Taxi Driver Online

I had to laff at this little piece, I can just imagine the scene at the railway station with all these drivers in their LTI cabs pulling off the rank and leaving passengers stranded lol
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Leicester Mercury

October 24, 2006 Tuesday

HEADLINE: Chaos as cabs dodge safety checks

BYLINE: Tom Bennett

People were left stranded at taxi ranks as cab drivers fled an on-the-spot vehicle check.

Hackney cabs at Leicester Railway Station drove off rather than risk being taken off the road.

Of the 19 checked on Sunday, nine were unroadworthy - with one taxi's engine found to be hanging loose, while others had cracked brake parts.

City council cabinet transport spokesman John Mugglestone said the results were "shocking." However, taxi drivers who drove off say the council is "too picky" over faults.

Coun Mugglestone said: "I find it shocking that so many of the taxis failed their inspection, but it's worse that so many drove off without being inspected.

"We've done inspections more frequently in the past, and now I think it's time to look at concentrating on taxis again."

Kuljit Singh, secretary of the Leicestershire branch of the RMT union, which represents Hackney cab drivers, said up to 100 people were left stranded when the cabbies drove off.

He said: "There are 122 drivers who are licensed to pick up at the railway station, and I think over half of them took off on Sunday.

"There were 50 to 100 people left queuing and fighting for the cabs that were left.

"A lot of vehicles are not very well maintained and when they turn up to inspect, the drivers would rather do a runner. They can't afford to have their vehicle off the road.

"Ninety nine per cent of vehicles have something wrong with them and any technician can find it."

One driver, who was picking up outside the station, said people left because the council is too picky about finding faults.

He said: "They will find very little faults, nothing that would affect the driving. They are wasting people's time without good reason. That is why we feel it is best we just go home."

Another driver blamed the council and police for not organising the checks properly. He said: "If they are going to do it, do it properly. Block the entrance so they can't leave."

One of the drivers who drove off on Sunday said: "The main reason why people go away is they come at a weekend. If they find a fault, you are off the road for the whole weekend.

"If they came out Monday to Friday then we can take it to a garage, get it repaired and do the MOT and be back on the road.'' Hackney cab tests are carried out every two to three months by the city council, police and the vehicle inspectorate.

This year, 79 taxis have been inspected and 31 have been so dangerous they have been banned. A new London-style Hackney cab costs about £30,000, and can only be bought at a handful of suppliers in the UK.
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You may well have a "laff" at this story, JD, but to blame the manufacturers for poor maintainance is, in my opinion, disingenuous on your part. Any opportunity to have a go at LTI. Take a visit to one particular unnamed "garage" in leicester and you might just discover why the Cities cabs are in such a poor condition. Unqualified staff, "no vat..."

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Former taxi driver

I can't believe all that.

What sort of message does that send to punters?

If I was the LO there I would do the same every week until they got it sorted.

None of us, not even me, are perfect, but that lot are a f***ing disgrace.

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IDFIMH

Poverty fares,poverty earnings,poverty maintenance??????????

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The views expressed by this contributor do not neccesarily reflect the policys of The GMB Nationally or of the GMB London Region.

I didn't blame LTI, how can you blame them when maintenance is down to cab owners? I merely reminded everyone that 95% of the cabs in Leicester are made by LTI.

Dave Milward of Taxeee Talk magazine said, "not including insurance and vehicle finance it costs 12 grand a year to maintain a cab", considering his comments were aimed at Liverpool, I assume he meant an LTI cab. Maintenance is down to how many miles you do, how you drive the vehicle and the reliability of the vehicle itself? If you buy a vehice that costs you 12 grand a year to maintain then either the vehicle is a load of chit or you have sawdust between your ears.

However, if Mr Millward is correct then its no surprise these guys are skimping on repairs.

JD

and more tripe from the GMB!

Here Terry, i'm hearing more rumours from my little friend Premier the dickie bird, he told me this morning your about as popular as a fart in a spacesuit within your own union?

I fing this hard to believe being the understanding, symathetic, non confrontational old man that you are?

I have never spent 12K in a single year on maintainance, in 15 years of purpose built ownership. Metrocab's must be more reliable than LTI.

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Former taxi driver

I suspect it's a case of you telling the truth, and someone else telling porkies.

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IDFIMH