Taxi Driver Online

Taxi firm takes on popular bus route to Anfield

A TAXI firm is offering a passenger service for the same price as a bus fare – and is hoping to expand it across the whole city. Tony Mullane, who runs A&J Taxis, obtained a licence which allows his vehicles to compete on the same terms as a bus operator. At present the taxi-bus service – which operates under the name Taxi One – is only offered on match days, taking Reds fans from the city centre to Anfield stadium.

Tony, who has been a taxi driver for 32 years, said he launched the service as a way of countering rising bus fares. He said: “When people get in the taxi it gives us a chance to engage with the customer. This is a much better service and not something you can get on the bus. “I can employ as many cabs as I deem necessary to meet the demand on that particular route.”

Each cab is clearly identified with a number displayed in the windscreen and every driver is a member of NTTG (National Taxi Trades Group). Although the scheme has only been running since the start of the football season it has already proved popular, with 242 passengers using the service on the first match day when Liverpool FC played at home and 250 on the second.

The special restricted public service vehicle (PSV) operator’s licence allows for taxis to take people from St John’s Lane and Anfield on match days, from two hours before kick-off, at a fare of £1.80. Under the terms of the licence, the taxis can accept saveaways and bus passes and are gearing up to take Merseyside’s new transport smartcard, the Walrus, when it is launched.

The Soccerbus route against which Tony is competing is operated by Stagecoach and promoted by Merseytravel. Neither organisation wished to comment on the new service.

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IDFIMH

How do they get paid when someone shows a bus-pass

They issue a ticket and a charge for that is made to the council.

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IDFIMH

Each passenger gets charged £1.80, so a car full is £7.20. Out of interest how much is the normal fare from St.Johns to Anfield and vice-versa ? Do the cars run with one occupant or is there a minimum number of passengers ? What if it's an 8 seater, does each person still get charged £1.80 = £14.40 which may be more than the normal taxi fare (for 8 persons)?

Can't see the drivers wanting to do the run for less than they'd normally get.

I think the idea is that the taxi will get a normal fare one way and then pick up the taxibus passengers going the other way instead of returning empty.

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Grandad,