Taxi Driver Online

Southampton City Council sign new taxi deal for docks


PORT owner ABP has launched a bid to modernise the taxi service at the docks to give cruise passengers a better welcome to Southampton.

ABP has signed an agreement with the city council for it to start selling and policing docks permits for taxis.

It follows the suspension of the scheme last year amid a row over dress codes, cherry picking of fares, allegations of overcharging, a shortage of taxis and squabbles between drivers from rival firms.


ABP has now told the Southampton Taxi Consultative Council (STTC), which had issued permits for the past two decades, it wants the council to do the job.

ABP commercial director Ian Palacio said: “We wanted the one organisation in the city able to enforce some of the rules to be dealing with it.

“We want to modernise the whole system and bring it in line with the levels of service and volumes that cruise passengers are demanding.

“We are hoping we will get more applications for permits because it is being administered by an independent body and they will be influential enough to improve some of the issues with standards of dress and cleanliness of cars, cherry picking and overcharging.”

He added ABP would continue to charge £10 for the permits, and the council would spend the rest on administration and enforcement. ABP is expected to unveil a scheme to improve access for taxis in coming weeks.

But Clive Johnson, chairman of STTC and Radio Taxis, accused the council of ramping up the price of a permit by 44 per cent, from the £40 the STTC charged to the £57.50. He claimed the STTC had “only just covered its costs”.

“It’s a hell of a hike when you consider the way things are with the economy,” he said.

Ian Hall, chairman of the Southampton Hackney Association said he backed the council administering the permits and hoped they would do a better job of enforcing standards.

“We want to try to enhance the standards and clean up the image and get the scruffy drivers out and sort out some of the cars.”

Mr Hall said he wanted to see marshals on the ranks to improve the flow of passengers.

Council licensing officer Richard Black said: “We look forward to working with ABP and the taxi industry to make taxi services at the docks run smoothly and serve passengers to the cruise terminals well and within ABP’s rules.”

About 170 of the 263 licensed Hackney Carriages, those that can be hailed in the street, have permits to access the docks.

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

lol A council selling permits in order to rank up on the docks, that should be interesting, will the charge be one of trespass or illegaly plying for hire. hahahaha What a carry on.

Regards

JD

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Copyright notice © The contents of this post are copyright of JD and are not to be reproduced outside of TDO without written permission.

the men in suits dont give a toss, they just want the money

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

having said that, its only a £1.10 week?....

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

Not sure about the council getting involved, but it was a mess pre the ending of the sec 75 exemption.

I well remember someone in the know telling me that less than 10% of the cars picking folks up from the ships were licensed.

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IDFIMH

I wouldn't disagree with that, from my observations when I've been down there.

It can be a nightmare trying to find your customer there. Worse than any airport

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Life? Don't talk to me about life!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjm2eslm6hI

I wonder what part of the licensing function will pay for this?

CC

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

It can only be on the vehicle fees.

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IDFIMH

I see.....so basically they have taken on a function where they cant charge the taxi licensee?

ffs

this gets better and better

CC

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