Taxi Driver Online

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http://www.taxi-driver.co.uk/reaction.htm

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Had to get a cab on friday night, got in asked the guy are you the jockey or the owner, na i'm the owner but I only drive on a friday.
what do you think about the OFT report then, I asked, what report is that then, he said, I said,you know de-limiting the number of plates, he said, who's made this report then, I said, the OFT, he said, who's that then!!!

I thought whats the f*****g use.

Evidence that still many in our trade have no idea of what on earth is happening.

The sad thing is, that also many in our trade are pleased that is the case.

Especially those that may wish to sell their plates to the gullible.

Alex

To paraphrase in three words, scare-mongering, scare-mongering, scare-mongering.

Perhaps those chaps are desperate to sell their plates, and if they give the impression that everything is just fine and dandy, then they have more chance.

******s

We have had a huge response, hundreds, from all round the country all but 2 (yes TWO) against the report. We are acutely aware that many in the industry are not aware of the report and have therefore revamped our paper Private Hire & Taxi Monthly to include all of the main document. Hopefully the 30,000 copies will get to most ranks, offices and licensing officers by the first week in December and will be read by many of those at greatest risk.

The MOST important issue has been missed by all but a "select few" and that is there is a "covert" consultation going on at the same time by the DfT which requests responses by the 12th DECEMBER. This consultation is to "advise the Minister before he formally responds to the report which he has to do within 120 days"

Responses to Pippa Brown at
Department for Transport
Buses and Taxi Division
3/12 Great Minster House
76, Marsham Street
LONDON SW1P 4DR

I spoke to Pippa this week and was advised that "she had NOT been ovewhelmed by responses so far" I have to hazard a guess that EITHER as the consultation was only sent to a few organisations and they have not had time to stir up all their members yet OR the usual "rank indifference"will ensure that few put pen to paper.

CAN EVERYONE PUT OUT THE MESSAGE PLEASE TO GET OFF THEIR BACKSIDES AND DELUGE THE MINISTER WITH YOUR VIEWS OR HE WILL JUST SWALLOW THIS REPORT HOOK LINE AND SINKER.

Please post this message on your front page so that the troops KNOW that there IS a consultation and if they want a copy of the paper with the report phone me on 0161 280 2800 after 1st Dec

Bryan Roland
The National Private Hire Association
(the Association with more TAXI members than you would ever believe!!!!)

I suppose I'm against parts of the report, but only because it doesn't go far enough.

The ending of quotas is a good thing. But it's ended in most of the country already.

The setting of maximum fares is a good thing. But that happens in most of the country already.

The setting of proper vehicle and drivers standards is a good thing. But really that should have been the norm since 1847 for the HC boys, and 1976 for the PH boys.

It's the massive bits they have missed that has got my goat. What about the black economy?

For goodness sake, how bloody fair is that to the rest of us?

Interesting.

The OFT and some House of Commons select committee are having a right old hoo hah at the moment about credit cards and the banks etc misleading people about APRs etc. For example, apparently the OFT's method for calculating an APR and defended by Chairman John Vickers has been rubbished by an Oxbridge academic.

I would say there are many parallels between such a market and the market in plates, yet the OFT sum up the knowledge of plate purchasers in a handful of sentences, and assume that all have the same knowledge.

Dusty

Interesting, I assume most of the responses are from your taxi members in restricted areas.

Obviously many PH are in favour of de-limitation, at least insofar as they'd like to have a taxi!

But apart from that issue I thought the report was sufficiently wooly not to get that many people het up, apart from the fare competition issue (see below), which has been little mentioned as far as I know.

So do we have to wait until PHM to hear your views then Bryan?

Go on, just a snippet!

Dusty

Of the one or two concret recommendations in the report, one I didn't like was to encourage price competition on the ranks, which will just cause trouble, at least in my experience.

If there's scope for price competition then in my opinion fares are either too high or quality too low, and I'd prefer both to be set at sensible levels.

There's certainly plenty of price competition in my manor, but there's not a cat in hell's chance of getting a proper system going that will result in the well informed customers that the OFT want.

So some will ask and get the discounts, others will just get into the first cab and may be charged 25% more (say)

How's that for consumer protection?

Personally, I'd prefer a sensible fare setting process, not the lottery we have at present, but that seemed to be another issue off-limits for the OFT.

Instead they seem to want to patch on this element of price competition, but it won't work, particularly from the consumer perspective.

Dusty

Yes, and the rest!

The report (or at least the bits I've read!) is quite bizarre in some respects.

The only issues I've ever really seen raised in the public domain in the last few years are the Knowlege of London and the late night increases (T3) in London a couple of years ago.

Whatever your views on the two issues, the bizarre thing is that the KOL isn't even mentioned explicity, and T3 is mentioned in a postive manner.

Yet of the few qualitative issues mentioned explicitly, the PCO turning circle requirement is singled out for criticism.

So presumably, by implication at least, the OFT like what's happening in London.

Dusty

To point out the wrongheadedness of this report would need an answer as long as the report itself. For sheer breathtaking effrontery they glibly quote Halcrow Fox throughout, then when it wants to rubbish surveys they say that the methodology is deeply flawed and thus unreliable. Step forward one of the main exponents of this pseudo science erm Halcrow Fox.
Regarding the problem of getting lower quotes on a rank, again they are wrong to say that the passenger MUST take the first cab. The passenger can take any cab they choose, for example they might not want to travel in a cab that has had smoker recently in it . Something we see a lot of at the Airport is passengers not wanting to travel with some our drivers who insist in wearing the garb of the land they have left. Again what is the rationale behind giving discounts, is it cheaper to run a vehicle say on a Tuesday,what circumstance would I think "well go on then why not?" it happens all the time in pubs, restaurants, shops when it is time to settle the bill they always barter with me and reduce the price. (Sure they do)
Ged

_________________
taxi driver @manchester airport

Good point that Ged.

Dusty

i being one of many self employed taxi proprietors view this as outrageous, i own a business and i should be able to sell my business as a business, not as a car.
if i buy a paper shop, i can sell a paper shop at a paper shop price.
if i buy a taxi, i should be able to sell it as a taxi-business in the same way.
(Simon Claydon-Proprietor-Darlington)

Poor Simon

Get the TGU to sort it out

So Simon, the council gives you something for less than a score. You therefore think it's right that you can sell it for tens of thousands also ensuring that others miss out on the chance that you got.

To me that's outrageous.

Your business/plate value has not been built up as a normal goodwill. It's been built up on the back of a monopoly. When customers come to your taxi, it's not because of anything you have done. It's cos they have no choice.