Taxi Driver Online

Immediate release
Attention: News desk, transport, industrial and political correspondents

BASILDON CITIZEN’S ADVICE BUREAU CAB DRIVERS SURVEY CONDEMS COUNCIL’S ‘FREE TRADE’ POLICY THAT IS HARMING DRIVERS
75% of Basildon’s cab driver work over 50 hours a week to earn as little as £100 gross

GMB today welcomed the results of a survey by the Citizen’s Advice Bureau in Basildon which clearly shows the Cab industry in Basildon to be severely suffering due to the councils "market forces" policies. The survey was carried out in the last two weeks and are based on 100 completed survey forms

The Citizens Advice Survey results – May 2010 show that during March 2010 and April 2010 that the policy of unrestricting taxi licences could be causing financial hardship, health problems and stressful working conditions due to long hours and a struggle to maintain vehicles that are accumulating high mileages due to the need to earn a basic living.

1) Over 60% of drivers are earning between £100-£500 gross per week from taxi driving
2) 98% of drivers stated that they are earning the same as the same period last year
3) 44% of drivers said they are behind with mortgage or rent payments
4) 92% of drivers said they have debts
5) 90% of drivers said their health had suffered as a result of driving work
6) 75% of drivers are on average working between 50-100 hours per week
7) 64% of drivers are driving between 20-50,000 miles per year in order to break even

Terry Flanagan, GMB Branch Secretary of the GMB Professional Drivers Branch said, “This survey from an impeccable source reveals what Basildon’s drivers have been telling this non-caring Council for years. Clearly the Tory Council’s slavish devotion to market economy policies has led to a public service descending into a dangerous situation, the hours worked for so little are clearly unacceptable, flooding the streets of the area with cabs is creating a time bomb waiting to explode.

How can any authority allow such or indeed encourage such practices. Many drivers report health issues which obviously affect drivers adversely. GMB believe that Basildon’s drivers deserve better and so do the public.

Why is it that other Tory Councils such as Bracknell listened to GMB and carried out an ‘unmet demand survey’ and imposed a limit on the number of cabs in their area? This Council quite clearly had the welfare of its citizens and its cabbies at heart. It is fortunate that this research could be put in view of the public on election day, GMB call for a massive vote for Labour which have agreed to carry out an ‘unmet demand survey’ and initiate its recommendations."

Ends

Contact: Terence Flanagan, GMB Branch Secretary of the GMB Professional Drivers Branch on 07958 275339 or Adrian Strowger, District Manager, Basildon District Citizens Advice Bureau Ltd on 07813 989336 or adrianstrowger@hotmail.co.uk

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

Anybody only making £100 gross for 50 hours should be jacking the job in as their outgoings are going to be bigger than their incomings...no business can survive on that.

That's if they are telling the truth which I doubt?..... Things are tough and I've seen my income drop by about 50%, but with tightening the belt and making cutbacks I am just about surviving. I have managed to pay off any debts including the dreaded mortgage, so only have to keep my cab and myself afloat. Those here with cab finance and mortgages to pay are working 16 hour days, double my hours easily!! I have sympathy to some extent but I had to do it through the last recession so as always it's the strongest and fittest survive as it's always been. I know it's harsh but I am looking forward to the ranks thining out as the year goes on..... That is what tory councils are like, we have the same problem here.....

I don't think our drop in trade has anything to do with the recession, i think peoples social habits have changed.
During the last recession, our trade dropped but not to the extent it has now, we were still moving and earning a decent living then!
our trade, like your's has dropped by at least 50%, people don't go out like they used to.
I blame the smoking ban, the high prices in clubs and pubs and the higher taxi fares.
Most people in our area tend to buy a couple of crates from the supermarket and go round eachothers houses to drink rather than go out, I can't say i blame them!
In our town, it is cheaper to get a hotel room for the night than get a return trip to the nearest city which is about 7 miles away!

I dare say you are right, which means people are holding onto their money, cutting back and making do with cheaper alternatives.... I envisage it staying this way for many a year to come yet, which will determine the amount of cabs that will most certainly drop over the next few years, that in turn will be a good thing as so many that are now in the trade thought it was going to be an easy way to make a living, which it was during the good times.... Having been through the last recession and seeing this one coming I now see that many are regretting coming into the trade and cannot see a way out of it except bankruptcy..... I say tough s**t!! Dont come into something without sussing it out first, which many do and when it goes belly up expect sympathy!!

depends if these drivers that go and get a 'proper' job decide to keep their badge and plate up and cherry pick and come out at the busy times, which is already been happening in our town for quite some time, its these part time drivers that come out at kick out time and weekends that our killing us imo

Sorry mate it's what I do now and I've been licensed for 23 years and have earned the right to do that with all the many thousands of long hours I put in in the past. I don't have another job ('cause there aren't any!!) so I just pick the more busier times (which are now scarce). I don't have to sit on a rank for long hours at a time and I don't intend to any more.... Maybe one day you might be able to do it.....

We're already Labour here and have been for years. We've already had a SUD and deregulated. They've promised another survey but it won't make any difference and I'm not sure it will in many places thanks to Labour pushing through the equalities bill. I think it's high time that PH were taken into consideration when looking at earnings especially when you take into account that they pay operators for work that's not forthcoming. How many other trades pay somebody for something that they may or may not get. It's about time that operators were held accountable to drivers who are forced to work excessive hours in a vain attempt to earn a living because the systems are flooded

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

[/quote]Sorry mate it's what I do now and I've been licensed for 23 years and have earned the right to do that with all the many thousands of long hours I put in in the past. I don't have another job ('cause there aren't any!!) so I just pick the more busier times (which are now scarce). I don't have to sit on a rank for long hours at a time and I don't intend to any more.... Maybe one day you might be able to do it..... [/quote]

I think you are missing my point Towag, we have drivers who are teachers, mehanics, builders etc working the ranks part time in the busy times, which you have said yourself are now scarse.
my point was if the majority of drivers got a job in the day time and came out at the busy times, the busy times would become non existant.
Like you, i don't have to do alot of hours myself but can see my hours having to change as the best times to be working will be when they are at work in their main job.
As you well know, working the rank is luck of the draw, you never know where you are going to end up til they get in your car, it could be a whole day of £5 fares with a 45 minute to over an hours wait at night to get to the front or it could be a decent £20-30 fare, the job is too random to predict. if in the prodominent busy times there are more taxi's, there won't be a busy time anymore, that was the point i was trying to make!

We are lucky that we don't have any here as they have to pass a fairly stiff knowledge test to get their licence. Licensing here have made it as hard as is possibly fare under the limitations that they have.... I'm considered a part timer now!! I agree you have to be adaptable and this is what I do.... Good luck for the future and stick it out as I will

The thing to keep in mind is when all the no hoper's eventually go bankrupt, which they will, I will still be here when they have gone back to their now non existent jobs.... Most don't have the patience that long term cabbies have, so eventually disappear. I've seen 'em come and I've seen 'em go...... It happened during the last recession and will happen in this one too

One driver on our firm works over 100 hours every week. Over the Easter weekend he came out on the Thursday morning at 6am and didn't go home until the Monday morning at 3am. People won't get into his car because it smells to high heaven.

Kinda defeats the object

CC

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

you're in southampton or winchester then i take it?

8. 100% of drivers understate their earnings and overstate their expenses.

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If its quiet why not hand your phone number out to punters take the calls and go get them
Thats how we work up here my cabs my office so I have the best of both worlds