Consumer rights explained: I can’t charge my boss for taxi fare expenses because my driver won’t give me any receipts
Q: I live in a tiny village with my wife and three kids. I’m required to be in different parts of Dublin two days a week to meet with clients, so I normally get a local cab to and from the nearest train station, about 10km away.
My boss tells me to submit my cab receipts as expenses and that he’ll ensure they get paid. However, there’s only one local cab driver in his 70s in my area. He only takes cash and won’t give me a receipt.
I’ve gently explained to him a few times that I need receipts so I can claim back the cost of the trip. But he ignores me. It amounts to about €400 a month. What are my rights here and how can I exercise them?
Joe, Co Westmeath
Joe, you are legally entitled to a printed receipt for each taxi journey you take.
Section 56 of the Taxi Regulation (Small Public Service Vehicle) Regulations 2015 requires taxi drivers to print and offer a passenger a receipt at the end of a taxi journey. This receipt must include the total fare, the date, start time and finish time of the taxi hire, the total distance travelled in kilometres and the taxi’s licence number, among other details.
I recommend that you ask your local taxi driver directly for receipts once more and remind him that he’s required by law to provide them for each journey. If he still ignores the request, you can complain to the National Transport Authority through its online contact form or taxi information line (see transportforireland.ie).
If you complain, include details such as the vehicle plate number (on the roof sign and inside the cab), the driver ID number (displayed inside the taxi), the date and time of your trips and the typical journey start and end locations. The NTA will review your complaint and may issue a warning or fine to your taxi driver or take other action to enforce the taxi regulations.
In the meantime, if only a single driver is available in your area, I suggest you ask your manager if you may submit photos of your taximeter readout at the end of each trip as evidence of your fare until your driver gives you receipts.
