Taxi Driver Online

So it's back to the Glasgow plying for hire problem after a gap of a couple of years due to you-know-what.

But nothing particularly new for those who've read all the previous stuff, but you'd think that with such an ongoing shortage of drivers then PHDs would be able to avoid plying for hire and the risk to their licence. But I suppose there's always temptation in an off-meter unbooked then-and-there hire


Taxi Fears - Warning as Glasgow Uber drivers use illegal ‘pirating’ to make more money

https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/s ... -pirating/

PRIVATE hire cars drivers in Glasgow are putting their licenses and customers at risk through a practise known as pirating – which involves charging punters cash in hand for use of their services.

After a lockdown of taxi drivers struggling to make ends meet as the crowds stayed cooped up indoors, some are now choosing to make the money back by taking illegal weekend trips.

A source told how they got into an Uber in a Sauchiehall street taxi rank on a Saturday night, only to be asked for £30 cash by a driver who did not put the journey through the app.

A spokesman for Glasgow Taxis said: "The biggest red flag for the public here is the fact that in the event of an accident it is likely that any such journeys will be uninsured.

"This is a tragedy waiting to happen - and we don't need to look far to see just how horrific in nature such a tragedy might be.

"From a Glasgow Taxis perspective, this is an issue we have been acutely aware of and have discussed both with Glasgow City Council and with Councillor Alex Wilson.

"Whilst we are assured that Taxi and Private Hire Enforcement are aware of this issue we feel that in the interests of public safety this must be treated as a priority to avert a tragedy.

"A cohesive approach is very much required. If Glasgow is serious about an integrated efficient transport system - which it seemed to be for two weeks during COP26 - it is essential to support taxis as part of this."

Glasgow City Council also acknowledged the dangers of these untraceable taxi rides, which could leave the taxi drivers without a job if caught in the act.

A spokesperson said: “All private hire drivers can only take pre-booked fares, either through an app or a booking office.

“A driver switching off an app or breaking contact with a booking office when taking a fare causes a public safety concern and also invalidates a driver’s insurance.

“Any complaint against a driver taking fares in these circumstances is likely to lead to the driver being called before the city’s Licensing and Regulatory Committee to account for their actions.

“If the complaint is found against the driver they can ultimately be banned from working as private hire drivers.”

Councillor Alex Wilson shared his personal concerns with the issue of pirating and believes the welfare of Glasgow citizens is not being taken seriously enough.

He said: “This is a problem Glasgow has a real issue with because we’re seen very much as a cash cow. It’s not necessarily a company’s fault, it’s certainly an individual’s fault. The city council is up against it and trying to keep a lid on it.

“I feel that we could do from more help with Police Scotland to try and eradicate this problem but it comes down to individuals. I think it puts public at risk because [pirate drivers’] insurance is invalid.

"If you pick up a passenger, and it doesn’t go through their meter, and it doesn’t go through the company that they’re registered with, whether Uber or Hampden or Glasgow Cabs, they invalidate their insurance.

“If a passenger is in a car and they have an accident or a life-threatening injury, they would probably look to get recompense by an insurance company. But there is no insurance, so that person is then left with debilitating injuries and no way of covering that.”

'TRAGEDY WAITING TO HAPPEN'

The Councillor also spoke about his plans to tackle the issue, which involved going down to Birmingham to see their model of preventing pirating, as that was a method Glasgow hoped to adopt. However, this progress was halted by lockdown.

He said: “As we recover, and gradually get back to normal, this is something I want to revisit, because at the end of the day it’s public health and safety that’s the most important thing. We have to go down the route of trying to eradicate this.”

An Uber spokesperson said: "All private-hire trips in the UK must be pre-booked. Uber has a zero tolerance policy and any driver found picking up unbooked trips or street hails will permanently lose access to the app.

"We report any incidents of plying for hire to the council and drivers risk having their private hire licence taken away.

"It's important that people only use a properly booked car: with Uber you will always see the driver’s name, photo and registration number so you can be sure it's the right booking."

Wait a minute - this 'source' seems to know full well it's an illegal hire, yet they're surprised it's a cash job that didn't go through the app?


Think going 'through the meter' is a slightly different issue, particuarly if it's a PH that doesn't have a meter

And by Glasgow Cabs does he mean Glasgow Taxis, which is an HC circuit, so what's the problem with street hires?

And I think Hampden has been merged into GlasGo Cabs, so it doesn't really exist now, but maybe by Glasgow Cabs he actually means GlasGo Cabs.

But as far as I'm aware GlasGo Cabs and Hampden are/were mainly PH with the odd HC. So I suppose the convener can be excused for a slight lack of clarity, but what chance have the travelling public got?

probably didn't want to wait around for a legal ride home

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

But is there a shortage of drivers to meet current customer demand, or is there a shortage of drivers to fill night shifts for taxis and to fill PH office rentals?

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IDFIMH

Bit of both, I would imagine. Just too much stuff in press about passengers being unable to get a cab, and can't imagine they're all just beating the drum on behalf of circuits, fleet owners and operators.

But although fewer taxis around here, don't really see much in the way of a shortage as regards meeting demand.

Broke the two hour mark on our main night rank a couple of nights ago. Have waited *almost* two hours on quite a few occasions in last few weeks, but that's the first time I've actually broken it.

On the other hand, one of the biggest offices here has only had three cars out on Saturday nights, apparently

They had 21 cars pre-lockdown, although I doubt if all of them would have been out on Saturday night.

But I notice Mr Blogz from Glasgow has been very quiet on the 'shortage' there

always been a problem with pirating as there is virtually NO chance of them getting caught so they act with impunity
the shortage of drivers here is the same as everywhere else in the country and for the same reasons
as for the remarks from officialdom,if the guy in charge waffles a load of keech like this then were doomed,doesnt know or care about the difference between h/c and p/h,out if date names for companies,i would suggest he looks for another gravy train as he,s clueless about the one he,s supposed to be representing

as for wanting the police to intervene,never going to happen,they say its a council enforcement problem,they just want the streets cleared and stand by as pirating goes on under their noses

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i started out with nothing and ive still got most of it left

You mean just your average licensing councillor, then


That sounds just about the norm as well

Not sure precisely how they 'revisited' it.

But seems that the selfsame councillors, five years later, have approved the use of in-your-face door liveries and advertising

Maybe going down to Birmingham 'to view their model of preventing pirating' meant encouraging it by making PHVs look more like 'taxis'

And making the 'pre-booked only' sticker look more or less invisible.



High-res version here (image credit PHTM):
https://scontent.fgla2-2.fna.fbcdn.net/ ... e=69CFA618

Talking of private hire signage, it looks like PHTM had to delete a post earlier on their Facebook page because they were getting pelters after claiming the signage below was illegal because it was a rear plate wrongly attached to the door

It's certainly an unusual 'plate', but I think anyone who knows the trade reasonably well would maybe assume it was some sort of side plate/sticker replicating the usual rear plate (at least without any information to the contrary). Particularly the folks at PHTM

And within a couple of minutes I found diagrams via Google showing the plates and their positioning - not sure if these are entirely up to date, but they're obviously the same side plate as in the photo above. And the other links show the other signage.

And it's not as if Birmingham City Council is some kind of obscure rural authority - apart from TfL and Wolverhampton, it plates the largest number of PHVs in the country - more than 5,000, according to the last DfT stats

(Next was Sefton with just under 5,000, and Bradford, Leeds and Newcastle were the other authorities at that time plating more than 3,000 cars. Manchester, Solihull, Kirklees (Huddersfield), Liverpool and Calderdale (Halifax) were the others plating more than 1,500.)

https://www.birminghambeheard.org.uk/pl ... iew_v2.pdf

https://www.birminghambeheard.org.uk/pl ... iew_v2.pdf

https://www.birminghambeheard.org.uk/pl ... iew_v3.pdf

https://www.birminghambeheard.org.uk/pl ... ate_v2.pdf

https://www.birminghambeheard.org.uk/pl ... een_v2.pdf

https://www.birminghambeheard.org.uk/pl ... tor_v2.pdf