Taxi Driver Online

Well boys, have you been done?

Are you de-limited? are things Better than before de-limitation?

Or Worse?

Takings up? Or Down?

Working Longer for Less?

Are you Happy?

No Swearies now!

Jimbo, I would also be interested to hear about this.

Bit of a daft question really.

You could ask if drivers if they would prefer there were only half as many cabs. Or ask if existing plate holders if they could all have 5 drivers on their cars.

But the thing you are neglecting is what Mr and Mrs Punter wants. And I very much doubt it's less cabs and higher fares.

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IDFIMH

Mr and Mrs Punter, want ONE taxi. is it a comfort for them to see a full rank?

With deisel heading for a pound a litre, are you sugesting more cabs and lower fares? More Cabs and lower fares= Bancruptcy for thousands of hard working owner drivers.

Have you not just started up your own mini taxi firm?

Can you imagine if the council said to you "no you can't take phone bookings because we have too many PH?".

_________________
IDFIMH

And why is it a daft question to ask owner drivers in deristricted areas wether the are better off or worse off since delimiting? If nothing much has changed then you would surely be interested to hear it. If it is impossible to earn a decent wage without working excessive hours, then I want to hear it. So which bit of my question is daft, Sussex, and why?

Well let's start with better for whom?

Non working owners, or jockies?

Driver who were told when to work, or those that can now choose for themselves?

Blokes who have been waiting up to twenty years on a list, or the queue jumpers?

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IDFIMH

You are turning the question around to your own hobbyhorse, as per usual.

How are things for the foot soldier owner driver in deregland is the question, not what does sussex think. goodness knows we know what you think and what you want. unless mr Sussex, you are an owner driver of a hackney carriage in a deristricted area, the better or worse queston is not directed at you.

you wait till you have to confront JD and TDO ---

its now over a year and a half since dundee was deregulated plus the seventy odd plates won by 203020 which represented ten percent of the total hack numbers prior to deregulation, and the situation is that the old plate holders who relied heavily on drivers are reporting big losses
the ops who drive their own cabs are reporting minor losses the new ops are saying either they are making the same or if they have a driver are better off, before dundee dregulation this site was full of hack owners shouting off some become quite aggressive just like the edinburgh situation but now everyone are pals again, its not nearly as bad as everyone thought it would be, dundee has probably went through one of the biggest changes, imagine your manor issuing ten percent of the hack numbers to one company then opening up to wavs ?the doom and gloom has not appeared in dundee at least no plates were surrendered when they were due to be renewed many thought 150 plus would go back
but the figures talk for themselves, but the old ops will probably say different, one problem dundee has is dundee private hire putting all the dole claimants through their badges this is acounting for nearly 90 per cent of new badge holders but the old ops think this is ok?maybe part of the cab test should be higher maths, the number of cabs in our office handys the biggest in dundee has also dropped this is also going against the too many taxis claim, quality controls do work and if the offices backed them up with nobody with a a full time job and no dole dossers
rule then all cabbies would make decent money

Our area has been deristricted but it has not made any difference on the ranks (still no work) p/h still as busy as ever. Mind you it helps when the council deristrict and still do not issue any new plates

Why have the number of cabs in your office went down, surely they should have stayed the same , or went up?

The other points you raise about no one with a full time job and no dole dossers! would seem to suggest some discrimination against those wishing entry to the trade, just on different grounds than before.
Are you saying that all cabbies do not make decent money now?

feedback from Swindon:

Cab decision is wrong one
RE: Swindon Council unrestricting the number of Hackney Carriages in Swindon.


Perhaps the council should be reminded that a short while ago the local Hackney carriage trade was forced to supply a survey, which the trade funded itself, the result being that there was no requirement for extra taxis.


In fact there is simply nowhere for taxis to go in town. At the most popular night spot in town where taxis are needed ie Fleet Street, where there is no rank, the council has asked the police to move on all taxis plying for hire. Is it in the public interest to be walking around looking for cabs? I don't think so.


I have been in the trade for 12 years and in Swindon all my life, and in reply to one comment the council made in your paper, that it's in the public interest to deregulate the trade, my answer is since when has Swindon Council ever taken the public interest into matters. Hackney carriage fares are being allowed to rise to disgusting levels. I get complaints all the time.


My advice to anyone wanting to purchase a cab is to be very careful ­ you're being drawn into a trade that will lead to bankruptcy. This unrestricting of cabs is going to be an embarrassment to the council yet again.


Does the council not realise this is going to affect people's livelihoods and do they not think by encouraging people to buy cabs they're putting their interests at risk? Do they have other interests in unrestricting cabs in Swindon ­ maybe because they can't control the illegal flying by private hire cars but it's not because there is shortage of cabs.


James Waddell

in case you need the source of the story:

http://www.thisiswiltshire.co.uk/wiltshire/archive/2005/08/03/swindon_news_letters1ZM.html

I did say you were sounding like Dusty more and more!