Taxi Driver Online

Dodgy taxis blighted race week - cabbies


DISGRUNTLED cabbies claim dozens of illegal taxis flooded Cheltenham for race week, stealing their customers.

Members of the town's Hackney Carriage association say the area was swarming with taxi drivers from Gloucester, Swindon and Birmingham without licenses to operate.

They claim as many as one in every three taxi rides taken during the week were made by uninsured vehicles.

And they have hit out at the council's enforcement officers and police, who they claim left the rogue cabbies to ride roughshod over the law.

Gary Knight, 44, a taxi driver from Springbank, said: "It was a complete farce. We had unlicensed vehicles picking people up all over town, right in front of the police's noses.

"I complained to council enforcement officers and they did nothing either."

Under licensing laws taxis must be registered with the local authority where they are operating to legally pick people up from designated taxi ranks, or be private vehicles booked for a specific job.

But according to some Cheltenham cabbies, unlicensed cars were stopping with impunity in the town centre and touting for trade.

Mr Knight added: "People will say this is sour grapes, but picking people up in unlicensed vehicles is a serious offence. It means customers have no insurance.

"If an accident happens – and sooner or later it will – then it could be disastrous."

The complaints come just months after more than 100 Hackney Carriage drivers signed a vote of no confidence in the council's licensing office, which they claimed had consistently failed to protect the interests of local drivers.

Malcolm Rogers, 60, a taxi driver from Prestbury, said: "We have this situation every time race week comes around but this time it was worse.

"I saw a driver from Swindon pick up a customer right in front of a police officer. When I raised it with him he just waved me away saying there was enough business for everyone.

"We feel badly let down by the council and the police. License enforcement in Cheltenham needs an overhaul."

Both police and the council licensing office said they were notified about illegal taxi drivers operating during the race week.

Trevor Gladding, community safety and licensing manager said: "We launched a licensing enforcement operation involving officers from Cheltenham, Tewkesbury and Gloucester councils.

"Throughout the four days the team received a number of complaints about non-compliance with licensing regulations and are taking action."

A police spokesman said: "We would stress the importance of taking taxis from established ranks and firms."

source; http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/ ... headlines/

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

What the feck do we have to do to get the councils and police to enforce legislation.Its the same all over the country they turn a blind eye because it makes there job easier the baxtards.

I would also sugest that there would be a shortfall in the number of correctly licensed cars during the festival so the blind eye is beeing turned just to get the punters away.

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Grandad,

Given the ideas of some on this website there should be enough taxis available to cover events such as the Cheltenham festival, of course the fact there'll be 2567 cabs doing nothing for the other 51 weeks is irrelevant.

CC

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

One of my drivers went to Chelt on Friday, she said you could not get a taxi for love nor money, i phoned every taxi in the yellow pages for her and the answer was no no no no no, she said loads of private cars stopped and offered to take them the 6 miles they wanted to travel for £20. In the end it took about 3 hours to find a taxi.

Its the same on a Saturday night,no matter how many taxis there are there will never be enough for people not to wait.

Does it?

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

Thats a cheap price though.

CC

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

I went to Cheltenham with a lady punter on the Wednesday.

As usual if you're an out of town cab or PH, you've got no chance of picking up at the racecourse; it's so well policed. All non-Cheltenham cabs are corralled in a seperate pick-up area.

As for street hirings; well there's a limit to how many p*ssed up Paddies I would want to pick up at night!!

_________________
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.

Are you saying that in your opinion things were not as stated?

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Grandad,

I am saying that on the few times I have had apssengers to the festival, there has always been a very heavy police presence at & around the race course, especially in the pick up / drop off area, all of them being on their guard for illegal picking up by out of town cabs.

On the one occasion, about four years ago, that I had a guaranteed return from the race course, on arrival I was instructed by a policeman to park in a section of the pick-up area that was barriered off on all sides. the policeman asked me for my passenger's name & destination & when I was loaded, the same policeman came over to move the barriers so that I could drive out & checked with my passenger's name & destination.

In my experience, you'd be a fool to try & mouse a job from the race course or that vacinity.

_________________
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.