Taxi Driver Online

Grimsby Evening Telegraph

August 17, 2006 Thursday

HEADLINE: Drivers are being taken for a ride

Ifeel I must put pen to paper on what I feel is the appalling treatment the taxi drivers of this area are being given.

I have been involved in the taxi business for 24 years, both in the Hackney carriage and private hire side. I have never known the business to be in such a sorry state. We are treated with such contempt by all sides - the council, the police and even some of the public, those we are trying to serve.

Imagine how it feels when you have spent £33,000 on a purpose-built vehicle only to be told "I'm not getting in that thing, I don't like them and I can't sit in the front".

So you watch them pass your purpose built "taxi" to get into a family saloon car behind you and leave you sitting for another half an hour for somebody who appreciates a "proper taxi".

When we first got our "LTI TX11" which stands for London Taxis International, we were overwhelmed by the amount of young ladies with pushchairs who would come straight to our vehicle, as it was so easy to put straight in.

This was obviously too much for some drivers. We all of a sudden receive a letter from the Hackney carriage office telling us it is illegal to carry a child in a pushchair. Yet we can quite safely carry a child or adult in a wheelchair. In disbelief I rang LTI, which replied that although the council is correct in what it says, they had never heard of a council who had tried to stop it. Without prompting, they said: "I bet you're with NE Lincs" (enough said).

For years we had a set number of 121 Hackney carriage plates, but from September 2005 this ceased. We now have over 200 with no limit and still rising. The reason we were given for the rise was to bring in wheelchair-friendly vehicles which the Government say every Hackney licence will have to have by 2010.

It now appears the Government may be having a change of heart. Does this mean anybody who went to the expense of one of these vehicles is able to change back to a cheap family saloon? No!

The only way you can get a new Hackney carriage plate is to buy a purpose-built vehicle. We have had some change for saloons under "special circumstances". I would love to hear those circumstances.

I have travelled around a lot in this country and I have never seen a town or city of this size where there hasn't been a queue of people on a Friday or Saturday night waiting for a taxi. In this town, it's the taxis that queue for the fares.

I was talking to a coach driver who was here to ferry railway passengers to Doncaster. He could not believe they had to walk that far to get a taxi and there was no parking bay for a coach.

So where do we ply for hire? I know the council will say there are several ranks situated around the towns, but realistically we have three in the day and four at night.

Last week I saw 43 cars in the station yard trying to get into nine spaces. So where do the others go?

I have recently started to pray to the almighty, because we need some help from somewhere and it doesn't appear to be coming from the people we pay our money to.

Roll on retirement!

Jim Lister (Hackney Plate 125), Lockton Court, Grimsby.
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So whats new he should see what it's like down the southern end of the county.

Lincolnshire police are one of the most anti taxi forces in the country that has been the case for years but the councils have learned that they can treat cabbies with contempt and screw them for money it's impossible to discuss anything with them they insist only only dealing with a "united taxi organisation" which is impossible in rural areas drivers don't want to know let alone pay subs and yes in these areas mums with pushchairs and prams love WAV's they can be lazy and I've never had a problem with a pushchair unless it is top heavy with shopping bags over the handles but everyone else given the choice will always walk past you and get in a saloon car unless its P*ss*ng it down with rain then suddnly they don't mind

yes I can see where he's coming from BUT the reality of the situation is if you live in LIncolnshire don't spend £30000 on a taxi because the car sat behind you on the rank will have cost just £3000 and will get the next fare

Unless you work in Lincoln.... 100% WAV.

_________________
Former taxi driver

Well they always do do things differant up there to the rest of the county

The best always do.