Taxi Driver Online

Dave, it doesn't really worry me that practically all of the "action" is happening on here, particually when absolutely nothing new has been covered, the posts and topics are being churned out exactly the same way they were on every other site there has ever been.

It has given us a chance to review our position, make some cosmetic adjustments and get a few loose ends tied up after changing servers.

So I'm really glad that this list has took off and I wish everyone concerned every success, but until certain reports are published the same old arguments will heard right across every taxi site on the web.

B. Lucky

what i will say about taxis sites is that i wouldn't want to run one for all the tea in China.

If Mick you are serious, and you realy want me to speak about the trade to your branch meeting about taxi tactics then of course I will accept as soon as time allows but certainly we could pencil in a date in november.

Mick we as a trade are obsessed with reports, but to run the trade on the existance of these reports is suicide.

There is a point that when we go to rank we stop there is less vehicles on the street to be flagged.cant you see that?

you made a point on another posting about estates being for private hire hell I winced! you know people do do things at times, in early evening they move from estate to town and city at 11-2 they move back. why do you only see your role as taking them back?

study movements and times and be there, surely we should be where the people are?

times theatre comes out? what about when they go in?

its come as a suprise that you have gone back to taxis, but you once said I was like those at the office, Mick the signs are mate that I have more support in Gateshead than you imply, I f I do come up I may have more?

you aint adding up.

but I will answer your call.

Wharfie

all sites talk about what the members want to talk about, at a time they want to talk about it!

your site Mick does not want to talk at all, beccause they can only say what you want them to say!

the countries behind the iron curtain stopped talking once, it ended in economic disaster!

sell it Mick, Nige has no say and looks like your puppet.

its Micks site! and you are a tyrant.

Wharfie

Ok then Wharfie, but as Tuesday is without doubt to little notice, I will contact you with the next branch meeting's details.

I find it strange though that we have a policy of getting ranks put in where people gather, we, as you well know, are going through massive regeneration in Gateshead and we have the oppertunity to establish promenant positions within the major parts of it. I think that rather than cabs driving around it makes us more accessible if people know where the ranks are, as well as making areas easier to police if people remain congregated around specific areas.

As you well know Gateshead is a small town, with only a single street shopping centre, not really much scope for "driving around looking for flaggers". We also have a high number of Licenced P/H vehicles servicing all the major attractions like the Mecca Bingo Hall. We have addressed this problem and are clarifying rank provisions throughout the Gateshead Quays development, the Metrocentre and the towns General Hospital with the council tomorrow (Monday). Did you catch that bit in the middle there Wharfie, NO H/C PROVISION AT THE LARGEST OUT OF TOWN SHOPPING COMPLEX IN EUROPE, thats how much the drivers in Gateshead have had the pi$$ taken out of them mate, thats why we seem so bitter. How for example would you feel if you were unable to licence a certain type of vehicle but someone else was, discrimination, you don't know the meaning of the word.

Yes I'm angry, but so would you be if you had this $hit to put up with day after day, you may think I'm making all this up Wharfie but I assure you, come up here and see for yourself. If I get my way though you won't need to come up I will unviel our council and others connected with the trade for the incompetants they are and along with the long suffering drivers of Gateshead return this "trade" to the public service it should allways have been. You see the number of vehicles shouldn't be dependant on the number of people that want to drive them but on the number of people that want to use them.

B. Lucky

For every problem there is a solution, and every saphere of transport we need to keep the wheels turning, ok have ranks fill em, whose money is it anyway? yours and your mates not the councils.

now you talk of restricting the market by numbers, that has gone now in most trades so we put other barriers in thier place, exams qualifications and standard of equipment.

of all the large outer shopping areas I would struggle to name one that has taxi facilities, and often it aint the council who has controls over this its private land, its the developer, that costs money.

Angry is not the answer, though it is easy to be so, I wish we had the same set up as next door Huddersfield, they issue taxi vouchers and there are places they cannot put in ranks, so they put in taxi stops (same principle as a bus stop) they find ways of issuing driving licenses more quickly, they look at the problem and come up with solutions.

Alas Michael as any buisnessman will tell you, council officers, are educated to have fine grasp of theory, they do fall badly with practicalities
I accept that so we have to get into strategic thinking and influence it, we do here.

our licensing officer has worked all her life in licensing, her boss is the chap who runs elections, a job he excels at, comes to licensing he hasnt got a clue, but he makes far reaching strategic decisions in licensing and can convince a licensing committee just as devoid of any idea.

goot to say what is the trades answer? limitation dogma and seperation always the same even whhen I was there, they havent a clue either, the clash of the titans

Wharfie

You really are a 100 miles from the target Geoff.

Alas you and your colleagues are paying the price for being led by idiots, when the shopping center was in the planning stage.

A few objections on the basis of no taxi ranks, or a few mentions of integrated transport, would have helped out.

But now, unless the owners want you there, you ain't going to be there.

whats wrong with having a taxi rank at the shopping center?
i would have a rolling road block outside untill they reconsidered.
if you cant get what you want on nice terms. then you have no option other than being not so nice.
a bit of press following a long line of taxis going around in circles might help. doing nothing will not.

what a pleasant bloke you are!
do you bully your own councillors like this!

they will get you in the end, remember the miners and Thatcher?
its all comming clear now.

Wharfie

the problem with this business is that most just lie down and take it.
there are some battles you will never win. so dont fight them.
but there are some you can. so put all your energies into those.
you just never know.

lie down and take what exactly?
we were talking about gateshead shopping centre which is on unadopted land, therefore the council have no control, and permission be sought from the owners.

if you blocked up the main core it would benefit the gatehead centre!

I am not all that sure you have thought this through

Wharfie

If I could just make a simple point aimed directly at the issues:

Was it not the limitation numerically, rather than qualitatively, that actually STARTED and FED the PH business?

Thus, is not numerical limitation, the basic roots of the problem?

_________________
There is Significant Unmet Demand for my Opinion.

Warning Warning

Can Andy please stop posting succinct comments that hit the nail on the head.

Thank you

Please continue to go round in circles.

_________________
A member of the Hire or Reward Industry

Partly, Andy, but I think qualitative restrictions are a major factor as well - even without license quotas, if you have qualitative restrictions that apply to HCs but not to PH then numbers of the latter will probably develop, depending on the severity of the restrictions.

For example, in my manor because it's easy to get a badge and any old heap of a car will do, then there's negligible PH.

But if the DDA was implemented then the WAV requirement would generate a significant PH sector, I suspect.

London ably demonstrates this principle - no numerical restrictions, but obviously a huge PH sector (and good earnings as well, without quotas, but that's going off-thread a bit!).

That's one of the reasons we need a one-tier sector - if they upped the qualitative barriers in my manor (even ignoring the DDA) then again a PH sector would probably develop - a one-tier regime would prevent this!

Dusty