Taxi Driver Online

The Liverpool cab trade are bleating that they don't have enough drivers, and appear to want the council to do something about it.

http://councillors.liverpool.gov.uk/Pub ... tfA.ps.pdf

Perhaps they could forget the CRB checks, maybe stop the knowledge, or they could ignore failed medicals.

But hang on, isn't this the same Liverpool that has far too many cabs already? Don't they have problems getting down those streets?

I wonder what Boris would say?

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IDFIMH

One can only really question the logic of these people.

There is a shortage of taxi drivers, although apparently not a shortage of taxi proprietors or fleet owners.

The thought occurs that with Liverpool plates currently changing hands at £45K each, if taxis are remaining idle there is still a demand for the plate but not the over inflated price the owner wants for its rental. The over-inflated price for a day and night rental is currently £350 per week.

The thought also occurs if these plates are not servicing the people of Liverpool, as originally intended, then surely the council should reclaim the plates and re-issue them to people who will use them.

I suppose the Jacobs survey will really tell us which plates are being worked and which ones are remaining idle.

The question remains, if I am a cab driver in Liverpool who wants a plate and will work a plate, shouldnt the T&G or other group obtain one of these plates for me?

Regards

Captain Cab

I am amazed that the cost of a day/night rental is £350 per week, I'm not amazed that they are stuggling to get drivers.

Delimitation could well solve many problems, but quite obviously have a detrimental effect on as many areas as it has a positive effect. Areas like Liverpool (a major City with European Capital of Culture on the horison) desperatly need to review policy and the short term fix I see with delimitation could well lead to better long term benefits to all.

Lets not open the doors unless it is in the best interest of the consumer, but lets properly investigate what needs to be done in order to provide it.

Let's hope that they still have driver problems when the SUD survey is carried out early next year.

Then, as the Captain says, those plates can be given to drivers that work in the trade, not owners that just feed off it.

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IDFIMH

me and sussex agreeing

hehe

Captain cab

It's probably unlikely that any of the fleet owners have cars totally idle for significant periods, otherwise they'd sell the plate on.

More likely is that they haven't got three or four drivers on the car.

When I started driving in a restricted area, working for a couple of quid an hour, one of the first things that struck me was that even at these paltry earnings the owners complained about a shortage of drivers, merely because the more of the time their taxis were on the road, the more profits they made, and if more drivers mean less earnings for existing drivers then sod them, they're not their responsibility.

Most cars of this type had at least two full-timers (usually one day, one night) and another one or two part-timers, usually weekends and/or nights.

Clearly, with 14 shifts in the week, few cars had ALL shifts covered, but if the owners had 10-12 covered, particularly Friday or Saturday nights, then they wouldn't bother trying to cover the other shifts.

But there were always cars that had shifts uncovered, and thus ALWAYS a shortage of drivers.

Before I even knew what a PH car was ( ) this "too many taxis/not enough drivers" contradiction just demonstrated to me the hypocrisy of the vested interests in the trade, and clearly this scenario is repeated in many other locations.

Frankly, while this just demonstrates the basic human self-interest of plate holders, I can't see how Liverpool Council can have had the gall to sit at the Select Comm and complain about lack of rank space and such like and then advertise in the press to solve the drive 'shortage', but it just demonstrates that these policies are just there to benefit plate holders, and journeyman drivers are just there to line their pockets.

You also have to laugh at the increasingly desperate arguments used in Taxi Talk to justify quotas - the latest seems to be lack of rank space, but this stuff from Liverpool just provides additional proof for what we've been saying all along - the cartels couldn't care less about rank space and suchlike if it gets drivers in their cars.

bejeezus, i almost agree with tdo too

regards

Captain cab

It would be interesting to find out what the 1000+ cab drivers in Liverpool, who don't own a plate, think about them gaining one for themselves.

I wonder if they would rather pay £350 a week to rent a cab day and night, or pay £100 a week to own a brand new TX.

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IDFIMH

It wasn't that long ago they had to many Cabs on the road causing disruption. The mind boggles.

Perhaps the Liverpool lads are getting out of the local trade and going to work in the Wirral. Where they can be their own boss.

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IDFIMH

Along with Manchester the Liverpool cab trade are one of the architects of the blue print for the future of the cab trade, according to the Taxi trades Group that is.

Because I know most of the individuals involved in the Taxi trade group, I also know how self centred and misguided they are.

The group is not about enhancement of the Taxi trade, it’s all about restricting numbers. They won't admit to that fact, but that’s because they chithouses.

You only have to read the Taxi trades group blueprint to realise they have a vested interest in keeping a cap on plates. Fortunately, they can’t keep people like me from exposing these vested interests.

The sooner we get rid of protectionism the better, then we can start building a national organisation based on what’s right for the Taxi trade, not what’s right for a selective few.

Best wishes

JD

bejesus!

i agree with jd too

regards

captain cab