systems say they recover their investment in an average of six 12 months, by both reducing expenses and improving productivity. While some users recoup their entire investment at one time by recovering a stolen vehicle, most users are repaid more gradually.

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How often do you need transportation and how far will you be going? Those are the first questions to ask. If you know that, you can get an idea about what your transportation costs for taxis would be on a regular basis.

Then, add up the cost of using your own vehicle for transportation:

- Car payments, if applicable

- Gas

- Repairs, even vehicles under warranty will need new tires, filters, etc.

- Insurance

- Parking and garaging fees

Compare the two, if it is less expensive to use a taxi service that may be the way to go. Some taxi companies will even give a discount if they take you to the same place everyday at the same time – work, school, etc. (It makes it easy for them to schedule, it is a guaranteed fare, and they may let you pay weekly or monthly.)

Why not use mass transit – subways and busses – instead. Lack of privacy, security and door-to-door service.

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Environmentally responsible business practice is now an ingrained part of corporate office life across the UK. Office recycling, energy-saving measures and supply chain monitoring are all part of this process as is, increasingly, the issue of green commuting encouraging the workforce to travel to and from the workplace in as eco-friendly a way as possible.
Many of the larger corporates have the resource and infrastructure to set out incentive schemes and work up green transport strategies for their employees. For example, back in 2005, Pfizer earmarked more than 800,000 a year to encourage its 1000 employees at its Walton Oaks site to opt for a green commute. When planning permission was granted for the site in Tadworth, Surrey, the company agreed to a transport plan setting out stringent green transport goals, including single occupancy vehicle, public transport and car-sharing targets.
But for those businesses at the other end of the spectrum, whose resources wont stretch that far, the notion of trying to manage a sustainable strategy over an activity that takes place beyond the office boundaries can often be a bridge too far.

Solutions in the serviced officer sector
Recently, however, this has begun to change, as some of the UKs top-end serviced office providers are turning their attention to the issue. By adopting eco-friendly office procedures and providing an infrastructure which allows for a greener approach to running a business, the serviced office provider enables its occupiers to automatically slot into an existing sustainable culture, rather than having to start their own from scratch. And as part of this, provision for adopting a green commuting strategy is part and parcel.

For example, to support the growing trend of cycling to work, Argyll business centres, a leading operator of executive office suites around Londons West End and City, provides spa-standard showers, body products and towels for their occupiers, as well as parking for bicycles.

Green cars -104 g/km carbon output vs 243g/km for a traditional London taxi
It has also formed a relationship with Climatecars, the ultimate eco-friendly car service (for when a bicycle really cant do the job), which runs a fleet of Toyota Priuses all using state-of-the-art hybrid technology for maximum fuel efficiency and minimum carbon output. Run in the same way as a taxi service, each Climatecar is fitted with a bicycle rack (for those moments when the bicycle needs transporting, too), while inside the car, the client can enjoy a range of Cond Nast magazines for reading material, and a bottle of Belu Mineral Water, from the first water company that does not contribute to climate change.

Where theres a will, theres a way
Speaking about the demand for environmentally-friendly services, Emily Taylor, Marketing Director of Argyll business centres said, we have seen an increase in demand for cycle parking and our high quality shower facilities as more and more Londoners take to their bikes.

British Commuters

25 million people commute to and from work in the UK
Nationally, just 14% of commuters travel to work by bus or train
Nationally, 11% of commuters walk
London has the second highest percentage of commuters who cycle to work at 5% (behind Yorks & Humber with 6%), and the lowest use of the car
London commuters face the highest average daily commute in the UK, of 86 minutes (DfT Regional Transport Statistics: 2006)

So, while there is still some way to go in achieving a truly green commuting model, it seems now that the will is there: according to a recent Prudential Car Insurance survey, while 57% of drivers see car use as a necessary evil, 20% of urban drivers experience what they term as green guilt. At the same time, a recent Barclaycard survey showed that the proportion of us driving to work fell from 92% in 2003/4 to 75% in 2005. It is therefore up to everyone in business whether occupiers or office providers, to work together to tackle this significant issue and the executive serviced office providers propose to be at the vanguard of it.

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The Ford Escape Hybrid together with the Mercury Mariner Hybrid are the only hybrid vehicles that have been able to meet the current New York City taxi requirements not to mention the proposed new fuel economy policy.

It can be noted that it was in the year 2005 when San Francisco became the first city to feature gas-electric hybrid-powered taxi cabs. San Francisco at that time chose Ford Escape Hybrid and later that year, New York City has also added a small fleet of Escape Hybrid taxis based on the decision approved by the New York City Council in connection wit the Clean Air Taxis Act. Then in June 2006, Ford embarked again on a nationwide tour promoting the benefits of the use of Escape Hybrids as a taxi service and since then both Chicago and Austin have introduced Escape Hybrids into their taxi fleets.

The fleet of 18 Escape Hybrid taxis in New York City has been able to accumulate hundreds of thousands of miles over the past two years and has been able to record an estimated fuel savings of $250,000. Today there are already 288 Escape Hybrids in taxi service throughout the city, and drivers are reporting that the hybrids are amazingly durable and their fuel-saving advantages are simply outstanding which makes them a great choice for taxis.

Facts on Ford Escape Hybrid

* Ford Escape Hybrid is the most fuel-efficient SUV in the world: Its EPA rating is 34 miles per gallon for city driving. The front-wheel drive Escape Hybrid is the most fuel efficient SUV presently on earth and can provide drivers with 500 miles per tank of gas.

* A savings of $30 per shift: According to Paul Gillespie, a San Francisco cab driver, driving an Escape Hybrid has helped him save up to $30 per shift. He is working four shifts a week which saves him $120 and for a year more than $6,000 on gasoline.

* Partial Zero Emission Vehicle (PZEV) Certified: The Escape Hybrid has significantly reduced smog-forming emissions as it meets the cleanest emissions standard available for a vehicle that make use of fossil fuels—particularly the Californias AT-PZEV standard. The Escape Hybrid driving over 100,000 miles can conserve approximately 1,666 gallons of gas compared to a traditional cab and at the same time preventing 32,000 pounds of carbon emissions.

* Durability and Reliability: In terms of these qualities, the Escape Hybrid has proven its strength by surviving a round-the-clock durability test in one of the most severe driving conditions that any vehicle can possibly endure. This durability of the Escape Hybrid is backed by a standard 8-year/100,000-mile limited warranty for unique hybrid components that includes the battery pack.

* Ford Escape, Mercury Mariner Hybrid were given high tax credits: The real world fuel economy of the Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner Hybrids will increased for the 2008 model year and because of this the Federal income tax credits available now are $3,000 for FWD models which rose by $400 and $2,200 on 4WD models up by $250. Both Ford and Mercury Hybrids at present have the highest tax credit given to a hybrid vehicle. The tax credits given to Ford and Mercury have increased by $900 more than their closest competitor. For both vehicles the EPA-certified fuel economy for FWD models is 34 mpg for vcity and 30 mpg for highway while 29 mpg for city and 27 mpg highway for AWD models.

* Insurance discounts for Mercury Mariner Hybrids and Ford Escape Hybrids: Travelers which is one of the largest providers of personal insurance products in the US has offered hybrid drivers in the states of California, New Jersey, Texas, New York, Maryland, Florida, Kentucky, Georgia, and Washington discounts of up to 10 percent ion certain coverage. The company has estimated that their hybrid policy business has grown by up to 200 percent last 2006.

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If work is too far to get to without a motor, consider a motorized two wheeler. Mopeds are a specialty item with a very small market.

Mopeds get about 100 miles to the gallon. They are very slow – usually limited to 25 mph. New mopeds cost about 1000.00. Their small engines require little maintenance.

Small to medium size scooters are inexpensive motorized transportation. Cheap to buy. A new, top quallity scooter will cost less than the average used car. Scooters retain their value better than most cars. Scooters are easier to park than cars. Large scooters, called maxi scooters, can merge into traffic on any interstate. Scooters get 60 to 100 mpg.

I ride a maxiscooter. Here are approximate numbers for my Honda Reflex scooter.

Gas 250 $3.00 / gallon

Maintenance 300

insurance 500

Depreciation 500 or less.

Total 1550

Miles 5000

cost per mile = 1050 / 5000 = 0.31 per mile.

In 2004, AAA the American Automobile Association estimated the cost of driving the average car to be about $0.56 per mile. In the city, it is often necessary to pay for parking. Often, riders can park small scooters on a sidewalk – legally. Large scooters or motorcycles can slide in between parked cars and avoid parking meters.

Two items that do not have a place in the equation are the fun of riding and the satisfaction of being economical and ecological.

Does anyone still insist that Taxi’s are an inexpensive mode of transportation?

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