France: Motorcycle Taxis Now To Be Regulated from Bikes in the Fast Lane

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France: Motorcycle Taxis Now To Be Regulated

January
2011

  File under France Travel
  Author: Mike Werner
  Location: Normandy, France

After a long period in limboland, the French motorcycle taxi are now to receive on the 1st of April a regulation. What this means, is that a series of procedures and rules & regulations will govern motorcycle taxis in France. This should sort out the cowboys from the real and serious operators.

1. Every rider will need to have a medical certificate, issued by an approved doctor. The certificate is valid for 5 years if the biker is less then 60 years old, 2 years if between 61 and 76, and 1 year if older.

2. With the medical certificate, a passport photo and a valid motorcycle license older then 3 years, plus a certificate that you have not been condemned for serious traffic violations (speeding, DUI, etc), you get a "professional card".

3. The motorcycle (or scooter) used is not allowed to be older then 4 years. For motorcycles older then 1 year, you need to have proof that the vehicle has been maintained according to the manufacturer's specifications.

Orly Airport Taxi Counter

4. Though reservations at the airports are not mandatory (but highly recommended), taxi riders are not allowed to go looking for clients the way their cage counterparts are. If there's a counter for motorcycle taxis at the airport (this is the case at Orly airport), this is permitted. But motorcycle taxis are not allowed to park in front of the airport.

So it looks more and more like the motorcycle taxis are here to stay. It's still limited, since the government does not want that normal cage taxis get too much competition, but at least now if you hire a motorcycle taxi, you know you'll be getting serious operators.

Via: Moto-Taxi-Paris