Taxi Driver Online

Taxi drivers say no to fare rise

Taxi drivers in Mole Valley have refused a pay rise to help their customers.

The district's hackney carriage drivers were due to be given an average increase of 12 per cent on every fare after Mole Valley District Council's executive agreed a new tariff last year.

But with just one month to go before the fare rise kicks in, taxi drivers have told the council not to enforce it.

Leatherhead-based Graham Hutchinson who is part of the consultative group said: "We thought it would be crazy to ask the public to pay more in this economic downturn.

"We are all paying too much for everything these days so if we can help by not taking the price increase then great."

The new tariff would have seen taxi drivers charging customers £3.90 for up to one mile.

After that the price would be 20 pence for every 184 yards as opposed to every 200 yards currently being charged.

Short journeys were poised to have the biggest increases, with the cost of one, two and three-mile journeys increasing by 15, 14 and 13 per cent respectively.

A council spokeswoman said councillors and officers have agreed not to increase the current charges for at least six months but the final decision will be made at a meeting of the executive later this month.

Councillor David Sharland, portfolio holder for health, safety and wellbeing, said: "This is good news for our Mole Valley residents as well as for our licensed taxi drivers.

"This move supports the local businesses as well as those residents who use these taxi services as an essential part of getting around the district."

I think that is going to be the same story around the country,it makes sense

And when will it "make sense" to increase fares? 2010? 2011? 2012?

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Former taxi driver

We decided not to ask for an increase this year as well,with the local PH firms undercutting (and still dropping their prices !) us it would have been "financialy unviable",or suicidal if you like !

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"I'm not saying stupidity should be a capital offence, but why don't we just take the safety labels off everything and let the issue resolve itself ?."

It's quite refreshing that the cab trade in many places are awake to the real world.

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IDFIMH

deleted as I started a new thread. I thought this post had failed.

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My heart is heavy, but my consience clear,
I voted Yes, without any fear.

So when does the trade increase their prices then? The trade can only subsidise people's taxi fares for so long.

The Oil companies and Brewery's don't think like the cab trade when it comes to increasing their prices do they?? If people want a cab they pay the going rate IMO.

I tend too agree.

What these guys could have done was implement the fare rise that was already in the pipeline, and not then charged the full metered rate, by giving a discount of say, 10%. Then, "when the time was right" quietly dropped the discount. I have always suggested this to those that oppose an increase here.

Funny thing is, when it comes arount to a tarrif change, they are the ones at the front of the queue to get their meter altered.

The other funny thing is that offering a discount eliminates tipping, and therefore discounting is a no no on that score. For instance? You get to the drop off, and the meter reads £5:50. You will defo get £5:50, maybe £6:00 and keep the change. Discount the £5:50 to £5, and you will get £5.

I'm betting trade is slow there anyway, even though the fare increase was refused. The punters will have already forgotten that an increase was declined.

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Former taxi driver

It does get my back up thought Jimbo when the drivers state the customers needs, what about the drivers needs?? We all have bills to pay, increased fuel prices, increased rental for the cars. Some drivers who rent the cars have to take in excess of £12 and hour just to break even, after that they've got to try and earn a wage. Not increasing the tariff is not a sensible solution.

Maybe the drivers that have to pay in excess of £12 per hour rent should ALL stop paying until the price is dropped. After all they would be better off not working.

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Grandad,

I too agree. Simple question, have your outgoings increased this year, if the answer is yes then you don’t stop the council with the fare increase. It is hard enough to get them to increase HCs tariffs at the best of times. I think that its Turkeys voting for xmas time! An Airport transfer company I know has an add in the paper £10 off your return trip. The company usually charges £35 out £37 back [now £27] MAD![driver on 33%] Is he now mad busy-....NO He is doing 1/2 jobs a day per driver instead of 5/6. The question everyone should ask is; would he be doing more-less-or the same amount of jobs per day if he left the original price in place. I suggest he would be doing roughly the same amount. The same applies to HC fares. The customers will always complain about the cost of taxis. Taxi drivers go to work primarily to earn a living, not to serve the public with discounted taxis.

So true but when you've got high rents and low fares where does it end? Drivers who I know are paying in excess of £260 per week for a full rent car, take into account the low tariff rate the driver has to hammer the hours to make it pay.

Then the laws of supply and demand take over. Those who are efficient will prosper, those who are not will go to the wall.

A supplier will only stay in the market as long as he can cover his fixed costs at a price at which the market will buy from him. If his fixed costs are too high, his price will be too high and the market won't buy.

HC's increasing fares to, apparently, ensure they will earn a living are pricing themselves out of the market and opening the door for the PH enemy.

At times like this, cut your costs, and concentrate on market share. ie, make sure your service is so good that you drive your opposition out of the market and take their market share.

Don't forget, there's no room for sentimentality, every plated vehicle out there, HC or PH, is your opposition. In order to survive yourself, you must compete and win.

Excellent post, i totally agree.

I also agree but I posted a reply about a similar problem, but the answers the same. PHs were formed to undermind HCs in the 70s. Divide and conquer. Councils and the government are to blame. If greedy PH bosses put the fares up to a proper level and charged fare an a half after midnight, job done! Imagine if just one PH owner with a good amount of cars decided to do it. You would then say the customers will ring another company instead. The problem then would be that they have lost their drivers, who have all moved to the company who have the higher tarriff[well you would, wouldn't you!] Joe Public rings around at 01:00 Saturday morning for a taxi and its raining, is told 2 hour wait by company A or 2 minute wait for company B. Which one will he go for? After 2 months company A out of drivers or most probably adopts for the fare & a half. to keep their drivers. The problem here is the drivers who must initiate this change [/b]somehow. There will be casulties there always will. The future is already here now look at Flintshire. 99.5% PH. Your borough is next! Drivers being drivers they tend not to do the right thing and will do the complete opposite of what I have just said