Three lights on Paris taxis ?

Question

I am touring Paris. The taxis here hava a big sign light on the roof saying if it is occupied or not. However, under this sign, there are three small coloured ights labelled A,B, and C. I wonder what they indicate ?

Answer 1

Here is a not very good translation of the following website but it does give all info you need to know about  parisians taxis :

http://66.218.71.231/language/translatio...

Any Parisian taxi must comprise:

A ticket machine fixed on the back beach, on the right-hand side of the vehicle, visible of ḻexterior, posting the hours of end of service of the driver and the day of the month * of the day corresponding to the programming.

A luminous device TAXI with 3 spheres repeaters (small bulbs) indicating the tariffs A, B and C.

An opaque sheath (to cover the luminous one at the end with the service).

With ḻinterior of the vehicle, a meter horokilometric (the taximeter) posting the tariff applied and

A small poster of information

stuck on the rear window left

taxi with an extract of payment, applicable tariffs and the n° ḏimmatriculation of the vehicle. A plate of black color on l’aile before right-hand side of the vehicle with the PARIS mention and the number ḏautorisation of parking.



ALL ALLEGED TAXI DRIVER WHICH DOES NOT LAY OUT D’UN CONVEYS EQUIPPED IS CLANDESTINE.

Lawful accessories of the Parisian taxis

LUMINOUS OF ROOF METER



FREE: the luminous one must be enlightened and the spheres extinct repeaters.



TARIFF A: the white repeater must be enlightened and the luminous one extinguished.



TARIFF B: the orange repeater must be enlightened and the luminous one extinguished.



TARIFF C: the blue repeater must be enlightened and the luminous one extinguished.

The meter horokilometric (or taximeter) records the price of the race d’après the distance covered, or last time if speed is less.

It must be enlightened and the window where s’inscrit the price of the race must be visible at any moment for l’usager.



The amount of the assumption of responsibility is 2,00 euros, whatever the race.

Tariff A: 0,77 euro the km * - Tariff b: 1,09 euro the km * - Tariff C: 1,31 euro the km *

URBAN ZONE

Paris jusqu’au boulevard

peripheral, this one being included in the zone.



SUBURBAN ZONE

Territory of Paris located beyond the ring road; territory of the communes of

departments of the Top-of-Seine, the Seine-Saint-Denis and the Valley-of-Marne having adhered to the statute Parisian taxis; service road of the airports d’Orly and Roissy – Charles-of-Gaulle; Exhibition site of Villepinte.



BEYOND

SUBURBAN ZONE

Monday at Saturday Monday at Saturday



C

Whatever the day and l’heure

of 10h with 17h                  A of 7h with 19h                                 B

of 17h with 10h                  B of 19h with 7h                                 C

Sundays (including non-working)

Sundays and public holidays

of 7h with 24h                    B Day and night                                  C      

of 0h with 7h                      C

Public holidays

Day and night                     B

* When the taxi is on standby or runs to the idle, the time tariff s̱applic, is 25,90 euros in tariff A, 29 euros in tariff B and 27,10 euros in tariff C.

How to calculate the price of the race

Be vigilant: a Parisian taxi driver cannot propose a special contract rate to you.

    * From the very start of the race, do not n’hésitez to indicate to the driver your mode of payment.

    * Generally, you can pay by cheque (except if the vehicle comprises a visible small poster of ḻexterior indicating the opposite) or by bank card (if the driver lays out d’un card reader in operating state).

    * Tariffing "off-peak hours – full hours "aims at inciting the drivers of Parisian taxis to answer the keen demand of the users in Paris at the peak hours, the morning and the evening, by founding a tariff raised at the full hours and a less tariff at the off-peak hours.

    * The minimum amount for a race in the taxi is fixed at 5,50 euros, supplement included.

    * If you reserved a taxi, when you settle in the vehicle, its meter must post the cost of the race d’approche (way between the place where it was when your reservation was affected to him and the place of your real assumption of responsibility).

The supplements to be discharged (mentioned with the back of the bulletin of race) in addition from the sum registered with the meter are:

    * 2,70 euros for any adult person as from 4th (2 children of less than 10 years = 1 adult);

    * 1 euro starting from the 2nd luggage (bag, parcel or any cumbersome object: skis, car d’enfant, etc.) of more than 5 kg deposited in the trunk of the vehicle;

No allowance of return can be claimed.

For a payment in cash, envisage l’appoint.

The bulletin of race

With l’issue of the race, the delivery d’un bulletin of race duly filled is obligatory when the customer makes the request of it or when the amount of the race is equal or higher than 15,00 euros T.T.C.

This receipt must mention:

    - the number ḏimmatriculation of the taxi,

    - dates and starting schedules and d’arrivée,

    - places of assumption of responsibility and demounting,

    - the amount of the race,

    - possible supplements.

Approximate scale of the prices of the races taxi (*)

WAYS



Hours

dig (* *)



Hours of

point (* *)

Paris, Place of the Bastille – Paris, Charles-of-Gaulle Place



10-19 €



13-24 €

Paris, data base of Sébastopol – Airport of Roissy



33-42 €



37-48 €

Paris, Street of Rivoli – Airport d’Orly

25-34 €



28-39 €

Paris, Station of Lyon – Esplanade of Defense

19-28 €



22-33 €

(*) estimate according to conditions' of circulation.

(* *) price according to tariffing in force (decree interpréfectoral n°2005-20974 of October 19, 2005).

Your rights

You can travel by a Parisian taxi on the sites reserved for this purpose (taxi ranks), by hélant it in the street, while telephoning with a radio operator exchange or since a terminal d’appel.

In station, you have the right to choose your taxi, except s’il exists a file d’attente (e.g.: stations or airports...).

    * A taxi driver cannot refuse to lead you to the address indicated if its vehicle is free (except in the cases indicated).

Is regarded as free:

any vehicle taxi in station or circulation whose luminous one is lit and n’est not covered d’une sheath.

    * If you are a handicapped person or with reduced mobility, the taxi driver n’a not the right to refuse to deal with to you even lorsqu’il must help you to install you with ḻinterior of the taxi.

      He must also accept the foldable vehicle which you use, without asking any supplement for that.

    * L’itinéraire chosen by your driver must be most direct, but you can indicate the way of your choice to him.

    * L’utilisation d’un system approved of reserve n’est not obligatory for the passengers of less than 10 years transported in a taxi.

    * On the other hand, the belt of safety is obligatory for all the passengers.

    * You can make kill or assemble a person of your knowledge in the course of way. No supplement can be claimed for this reason.

    * The driver n’a not the right d’être accompanied people other than its customers.

    * In case d’attente, the taxi has the right to require the amount of the meter + one hour d’attente.

    * You have the right to smoke in the taxis which are not provided d’une small poster carrying l’interdiction to smoke. The driver does not smoke qu’avec your agreement.



Any form of soliciting is prohibited.

If you wish to travel by a taxi, never n’acceptez d’être taken charges some by a person who would come to propose her services of transport to you; there is a strong probability that you can be in presence d’un individual delivering himself to illegal work by dissimulation ḏactivity (offence envisaged and repressed by the Fair labor standards act).

Luggage and tips

A driver of taxi must show courtesy but n’est not obliged to put your luggage (or to help you to put them) in the trunk of its vehicle. C’est with your appreciation to leave or not a tip with the driver, but it n’a not right of l’exiger.

The taxi driver can refuse to lead you:

If you want to go in a locality located out of the three peripheral departments of the Top-of-Seine, the Seine-Saint-Denis and the Valley-of-Marne. It however is held to lead you to the Exhibition site of Villepinte, the airports d’Orly and of Roissy-Charles-of-Gaulle and, of this last, for n’importe which destination.

    * If your luggage are untransportable with the hand.

    * If you are accompanied d’un animal (except s’il s’agit d’un dog-guide).

    * If, because of your behaviour or your luggage, ḻinterior of the vehicle can be deteriorated or dirtied.

    * If you are in state manifest ḏivress.

    * If you are with less than 50 meters d’une taxi rank equipped with free taxis.

The driver can refuse to await you in a way where the parking either is limited, or prohibited, or impossible.

Taxi-radio 24h/24

Certain companies can locate their taxis by satellite so d’envoyer the vehicle nearest on the place to assumption of responsibility.

The disputes relating to the conditions of provision d’un taxi are to be addressed directly to the standard concerned.

FOR ANY COMPLEMENTARY COMPLAINT OR INFORMATION

s’adresser with:

PREFECTURE OF POLICE FORCE

Direction of Transport and the Protection of the Public

Office of the Taxis and Public Transport

36, Rue des Morillons - 75732 Paris CEDEX 15

Tel.. [phone] - fax [phone]

prefpol.dtpp-sdct-bttp-taxis@interieur...

(To join to your request the bulletin of race or, failing this, to indicate the number ḏimmatriculation of the borrowed taxi, as well as the dates and hours of the race and/or the number ḏautorisation of parking of taxi).

IN THE EVENT OF LOSS D’UN OBJECT IN A TAXI

s’adresser with:

PREFECTURE OF POLICE FORCE

Direction of Transport and the Protection of the Public

Lost-and-found office and Fourrières

36, rue des Morillons - 75015 PARIS

Tel.. [phone] - fax [phone]

prefpol.dtpp-sdct-botfobjetstrouvesfou... @ interieur.gouv.fr

Answer 2

They indicate which of the three possible fare rates is being used for the customer using the cab at that time.

The white, orange, or blue fare lights (A,B,C) correspond to trips in Paris, in the suburbs (Banlieue), and at night (Nuit). Each schedule has a different initial charge and a per-kilometer charge.

Rate schedule A is charged inside Paris during normal daytime hours, 07h to 19h. Rate B is charged inside Paris at night, from 19h to 07h, and all day Sundays and holidays. Rate C applies at night in the surburbs, and during the day for one-way trips to the departments Haut de Seine, Seine St. Denis, and Val de Marne.