Taxi Driver Online

Taxi shortage causes hire car robbery

PRIVATE hire cars are doubling as taxis in Sydney's Kings Cross, offering exorbitant flat rate fares to frustrated passengers trying to catch cabs in the early weekend hours.

After a recent blitz to cut down on dodgy taxi practices, taxis now avoid the popular party strip in droves, leaving private cars free to charge about $50 for fares into the city.

The Daily Telegraph saw nine hire cars at work on the weekend as they cruised past hundreds of partygoers looking for taxis early on Sunday morning. They were seen to slow down and speak to people waiting for taxis, then move on if prices were not accepted.

One passenger, who asked not to be named, said she and her friends were told $50 was the fare from Kings Cross to Goulburn St's Civic Hotel.

"We said 'no way, that was ridiculous' - it's a five minute drive," the woman said.

"But after waiting another half an hour we got fed up and ended up paying the next one that offered."

She said a few hire cars offered $40 for the same ride so she and her three friends ended up accepting that price. "It was a flat rate fare and there were four of us so it wasn't so bad, but they were making a killing - there were heaps of them everywhere you looked," she said.

At one stage, three cars were lined up on the side of the road in an impromptu cab rank.

In late 2007, the sad state of Sydney's taxi service prompted calls for "gypsy cabs", similar to those in New York, London and Moscow.

Called minicabs in London, hackney in Ireland and taxis de sitio in Mexico, gypsy cabs are essentially private operators with licences to use their own cars to pick up pre-booked fares from a central dispatch system.

At the time, Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the idea had merit and could be considered among a raft of measures needed to solve the city's taxi shortage problems.

But the State Government and Taxi Council rejected the idea at the time, and said regular taxis were best.

A spokesman for Transport Minister David Campbell said "private hire vehicles can only be pre-booked and (one) caught touting faces fines and the loss of their hire car plate".

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Surely not those good old PH boys overcharging the well behaved public

Just like the UK then hey. Wonder if they have cherrypicking Hacks as well.

_________________
Wishing I was in Greenhall Whitley Land.

I expect so.

I don't understand why the taxis would be avoiding an obviously busy area

_________________
Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

You have highlighted the wrong bit Toots read the first part of the sentence then you will understand.

_________________
Grandad,

I don't think I have My understanding is that since the blitz on dodgy taxi practices taxis are now avoiding the area and my question is why are they?

_________________
Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

To much trouble and hassle. We avoid a place round here on a weekend because all it breeds is idiots.

Just like the LO's here in Liverpool Nigel.

_________________
Wishing I was in Greenhall Whitley Land.

Because they are still using dodgy taxi practices and they don't want to get caught if there is another blitz. Does that put it plain enough.

_________________
Grandad,

Kings Cross, Sydney Australia;

A Dodgy Practice Rank

_________________
Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

Type a message, post your news,
Disagree with other members' views;
But please, do have some decorum,
When debating on the TDO Forum.

Its Maybe because they own a dodgy Taxi themselves Toots and dont want caught...so they move somewhere lower profile.....Avoidance is a useful tool..

If that be the case then I'm sure they deserve everything they get and the authorities should find where they are and make them comply. With regard to the PH the authorities should sort this mess out, it's not like they don't know where to find them

_________________
Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!