Taxi Driver Online

Knutsford cab firms hit out at out of towners stealing trade

OUT of town cab drivers touting illegally for trade are causing misery for Knutsford’s private hire firms.

Lloyd Evans, runs Amber Taxis and shares a town office on Malt Street with David Manley, who is the owner of Acorn Cars.

The Guardian – together with the town’s cab firms – is urging night time revellers to make sure they get in the right taxi at the end of their night out.

Lloyd told the Guardian that the out-of-town drivers were causing Knutsford drivers to lose their livelihood.

He said: “We have got a major problem in Knutsford.

“We’ve got taxi drivers showing up on a Friday and Saturday night and park outside all the bars and restaurants.

“When someone books a taxi with us they walk outside and these guys are then taking them home.

“I’ve seen them ask people if they want a taxi and they’ve even asked me. The problem is people are losing things in these cabs like wallets and phones and calling us because they think they have got in one of ours.

“But because they haven’t they can’t trace it and they lose it forever. It looks bad on us.”

Lloyd added that many of these drivers don’t even know where they are going.

“I was stood outside Amber Lounge and a guy asked to go to Lostock and this driver didn’t know where it was. So I said ‘oh yeah it’s up the M61’ and he replied with ‘yeah, yeah I’ll take you there’.

“But the customer was like, ‘no, it’s the one near Northwich’.

“I’ve seen them stop and shout to people and ask if they want a taxi but that is illegal. They are touting for hire and they shouldn’t be doing it.”

Cheshire East Council is currently carrying out a consultation into private hire and Hackney carriages.

“The council as part of their recent consultation came down on a Tuesday night and came down on a Friday for about an hour but that’s been it,” Lloyd added.

“They have said they will sort them out but they have done nothing. It is killing the private hire firms around Knutsford and it’s terrible.”

Clr Rachel Bailey, cabinet member with responsibility for safer and stronger communities, said: “Cheshire East Council is aware of the situation in Knutsford and is currently investigating the matter.”

source: http://www.knutsfordguardian.co.uk/news ... _not_fare/

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