From the Brighton and Hove Argus, August 2003:

Taxi rip-off

I was nearly caught out while trying to get a taxi from Brighton railway station.

I was desperate to take a taxi to Gatwick Airport and approached the only two taxis there for a price.

One looked in a little book and gave me the amazingly high price of £66.

The other said he would charge £70 from the same little book.

As I stood there in disbelief, another taxi was dropping off a customer so I approached him to see if that was the right price.

He said his company only charged £35 but he was not allowed to pick up from the station.

However, if we walked down the road to his taxi office, he would be able to take me if he was booked.

Thankfully what he said was true and I arrived in time for my plane and was charged the fair price of £35.

Why don't all Brighton taxis charge the same price as they do in Edinburgh or is this the way Brighton treats its visitors?

-Peter Jackson, Edinburgh

POSTED BY MR SCANNER

Where the actual complaint comes from is that the customer expected all the hacks to charge the same price... now that WOULD be a cartel.

Just exactly how much is it to Gatwick from Brighton?

The five operators quote prices on their websites, ranging from £35.00 to £35.00.

Accusations me, perish the thought.

POSTED BY MR SCANNER

Two ways of looking at this.

1: The exclusive rights of those with permits charge different prices on roaders from the station. That could mean that there is competition between those taxis on the Brighton station rank. So, that does not mean that there is a cartel within the Brighton station rank as it was proved that different prices were quoted. Also, of course, Hackney Carriages can charge whatever they want for journeys ending outside the authority area.

I would also say that there is a higher percentage of independant hacks (not working with a radio) at the station rank.

2. The hackeny carriage that was dropping off, but not permitted to pick up at the staion charged the same rate that would have been quoted if the job had come via his office. He could have quite easily quoted whatever price he thought fit at the time, as he was entitled to. If I get a path job roader I do not charge the same rate as my office quotes. I qoute a fare price that is slightly above the office rate, but not excessive .And of course the office rates for roaders are set at a competitive rate and not fixed (BY ANY JTC!!!) .So the customer was actually lucky to have bumped into that particular driver. If it was me I would have charged £40 (Gatwick is a 60 mile round trip and of course you are coming back empty)

Where the actual complaint comes from is that the customer expected all the hacks to charge the same price... now that WOULD be a cartel. The cusotmer actually got a very good price.. so why the complaint??? ANd I thought theis at the time it was printed in the local paper.

Would he have complained and taken the trouble to write into the paper if all the taxis on the Brighton ranks each quoted the same price of £70??

So really dusty. I dont see the point in you quoting this piece of news on here. Unless you are trying to show that there is a cartel working here. I mean.. the different prices quoted shows exactly that there isnt.

How about making some proper comments on the information I have given

I thought I had.

I think it stinks, the cartel is there for the cartel. Any pretense that it's there for the drivers is rubbish.

It divis up the work, so that operators can have always their alloted share, without fear of losing a big account.

What it needs is for a new company to start, hopefully following de-limit, and then they can take the supermarket work the cartel don't want to pay for. This will then give them a base to grow, and hopefully flourish.

Or better still, the OFT will be asked to investigate what's going on.

I hope it's the latter.