Taxi Driver Online

Taxi madness: Manchester's price police


If you want to fly from Manchester to Mumbai, you can save hundreds of pounds by shopping for the cheapest fare. But if you want to take a cab from Manchester to Salford, you will pay the same price no matter which company you pick. How does that make any sense?

Manchester heavily regulates its taxis. Some of that regulation is justified. For instance, cabs need to have their fares posted prominently so customers don't get taken for a ride figuratively as well as literally. But councillors, none of whom works in the taxi business, also get to set the fares cabbies can charge.


The city's last permanent fare hike was in 2008. Last summer, cabbies got a temporary increase when fuel approached £6 a gallon. Now that fuel is down to nearer £4.80 a gallon, councillors want to revoke that rise.

Cabbies say that's not fair because they'd be earning 2008 fares in 2009. Councillors say fuel prices are down, so fares should come down, too. Both miss the point: Councillors have no idea what a 'fair' price for a cab ride is. The right price is whatever the market determines. But we don't have a market because Councillors dictate the price. That's insane.

Deregulation of the airline industry brought aggressive price competition. Deregulation of our local cab fares would do the same. Drivers could charge enough to cover expenses and make a profit, and competition would keep prices reasonable. It works for airlines, sandwich shops, book stores and everyone else. It will work for cab service, too.

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Isn't it normally the council that set the fare tariff anyway? It's a max fare so can be discounted. Don't the council take anything other than the cost of fuel into consideration when setting a tariff

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

shh!

CC

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

What you mean shh!

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

Its manchester USA and i was waiting for skippy to send them an email

CC

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

FUEL may be down a bit (till the vat goes back up to 17.5%) but everything else has risen

i think its called the cost of living...

Typically...

Expenses rise for Ceredigion councillors

12:05pm Friday 20th February 2009

comment Comments (3) Have your say »


Councillors in Ceredigion have voted themselves a 2.5% rise in their allowances.

The rise is in line with that suggested by the Independent Renumeration Panel for Wales.

Cllr Peter Davies – the Cabinet member with responsibility for finances – said it was an awkward subject for councillors.

"It puts us in a difficult situation. We didn't raise allowances last year and it is not fair on members. We need to show respect to the job of being a councillor and there should be a fair increase this year," he said.

Cllr Elin ap Gwynn agreed. "The rise is responsible," she said.

Cllr Mark Cole said he would not want a rise. "That is something I made clear when I was elected in May," he said.

The new rates mean that the basic councillor's allowance rises from £12,418 a year to £12,736. Leader of the council, Cllr Keith Evans, gets a rise of £675 to £27,692 while Cabinet members receive £13,846, a rise of £338.

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

Oh right I see I feel silly now

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

Sounds like another Blonde moment

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Watch out curiosity killed the cat

Maybe but I didn't see anything in this post that says it's USA

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

Maybe I removed it....and the references to Gas prices and dollars

CC

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Realy, is there a Salford close to Manchester in the USA? Do they have councillors in the USA? Is their fuel £6.00 per gallon?

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Grandad,

Link to the article from the USA that I changed to annoy skippy!




CC

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

I was in Manchester a couple of years ago, I didn't feel the charges were excessive, went from Trafford to Worsley for less than a tenner, well the asian lad who picked me up asked for eight quid so I gave him the tenner anyway but the other car charged a tenner so I assume my man was doing me a favour, had a 9 seater van back later on which was 15 quid, factoring in night rate and extra passenger's I didn't find that excessive either.

One thing these ppl should be aware of is we aren't a bus service, if they want to ride around town for pocket change then the bus is their level, a taxi is something completely different, or put another way if I could hook up a trailor that sat another 10 ppl I'd quite happily haul em across town for a quid each as long as there was enough of them riding each time, these council ppl never seem to remember you can sit for 90 minutes and have someone get in who just wants around the corner and you are back on the back all for 3.00p, not that I mind short trips as any work is welcome in my eyes, but when it's really quiet it hurts to get one like that.

I suggest you read the post above yours

CC

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin