Taxi Driver Online

UK cab trade debate and advice
It is currently Tue May 05, 2026 7:21 pm

All times are UTC [ DST ]




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 22 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next
Author Message
PostPosted: Sat May 02, 2009 7:19 pm 
Online
User avatar

Joined: Wed Sep 03, 2003 7:30 pm
Posts: 57364
Location: 1066 Country
Touts and taxis clash in downturn

Taxi drivers who face dwindling trade in the recession are mounting nightly co-ordinated operations against rogue minicab touts working outside West End nightclubs.

The black cab drivers are using radio networks such as Dial-a-Cab to target illegal touts, often summoning 30 cabs or more to converge on a club or restaurant and to form an impromptu taxi rank to take business away from the minicabs.

The tactic, operating up to six times a night for the past couple of weeks, has resulted in violent confrontations with touts and nightclub door staff. "It's taxi wars," said Steve McNamara of the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association. "It's almost been a throwback to the clashes of the 1960s."

The worst clash to date happened in Cornhill in the City. A black cab was rammed and a driver attacked, leading to a brawl after up to 200 cabs converged on the scene, he said.

Cabbies' anger at illegal touts, who operate outside nightspots clad in high-visibility vests and brandishing clipboards, has intensified as trade has declined in the recession and London's authorities have failed to get a grip on the problem.

Some companies have set up legitimate cab booking desks in clubs after a requirement for minicab offices to gain planning permission was scrapped. But it is illegal for so-called "clipboard johnnies", who taxi drivers accuse of working in league with some door staff, to approach people on the streets to offer taxi services.

Mr McNamara said: "It has been very successful for drivers. They have been finding it quite lucrative." He said the black cabs were cheaper than the minicabs, which can have a £25 minimum fare.

Brian Rice, chairman of Dial-a-Cab and the London Taxi Board, said: "It started off with Dial-a-Cab. Our members are self-employed and they can send messages by the data network.

"The touts are beginning to get a bit upset that licensed taxis are turning up and taking people home and that's obviously led to some problems. But it's a perfectly legitimate use of the network."

The minicab industry has also criticised the touts, but it pointed out some of the operations linked to nightclubs were operating legally.

Steve Wright, chairman of the Licensed Private Hire Car Association, said the issue had come to a head as many cabbies had moved into the West End after corporate work dried up, while the downturn had increased the numbers of unlicensed minicabs on the streets.

Mr Wright, a Transport for London board member who yesterday attended a Scotland Yard meeting about the problem, warned against confrontations. "It solves nothing to be a vigilante and [to] take matters into your own hands . . It needs a broad church of people to resolve this issue."

_________________
IDFIMH


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sat May 02, 2009 7:22 pm 
Online
User avatar

Joined: Wed Sep 03, 2003 7:30 pm
Posts: 57364
Location: 1066 Country
Sussex wrote:
"The touts are beginning to get a bit upset that licensed taxis are turning up and taking people home and that's obviously led to some problems. But it's a perfectly legitimate use of the network."

Someone remind me why the black cab trade weren't doing this years ago? :?

_________________
IDFIMH


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sat May 02, 2009 7:54 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: Sat Jul 26, 2008 3:22 pm
Posts: 14152
Location: Wirral
Sussex wrote:
Sussex wrote:
"The touts are beginning to get a bit upset that licensed taxis are turning up and taking people home and that's obviously led to some problems. But it's a perfectly legitimate use of the network."

Someone remind me why the black cab trade weren't doing this years ago? :?


It obviously wasn't hurting their pockets so much back then. Anyway I wish them luck I think it's shameful that the authorities don't do anything about this problem. I'm still amazed that they don't have some kind of knowledge test for PH there

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


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun May 03, 2009 1:07 am 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: Thu Dec 08, 2005 10:10 pm
Posts: 974
Location: london
They do have a knowledge test toots.
Whilst its great what the taxi drivers are doing, I feel it's only happening because it's so quiet out there.

_________________
stressed controller!!!


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun May 03, 2009 2:32 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: Sat Jul 26, 2008 3:22 pm
Posts: 14152
Location: Wirral
rambo wrote:
They do have a knowledge test toots.
Whilst its great what the taxi drivers are doing, I feel it's only happening because it's so quiet out there.


Now I feel silly cos somebody said they didn't have a knowledge test for the PH in London :oops:

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


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun May 03, 2009 2:41 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: Sun Dec 04, 2005 4:00 pm
Posts: 837
Location: BRIGHTON & HOVE
rambo wrote:
They do have a knowledge test toots.


Am I correct in believing that the PCO do not conduct these tests? Am I correct in believing that the PH companies conduct these tests?

Regards
BB

_________________
Mick Hildreth (07814 032002)
GMB PDB P39 Southern Region Branch Secretary
mick.hildreth@gmbtaxis.org.uk
www.gmbpdb.org.uk


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun May 03, 2009 11:14 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: Tue Aug 12, 2008 5:47 pm
Posts: 394
Location: Sunny Essex.
There is no form of Knowledge for Minicab or Private Hire drivers in London.
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/businessandpartne ... /1346.aspx
As you can see,it's as easy to get as a dog licence...

_________________
Charlton's lost past http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsFKWGlrze0
London's future? http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/ ... rants.html


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon May 04, 2009 1:53 am 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: Thu Dec 08, 2005 10:10 pm
Posts: 974
Location: london
toots wrote:
rambo wrote:
They do have a knowledge test toots.
Whilst its great what the taxi drivers are doing, I feel it's only happening because it's so quiet out there.


Now I feel silly cos somebody said they didn't have a knowledge test for the PH in London :oops:


As a new driver, you must complete a knowledge test to work as a PHV driver in london. I did not do a test as I got 'grandfather rights'.

These test are carried out by PCO approved test centres which do include PHV operaters, a complete disgrace if you ask me.

_________________
stressed controller!!!


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon May 04, 2009 6:54 am 
Offline

Joined: Tue Apr 03, 2007 11:27 pm
Posts: 20130
Capt Taxi wrote:
There is no form of Knowledge for Minicab or Private Hire drivers in London.
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/businessandpartne ... /1346.aspx
As you can see,it's as easy to get as a dog licence...


What is a dog license?

_________________
Grandad,


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon May 04, 2009 10:17 am 
Online
User avatar

Joined: Wed Sep 03, 2003 7:30 pm
Posts: 57364
Location: 1066 Country
grandad wrote:
What is a dog license?

The latest NVQ for Hummer Drivers. :wink:

_________________
IDFIMH


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Mon May 04, 2009 6:18 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: Sat Dec 25, 2004 4:28 pm
Posts: 8998
Location: London
Sussex wrote:
Sussex wrote:
"The touts are beginning to get a bit upset that licensed taxis are turning up and taking people home and that's obviously led to some problems. But it's a perfectly legitimate use of the network."

Someone remind me why the black cab trade weren't doing this years ago? :?


Some of have always have. :wink:

The 'fight back' if you want to call it that, is no more than Taxi's ranking up outside some of London's more popular nightspots in order to remove the touts / clipboard clowns work, thus making their 'cab' drivers unemployed, thus getting rid of them.

As Rambo rightly says, the momentum is greater at the moment as more Taxis have chosen to work nights, as the economy recovers, will we loose the work that has been gained back? Time will tell, but so far it's down to the efforts of Dial a Cab and the drivers on that circuit who have started the ball rolling, well done Brian Rice and the lads on DAC.

Even better though, it's really irritating a few former troublemakers from the DAC circuit who were expelled, to see their fellow drivers achieving something they couldn’t, a certain vociferous trade 'leader' come to mind.

There's coverage in the latest edition of the LTDA's TAXI paper which is due out this week.

Read all about it. :wink:


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon May 04, 2009 6:22 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: Sat Dec 25, 2004 4:28 pm
Posts: 8998
Location: London
brightonbreezy wrote:
rambo wrote:
They do have a knowledge test toots.


Am I correct in believing that the PCO do not conduct these tests? Am I correct in believing that the PH companies conduct these tests?

Regards
BB



I'm going to agree with Mr BB on this one. :shock:

Whoever gave the responsibility to individual Minicab operators to:

1. Respond to complaints about drivers / cars instead of the PCO

2. To put their own drivers through a topographical test in order to gain a PH license, should hang their heads in shame.

What a scam, as if anyone is going to fail someone who wants to pay them a £120 a week radio rental.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon May 04, 2009 6:40 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: Sat Dec 25, 2004 4:28 pm
Posts: 8998
Location: London
And this chaps reply to Mr A is worth saving:



Quote:
I said this to you via Twitter and I will say it again as you didn't respond. At this moment in time, when cab drivers are pulling together to try and fight back against the touts, is it really neccesary to have a go at DAC (& others) in your reporting of what is going on?

Your 1st paragraph, quite frankly, is a load of rubbish and I can see no reason, apart from trying to settle some private scores, why you see the need to do this. DAC does not "enjoy giving premium work to the opposition and doing the work that private hire drivers refuse to do." - the customer draws up their own rules around transportation and the work goes to whichever company the CUSTOMER decides.

Then, for those that use Concierge, a DAC designed system allocates the work. DAC do not make any decisions about who gets the work and by suggesting otherwise you are doing a great disservice to DAC and, in my opinion, it's drivers.

Your criticism of DAC is a criticism of all of it's drivers as, unlike the other circuits, we are still a society owned & run by the drivers rather than part of a bigger transportation group. And we certainly don't own any private hire firms, unlike some transportation groups out there.

I have always thought that cab drivers are their own worst enemies and this sort of article just goes some way to proving my point. Even at a time when drivers are working together for the greater good, the cab trade is till left bickering amongst themselves, which I think is a real shame.

Richard (@cabbiescapital on Twitter)



Well said Richard, the truth kills those folks who are more 'gullable' than those who can think for themselves and grasp the reality of running a radio circuit in 2009, not 1979. =D>


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon May 04, 2009 7:47 pm 
Offline

Joined: Tue Apr 03, 2007 11:27 pm
Posts: 20130
Sussex wrote:
grandad wrote:
What is a dog license?

The latest NVQ for Hummer Drivers. :wink:


Ah I see. :mrgreen:

_________________
Grandad,


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue May 05, 2009 10:38 am 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: Tue Aug 12, 2008 5:47 pm
Posts: 394
Location: Sunny Essex.
grandad wrote:
Capt Taxi wrote:
There is no form of Knowledge for Minicab or Private Hire drivers in London.
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/businessandpartne ... /1346.aspx
As you can see,it's as easy to get as a dog licence...


What is a dog license?

A bit like your TV licence,in that it has four legs and produces a lot of crap...

_________________
Charlton's lost past http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsFKWGlrze0
London's future? http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/ ... rants.html


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 22 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next

All times are UTC [ DST ]


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 707 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Jump to:  
cron
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group