Travelling with baby in a taxi

[Luckyelephant1]

Hi, I'm a bit confused about car seat guidance for travelling with a baby in a taxi.

We need to make literally a 12 minute journey to a train station in a cab, with our baby. We are going away and don't need a car seat where we are going so we don't want to lug one with us just for that journey. I've looked up quotes for taxis with car seats online and the prices are eye-watering for such a short journey.

Yet the gov website says you don't actually need a car seat in a taxi: www.gov.uk/child-car-seats-the-rules/when-a-child-can-travel-without-a-car-seat

However the Uber website says they won't take babies without a car seat.

Has anyone ever had a similar issue and what did you end up doing?

Legally you don’t have to have a car seat in a taxi, because as a practical matter you might need to get a taxi home and wouldn’t have one with you.

In terms of safety though, obviously they’re still important. I only used taxis without a car seat when it was totally necessary. Some taxi companies will let you travel without a car seat, some won’t so you’ll need to ring around.

How old is baby? Did you know there are portable car seat options, like folding or inflatable?

Legally you don’t need one in a taxi, but Uber won’t take you without one; it’s against their policy. You’ll need to phone around companies and see which ones are happy to accept you without one.

I don’t drive and I’m not lugging a car seat around everywhere when getting taxis, how old is baby? You can get blow up booster seats if baby is old enough or just hold baby

Use an actual taxi, not an Uber.

Get a black cab, have baby in a pushchair travelling backwards on the wheelchair space

I’ve got literally hundreds of Ubers with a baby or toddler sat on my lap
I’ve never been turned away or asked to use a seat. Often they hopped out to open the door for me

When they are really small, the easiest way is in a black cab or similar
When not in London, if I needed to bring a pram, I used the Uber app to request a wheelchair accessible car which was easier to get a pram into

I’d pay whatever it costs because its important, regardless of whatever the law may say. People are injured during 12 minute journeys.

I'd either get a black can or one of us would walk to the station with baby and the other would taxi it with the bags. I've been in enough awfully driven taxis to think it's not worth the risk.

Take a car seat that clips on to a buggy and use that as your 'buggy' when you get there (obvs just for short trips)
Or
Get a black cab and use your normal buggy.

Have you looked up buses?

How old is the child is important.

How long are you on the train and how are they being secured in that part of the trip ?

A lot of taxis refuse a baby without a car seat due to the risk, as others have said, you will have to check your taxis policy if you deem it safe to travel.

How old is the child is important.

Not really. A baby is a baby. The law regarding taxi travel changes at 3 years old when without a seat they should travel using the adult seatbelt. Under 3s should travel unrestrained:

It’s important how old the baby is so we can give the OP advice on the safest and most practical way to travel. Eg there are folding car seats suitable for some ages.

@Fredoftheforest

It’s important how old the baby is so we can give the OP advice on the safest and most practical way to travel. Eg there are folding car seats suitable for some ages.

I think you should read the OP again. OP isn't looking for car seat advice.

Are you in London or somewhere with black cabs? If yes then you can push the pram straight in, apply the break and hold the handlebar just like you would on the bus. If not then call local taxi firms- my mum lives in the burbs and all the local ones have at a minimum a basic forward facing harnessed car seat that would fit from about 10 months ish although it would not be my first choice for safety, it’s better than them being unrestrained. Alternatively if you have an infant seat for a younger baby, can you travel system your pram and just get baby out for regular stretch breaks, should be easy enough on the train. Lastly a 12 minute car is how far to walk? Legally you can of course just hold baby in a taxi but I would not do personally except in an emergency.

@Fluffypastelslippers - OP is asking whether anybody had a similar issue and if so how they resolved it. I resolved it by using portable/foldable car seats. So if OP ever returns, I can offer advice on those options but it depends how old the baby is.

Baby is 3 months. Thanks for your input everyone. We might have resolved the issue as I believe we've found somewhere 5 minutes walk from the station where we can park for free the entire time. Good to know about cab rules, black cabs and portable car seats etc for the future though.

@Fredoftheforest - are there any such seats suitable for an 18 month old? She'll be too big for the one that clips to a base but I can't transport a large car seat, pram and suitcase when I'm away. I've only seen such seats for 4+.

@TimeIhadaNameChange - you could try a doona, that converts very easily from a car seat to a stroller so would at least be 2 in 1. Depends how big she is though, I think it goes up to about 15kg. After 15kg you can get the Chicco fold and go or the mifold.