Taxi Driver Online

Cabbies angry over increased charges to pick up at Birmingham airport


The latest in a series of rows between taxi drivers and their trade chiefs could result in visitors being stranded at Birmingham International Airport.

Cabbies have baulked at a £540 payment to operate from the terminal and claim terms of a new contract negotiated by the Birmingham and Solihull Taxi Association will leave them out of pocket.

A five-year deal struck by leaders of the association for the right to run the lucrative airport patch will see the barrier fee paid by drivers every time they enter the rank rise from 75 pence to £2.10.

Most of the 400 Hackney carriage drivers who are currently licensed to work ranks claim they will not shell out and have grown so frustrated with BASTA that they have begun legal proceedings to call an extraordinary general meeting.

The fall-out follows a disagreement last year over a £200 one-off levy for the right to use ranks at Birmingham’s NEC.

Paul King, a driver in the city for 36 years, claimed: “The association are acting like bully boys but we will not stand for it. They have gone to negotiate the contract with the airport and sold us completely down the river.

“Because the new barrier fee is so high, it means we will be making a loss on some very short trips to nearby hotels but we can’t pick and choose what fares we take. There are about 400 drivers who work the airport and there are only six or seven who have accepted the new terms and paid up.”

The 57-year-old, from Castle Bromwich, claimed that drivers had been sent threatening letters telling them that unless they have paid at least £200 of the fee by today, they will be banned from the airport.

There are fears that it could leave a dearth of taxis for people arriving in the city by air.

“Cabbies are not happy with the way the association is being run and we are calling the EGM with the intention of changing that,” he said.”

BASTA chairman Irfan Ahmed refused to speak to the Birmingham Mail when a reporter visited its taxi hub at Star City.

“I don’t want to answer any questions, you need to speak to the airport,” he said.

But an airport spokesman said that rates were set by BASTA and they had been told that 250 drivers had signed up.

“The rates paid by individual drivers are determined by their membership body, BASTA, and the airport company is not party to the pricing structure process set out by them,” said the spokesman.

The barrier charge goes to the airport and the £540 one off payment goes to the association. The collective charge for all 400 drivers works out at a staggering 216 grand, this outfit must be the richest association in the country.

Regards

JD

_________________
Copyright notice © The contents of this post are copyright of JD and are not to be reproduced outside of TDO without written permission.

Looks like there will be 6 or 7 very busy taxis at the airport then. I am down there this afternoon, I will see how many are there. Usually the holding area if completely full so it is just my guess that what is actually happening is that someone wants to get rid of a % of the 400 drivers to make more work for the rest. I don't know what the average wait between jobs is at the airport but this could cut it down quite considerably.

_________________
Grandad,

As the Birmingham cabs are not in their licensing area, why can't they just add 3 or 4 pound to the fare?

And when the punters moan, point them in the direction of the owners of the airport.

_________________
IDFIMH

The holding area did not seem as full as usual.

_________________
Grandad,

went BHX yesterday, the "1 hour free waiting in Long Stay 1" isnt, its now 15 minutes, so we are back to hanging around outside and being moved on...

15 minutes free in long stay 1 then £1 the next hour, then get the call/punter ready and pay £1 for the rapid dropoff (which is the most convenient collection point oddly enough...)

_________________
Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

You have a PM.

_________________
Grandad,

I don't understand why an association would want to stitch up it's own members. My understanding of associations is to help members and the board are voted on by the members. Why do something like this if they can vote you back off again or is it not as simple as that

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

Nothing compared to what the private hire company paid for Leeds & Bradford airport, which probably isn't no where near as busy as Birmingham.

It may be possible to pass the barrier charge onto the customer as it is classed as a toll.

They should get their act together asap otherwise they may see it go into the hands of a private hire company

Not quite.

lol I forgot about London. I should have said outside of London.

Regards

JD

_________________
Copyright notice © The contents of this post are copyright of JD and are not to be reproduced outside of TDO without written permission.

These 400 drivers if they do four jobs each day are paying upwards of eight pounds per day just to go through the barrier, collectively that's over a million pounds a year. How much did you say this PH firm payed for Leeds Bradford?

Regards

JD

_________________
Copyright notice © The contents of this post are copyright of JD and are not to be reproduced outside of TDO without written permission.

The taxi holding area was full today.

_________________
Grandad,

Latest update.

http://www.birminghammail.net/news/birm ... 3074287/2/

_________________
IDFIMH

It looks like this committee is finished, even if they did a u-turn the members will probably still vote them out.

Bye Bye Mr Ahmed

Regards

JD

_________________
Copyright notice © The contents of this post are copyright of JD and are not to be reproduced outside of TDO without written permission.