Taxi Driver Online

There is never going to be agreement on this subject. I believe that people should be able to enter the trade freely, but, I have also seen the effects of de-reg for myself and it's absolute dire. We have good quality controls here as well. There are just too many vehicles and drivers chasing the same work as before. It hasn't got rid of those that hire out vehicles but the vehicles are now a better quality and probably just as expensive to rent as before. Drivers that choose that option are usually those that want to boost another income or can't get finance.

I believe the quality controls should be on both the vehicle and the driver with significant emphasis on the driver, but, it's never going to happen cos the world is full of do gooders who say things such as 'you can't make it too hard for them to become a driver it's depriving them of an income'. Free entry into the trade so long as you pass the high standards to become a driver and your vehicle is up to scratch. Well that's my opinion anyway

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

The trouble with capping the number of cabs is that it doesn't stop the competition. The limited supply of cabs just gets double shifted 24/7 by even more drivers.

Drivers are the competition and this is what needs to be controlled.
If your LA has given badges to large amounts of non English-speaking immigrants who are prepared to work 18 hrs a day and sleep in their cabs, then the trade is already fecked.

Perhaps BB and the GMB, or another union/association could help you?
They claim to be able to help anyone who joins. At the very least they should be able to take on your LA over the granting of badges to people who haven't held a UK licence for at least a year.
Worth a punt surely?

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Ditto.

Market economics will control numbers, vigorous enforcement will control quality.

With restrictions on numbers, PH numbers explode with little or no quality controls. With no restrictions, HC numbers are higher and it is easier for LAs to control quality. Only the efficient traders will stay in the business. Those who don't control their costs v income will leave the trade hence controlling numbers with a smart, efficient fleet.

The market is the market. No amount of artificial controls will change the number of people requiring transport. This can be provided by buses, taxis, PH, tuk-tuk, shanks' pony, etc. etc.

The only way to beat it is to compete. Get smart, get the car smart, smile and serve your customer. Survive........

And so on, and so on,..........ad nauseum....


[I believe this is along the lines of one of my first posts on here, 800+ posts and 3 1/2 years ago, nothing changes except my phraseology and the identity of those surviving to pose the same question asked by those no longer around!!]

Yes but your very pragmatic about it & I am not being derogatory at all. There are other people who are kicking and screaming about it. Some are even suggesting that others do the same and spend 40k. Bad advice anytime but diabolical advice in these trying times.

They dereg here to wavs now there are only 5 HC's

In Embra most cars are double shifted seven days a week ! The service we provide to the public at the moment couldn't get any better ! Dereg and that service will go ! Single shifted motors coming out when they feel like it. Not exactly what I'd call a service now is it ?

What we have here is a a handful of bitter wee men who have a grudge to bear. 99% of the trade don't see any problem with the way things are, so why do we think that is again ? Oh I forgot, we're all stuuuuuuppppppid !

dead right
im glad you see it as a gamble
youre the first to admit it

the thing is dug you took youre chance i hope it worked for you
i really do.but dont moan if it doesnt it makes you look like a bad sport old boy

yeah
can you prove that btk

did you canvas them all

choice has everything to do with it,or rather the lack of choice.

it was the same argument with vehicle choice.
no one wants it.
and yet everytime i get a cab these days it seems to be an e7 tw or merc
funny that eh.

That might have something to do with Patons old boy ! Also slightly cheaper for an E& or Mec, although folk are starting to have problems with parts and servicing. Some owners I know now regret buying a fish van. Quite a few have reverted back to the tried and trusted TX now that we have a new supplier on the block other than Patons.

Canvasing drivers ?Should it not be you and your messiah who should be doing the canvasing no ? I can only go by the drivers I know and surprise,surprise guess what their opinion of JT and you lot is ??? It doesn't need to be said does it. You know and I know you lot have little if no support from the drivers, hence you have never asked or tried to enter them into your little argument. Easier to call us all stupid hey !

youre confusing the democratic process with the legal process.
and somehow stringing some sort of twisted morality into the mix.

no support is required,nor wanted,its an induvidual choice.

and im all for choice

why cant you just admit that dereg is bad for you because it will cost you money in the form of the loss of rental.

theres nothing wrong with that.
but to come on and try and sell youre side of the story fom the point of view of youre mealticket gives me the bile.

some honesty wouldnt go a miss btk

Whose worrying about rental, it's earnings that I'm worried about losing, and less between more is always a loss, personally I think this is the same arguement as the smoking ban, those that wanted it didn't want it so they could go to a smoke free pub, they just wanted to f**k others up, and it proves it that now the smoker has fled the pub the pub is empty, not a dam non smoker in sight to replenish the numbers, as the Irish, 33% pub closure within a year of banning the cigs, I don't know the ages of ppl here or how long they've driven a cab for or their personal financial status, but if when you are old someone walks in and destroys your earning potential, you'll know how many a driver feels right now because of the action taken to rip the cab trade apart over the last few years.

I don't agree with plate barons, but if they are to be targetted, at least have the decency to slate the ones who run PHC's as well, this is the danger man, he can have as many PH plates for free as he likes and then swamps you, most HC barons own a max of 4 - 6 plates, big difference to 150 PH ones isn't it, infact if you look deep enough, almost all the problems in the cab trade now are PH ones.

In Edinburgh, rental income is anything up to £300 pw on top of earnings, so not an inconsequential sum. As BTK says, almost all cabs are double shifted. In reality, the rental driver is paying off the £40-50k plate loan.

They also have quite high driver quality controls, so they are not going to be hit by a flood of new drivers if they delimit. The opinions solicited by BTK are mostly those of his fellow owners who, not surprisingly, agree with him. Jockeys will tell owners what they want to hear, rather than risk losing their drive.


PH numbers always grow when business is good and fall again when it isn't. A limit on HC will always bring an increase in PH numbers, since they are not limited.
If there is a problem with PH illegally plying for hire, this is an enforcement issue and no HC limit will stop it. In fact it will make it more likely.
You wouldn't stop plumbers doing the sparky's work by limiting the number of available sparkies, would you?

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