Taxi Driver Online

Battling cab firm drops meter start rate to zero


TALK about tumbling taxi fares... you could be forgiven for thinking one cab firm is offering free rides.

Basildon-based private hire firm A&B Taxis has scrapped its previous £1.50 start rate.

This means its fares now start at nought pence.

However, an undercover investigation has revealed customers should not get too excited.

Echo secretary Michele Newman caught an A&B taxi from Basildon Hospital to Luckyn Lane, Basildon, at 4.50pm yesterday.

The meter said zero pence when the journey started, but it shot up to £1.60 about 200 yards down the road.

The final £5.20 fare was the same as a Station Cars taxi charged Michele for the reverse journey from Luckyn Lane to the hospital at 4.20pm.

Steve Foster, 55, co-owner of A&B Taxis, said: “Of course our fares will rise from nought pence as the taxis go along, otherwise we would be offering free rides, but they will still be the cheapest in town.

“We offer both the cheapest start rate and end rate for taxis.”

Michele also caught a Value Cars taxi from the hospital to Luckyn Lane at 2.15pm and the final fare was £4.20. However, it is unfair to compare this like for like with the A&B charge, as there was less traffic on the roads at this time.

A&B’s zero start rate offer is the latest move in a bitter Basildon taxi pricing war, which started when A&B slashed its start rate from £2 to £1.50 last month.

Value Cars responded by dropping its start rate from £1.70 to £1.20.

Hackney carriage taxis came up with their own price offer, only charging £1 per person for journeys from outlying parts of Basildon to the town centre.

Mia Walker, 42, owner of Value Cars, said: “We don’t think A&B’s new offer works out as a real price reduction.”

l Value Cars’ booking telephone lines and computer system went down for three hours yesterday afternoon.

Miss Walker fears it could go down again today, as it is thought a virus has infiltrated the booking system.

She urged customers to call her cabs on the mobile number 07944 121464.

0 to £1.60 in the blink of an eye

MICHELE Newman said her starting fare leapt above a pound in the blink of an eye.

She said: “After a wait of just a couple of minutes outside Basildon Hospital, I got in the A&B taxi for my journey to Luckyn Lane, a distance of just a couple of miles.

“It was a nice clean car, with a friendly and courteous driver.

“The meter displayed the promised zero to start. Sadly, this jumped to £1.60 in the blink of an eye, before we’d even left the hospital grounds, and continued creeping up by 20p until my final fare was £5.20.”

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

And the winners of the 'Basket case of the year award 2009' goes to the Basildon taxi/PH trade.

Madness, sheer madness.

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IDFIMH

There is no point in reducing rates if it has no effect on the final fare. IMO it kinda says 'we think the customer is stupid enough not to notice' and implying that customers are stupid is not a good thing even if they are

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

I think you will find that the customers ARE that stupid. This has only come to light because of an undercover investigation.

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Grandad,

I remember not to long ago someone on here arguing that PH dont have meters

I thought it was a taxi company not a PH company

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

Some do, some don't. Same as hackneys, some do, some don't.

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IDFIMH

The cars have meters.....there just adjusted to read zero to start with

CC

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

A hackney must have the council set fares on the meter. A PH has their own settings, but don't they have to inform the council what they are?

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Grandad,

Can you show me the piece of legislation that states that....because to be honest, I think you may have just invented it.

CC

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Well that is what our LA state. In fact if the meter doesn't show the correct council rate the car will fail it's inspection and not be plated.

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Grandad,

It maybe in your byelaws....but the Curzon Case would maybe open their eyes a little?

CC

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

After sending this case to the council, they still insisted that I have the meter set to the tariff sheet, or they would not issue a licence

But your in Scotland and the case is only of persuasive value?

I don't know Scottish law, there is a suggestion that what the case basically states could be rendered useless by a condition insisting the council metered rate should be displayed on the meter at the time of test.

However, it would appear to me that provided the meter at no point charges more than the table of fares....your LA is wrong....but then as I said I don't know and have very little interest in Scottish taxi law.

CC

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin