Taxi Driver Online

Taxi drivers snub short trips

Taxi drivers are refusing to pick up Walsall revellers who only want to go a short distance, it emerged today, ahead of a new marshalling scheme being introduced in the town.

But in turn, drivers claim they are regularly abused and are repeatedly the victims of fare dodgers. These are just some of the problems the new £10,000 marshalling system is set to stamp out. The revelations are part of a report into the taxi marshalling scheme due to launch on April 27.

Findings by the council’s taxi-licensing office reveal revellers have been forced to find alternative ways of getting home after being turned down for short journeys, customers running off without paying fares and drivers taking advantage by failing to set the meter or overcharging.

Walsall Council has set aside the cash for the duration of the pilot supported by West Midlands Police. John Beavon, head of Trading Standards, said: “We are hoping people will take advantage of the pilot scheme which will provide improved safety.”

The new marshalling scheme will cover Lichfield Street and Bradford Place and could be widened after the first three months. Schemes in Kidderminster and Wolverhampton have proved a success.

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IDFIMH

There are taxi drivers and people who drive taxis.

Get rid of the $hit and we have a future.

B. Lucky

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"Here's a simple solution. If you don't want to pay more for a premium service then wait in the queue, problem solved".
Skull on TDO

TF pi$$ed on his chips.

Round our way it is the other way around. Drivers won't go out of town on Friday and Saturday nights.

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Grandad,

Well if the drivers in Walsall are worried about runners then surely that would mean they'd be keener to do the short runs since they've less to lose?

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

Is this what Liverpool would call Cherry Pickers?

Regards

JD

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Copyright notice © The contents of this post are copyright of JD and are not to be reproduced outside of TDO without written permission.

Or the Liverpool drivers would call heaven.

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IDFIMH

Doesn't the law already cater for refusing to drive without a reasonable excuse?

Regards

JD

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Copyright notice © The contents of this post are copyright of JD and are not to be reproduced outside of TDO without written permission.

it happens all around the country and not just at night I remember a couple of years ago sitting second on the rank. One of the non local drivers was in front a lady went up to his cab and got in about 10 seconds later she got out again and got in my cab in the meantime another fare who was walking up to the taxis walked up and got in the front car. From the conversation with the woman i gathered that as she got in the first taxi the driver spotted the other fare walking up towards him and ordered her out of his car because he wanted to take the other passenger walking up towards the taxis because he knew it was a bigger fare ! She was not amused about this but despite my going to lengthy trouble to explain to her how to put in a formal complaint nothing happened. it has always been a common occurence that cars on the front of the rank send passengers further down if they are only going half a mile or less !

We have a different problem the punters just pick the cab they want from anywhere on the rank, and that can p iss the one at the front off, Its even more puzzling when the punter walks passed 8 cabs and gets the one at the end of the rank.
I know its the punters prerogative but there should be a law that the punter must take the front cab at all times, and if they do not want that one for some reason or other, they should be made to wait until the cab they want gets to the front.

I think many bylaws would prevent this down here, except for WAV, buggy, multiple and estate punters.

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IDFIMH

More responsibly, the taxi driver behind the taxi at the front, should be directing the punter to the car at the front of the rank.

More responsibly, the taxi driver behind the taxi at the front, should be directing the punter to the car at the front of the rank.[/quote]


The driver behind would never do that here, they just load and go, this boils down to, to many individual taxi company's and its everyone for himself.

The taxis down my way (small town outside of Glasgow) usually look out for each other. They won't pick you up if you are within walking distance of a rank (which is usually over flowing and drivers have probably been sitting for a short while) and a driver taking a job thats not his seems to be the ultimate crime. There will be plenty off drop offs at a nightclub in the area and there is usually always a job waiting for one of the two big radio companies. If one companies car makes a drop off he will not take another drivers job from the other company and will tell the punter they will have to wait for their booked taxi. (Even though he is licenced to pick up of the street).

The last time there was an attack on a driver there were 11 taxis on the street within 3 minutes (and more on the way) from both radio companies. A driver from one company overheard a driver from another companies radio and radioed his office to let them know there was a driver in need of assistance.

Maybe you need a Mr Skull to remind drivers about what's right and what's not.

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IDFIMH

It's interesting to compare skippy in the Borders and The-Driver in the small town near Glasgow.

In St Andrews it's definitely the Borders scenario. As well as people just getting into the nearest car, there are also other factors which have lead to the breakdown in order, ie

- the mishmash of vehicles, anything from a Volkswagen Golf to a huge Transit minibus

- The council hiking up fares which has just encouraged discounting and therefore punters shopping around on the ranks.

- shambolic taxi ranks.

The main rank in town close to a busy junction with zebra crossing, and if drivers are flagged there or someone jumps in when they're stopped many think nothing of just taking the fare.