Taxi Driver Online

The Daily Telegraph, 5/9/2006.

"Oh, that Lymington"

A taxi driver mispelled a destination on his sat-nav system and took two girls from Bournemouth 85 miles to Limington, Somerset, instesd of 18 miles to Lymington, Hants. The taxi firm has refunded the £80 fare."

So that's allright, then.

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Former taxi driver

Is don't suppose this is an isolated case. Theres no substitute for local knowledge tests.

JD

Bright girls then?

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A member of the Hire or Reward Industry

I understand the driver was Eastern European, do you think this played a part in the obvious lack of communication between him and the passengers? And the fact that he probably couldn't read the piece of paper which said "New Forest"? Maybe he thought the New Forest was in Somerset?

I understand that this firm is quite large and employs several Eastern Europeans, I was also told that when they sit their local knowledge test or whatever it is they have down there, that they have an "interpreter" to get them through the test.

So much for driver quality controls?

Regards

JD

I think the operator should have his license reviewed.

Only then will operators think about their quality of service, rather than the quality of the drivers radio rent/fees.

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IDFIMH

So the driver took them on a very long wild goose chase, and then had the f**king nerve to charge them for it.

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IDFIMH

How many times do we hear this?.
My worst drivers are the ones who use sat nav.

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stressed controller!!!

The story seems like a carbon copy of the Ayrshire story a few weeks ago - weren't you on the girl's side in that case Sussex?

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Taxi Driver Online
www.taxi-driver.co.uk

yeah but the "bright girls" could have pointed this out way before they even got thier

I'm surprised that people can assume the circumstances of what happened Mr 187ums - how do you know the girls had ever even been to where they were picked up before, never mind knowing the whereabouts of their destination or how to get there.

Are all your passengers so au fait with your area that they'll pick you up on any navigational error that you make?

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Taxi Driver Online
www.taxi-driver.co.uk

I phoned United and asked them for details surrounding this incident but they've closed ranks and aren't giving any information until tomorrow. I did the next best thing and phoned a rival firm who were very accommodating.

The person I spoke to said "this United outfit is losing customers hand over fist".

He employs an Eastern European driver himself and said "he has to watch his every move because without Sat Nav he, just like the others, haven't got a clue where they are going.

Regards

JD

That was then, and now is now.

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IDFIMH

And after posting this story today, I picked up a couple who asked to be taken to "Dunholme". And went on to say, "Don't take us to Dunham or Durham, will you?" They had read the story too. There are two vital points to be remembered here.

1. The passenger and the driver MUST be able to communicate clearly with each other.

2. The driver MUST be able to take a passenger to their requested destination, particularly when the passenger has never been there before.

The ability to operate a sat-nav is no substitute for local knowledge. if this case, and the many others like it, prove one thing, it is that with programming and operating with sat-nav, "rubbish in, rubbish out."

Everyone, even Sussex, must have experience of similar sounding street and village names, such as here, Gray Street and Grace Street. Or Cranwell and Cromwell Street. And so on...

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Former taxi driver

Communication with the passenger is a vital element of being a cab driver. What if there were several routes to a particular destination but two of those routes were more expensive than the third? Would a sat nav pick up the quickest route?

Regards

JD

I think sat nav picks the shortest route?.
However, the shortest route may not be the quickist route.
The quickest route may not be the cheapest.
It all depends on if you operate a meter.
Example, my cab office is in shoreditch, london. From my office to gatwick is basically a straight run south, but that route is city driving with about 200 sets of traffic lights.
Most drivers go through blackwall tunnel and on the motorway, its about 20 miles longer, but quicker, especially during the day.
As we don't have meters and charge a set fare, it is in the drivers interest to do the job as quickly as possible.
If we were on a meter and went via the motorway, it would come to alot more than going through town.
If we do get meters, I think it will be a case of asking the passenger what way they want to go.
You can ask 10 drivers which way they would go from a to b, and get 10 different answers.
I think the main problem with sat nav is it does not know local traffic conditions, IE, 8.30am, avoid the areas with schools or the high street etc etc.
The other problem with sat nav is drivers will follow the route regardless of if they think it is taking them the wrong way. An example;
I had a pick up at gatwick going to southend on sea, easy run, m23, m25, A13. THe (foriegn)driver asks passengers for thier postcode and puts it in sat nav. Passengers then fall asleep. Passengers wake up in COLCHESTER!. THe correct postcode was SS10, the driver put in CO10. I asked the driver if he saw the signs for southend when he came through the dartford tunnell and guess what he said?, "i saw the signs, but thought the sat nav knew a better way". The agreed fare before the journey was £90, and the passenger paid the driver £40, and he was lucky he got that!.

We had an empire that went all round the world, and how did we find our way to places?, with a map, they never go wrong.

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stressed controller!!!