Taxi Driver Online

If we start on the basis that train stations can charge taxi drivers to ply on their land, even though we may disagree with it, alas it's the current law.

Anyway a station decides to up the price of a station permit to £350 a year.

So do you;

A) Boycott that station, have drivings, and make a big song and dance about it in the national trade press, which then leads the station to offer the permits to a PH operator?

or

B) Discuss with the station, try to arrange a index linked permit price for 5 years, then go to the council and add the extra 10/20p a pick-up to the fares you charge from the station?

If you go the route of the T&G at Watford (A), you end up with no work.

If you go the route of the black cabs at Heathrow and Manchester railway station (B), you end up with the same amount of work that costs you nothing.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm.

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IDFIMH

Are Watford station contemplating using a P/H company? I havent been following the situation but I would be interested to know if you know of any station that does use a P/H company instead of local H/C.

I would just point out that Manchester city centre has three stations, only two of those three have ranks. We do pay 20p per hire at Pic station, but thats the only one.

Best wishes

John Davies
Manchester

But from memory John, you can get that back on the tariff,

Yes Watford will not let HC rank on there land, cos they wouldn't pay the £350. Which would work out about 10/20p a job.

The T&G are threatening this, and threatening that, but it could have all been dealt with by a simple fare adjustment via the council.

But hey, that doesn't look so good on the front page of CTN, does it?

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IDFIMH

The council compensated for it in the last but one fare increase. Drivers who work Pic Station still have to fork out for the card that opens the barrier.

Talking of Barriers I understand Manchester Airport are going to put a Barrier up. I don't know how that will work because they have 3 terminals. They must be doing away with the permits.

I should imagine GED might be able to shed some light on that.

Best wishes

John Davies.
Manchester.

The point I trying to get over (badly) is that really it doesn't matter how much it costs to ply at a station, if you get the punters to pay it.

If you get any grief from the punters, it's so easy to say 'it's nothing to do with me guv'.

It works more times than not.

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IDFIMH

Yes I understood that and that is exactly what goes on. "Wink" lol but not by me because I don't work it.

Best wishes

John Davies.