Taxi Driver Online

Actually they don't care what they get so long as it's safe, and they CAN get in!! Quite easily as it happens, being as I have side steps, handles, me to get them in if need be, to get home safely, in comfort, as there is plenty of room where they can stretch out, not cramped up in the back seat unless they sit in the front..... There your argument is pretty thin!!
Discriminating against the night time users? What's that all about.... Whether day or night, what is your argument there? Variety IS the key and we have it when we can cater for most of the people most of the time, whereas you still fall short against wheelchair users period!!!
PH here have a minimum charge of £4.50 days and £6.75 nights, still charge more and generally quote more than we do.... The funny part is you can't seem to see that I'm both HC and PH as I take telephone work to.... Strange as it may seem to you most of my regular punters are elderly and do suffer bodily ailments ranging from arthritic joints, joint replacements, ARE wheelchair bound and never complain as they know I will not let them down. After 26 years as a WAV Hack driver, I think I know where I am coming from.... As I said the reason PH don't want to become Hacks (unless a Hack saloon plate is up for grabs!!) is they know they won't have to do people in wheelchairs AND buy a WAV at far more expense.... The people you talk about and moan about WAV's are definitely in the very small minority and maybe should be in wheelchairs?

Spot on.

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Chris The Fish

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gdlyi5mc ... re=related

I would reply but it won't let me it keeps coming up with this.

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An appropriate representation of the requested resource /phpBB2/posting.php could not be found on this server.

Additionally, a 404 Not Found error was encountered while trying to use an ErrorDocument to handle the request.

Perhaps Admin can explain what the problem is

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

Maybe it was rude and unacceptable Toots. It may be different where you live, but I doubt it..... You'll always get the undesirables in the trade no matter what, unfortunately it attracts them especially if they are from foreign countries with no detectable records that can be accessed. We can agree to disagree, but I know I'm right..... Sorry Toots..

I don't do rude thank you very much I have good manners

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

Lets get one thing straight I'm not arguing I'm putting forward scenarios as I know them, just as you are as you know them. Whether people can or can't get into purpose built vehicles isn't the point, they don't want to. My point about having an all WAV fleet if there was a single tier is we will go backwards to pre 1976 act because the saloons won't be licensed but may well still be available unlicensed but not necessarily illegal. You and I cater for a small amount of the population and they all have their opinions on how and in what they want to travel in. You suggest that if they only have one choice that is what they will use, maybe you're right but I don't agree. I hold both licenses for ph and taxi. I find driving the purpose built taxi uncomfortable so I choose not to. It's not about the cost for me I replace my vehicle every 3/4 years with a brand new one costing between £16,000 to £18,000 a time. Also we're already 100 percent WAV fleet here and it's restricted to 286. If we go with your suggestion of purpose built only in a single tier there will be another 1200 taxis in my borough where the devil are they going to rank?

It is about variety and it is about choice for everybody, that is the only way you can provide a non discriminatory service because the minute you mention the minority you are excluding them therefore you are discriminating. I was being factious when I mentioned the night time drivers I know ph drivers, that if they were given the ability to be flagged down they wouldn't want it, you shouldn't tar everybody with the same brush because as I keep saying, not everybody is the same and we don't all need to pick up flaggers. If the system was working so well with the taxis why is there a need for ph at all?

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

It appears to not like the 'percent' symbol

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

How very strange.

Not a TDO issue, more of a php one, but very strange.

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IDFIMH

Toots, I'm not tarring anything or anyone with the same brush I'm just pointing out and saying how it really was and now is, it is not discriminatory if it fits the vast majority. It's impossible to cater for every single eventuality yet, there is no such vehicle.... But you can get close with the latest Hackney spec WAV's.. Things do evolve, so maybe some in PH are beginning to see that. You are NOT wheelchair accessible therefore you are discriminating, I am not, no matter how you put it with the excuses you put forward.
£16000 - £18000 is not the same as £30000 so good on you for changing your car that often, why I can't see, as it should be good for at least 6 years if it's properly looked after... You're obviously doing well in your neck of the woods to be able to afford it....

Well as you know before 1976 there was no private hire, only pirate hire and there was no need for them, they just happened to appear and there was nothing the Hackney trade or the then authorities could do about it other than legalise it and reap the revenues to license them as they did with Hackneys. why didn't they all apply for Hackney licenses in the first place if there was a need

There weren't any licenses to apply for as most areas were restricted pre 1976. If as you suggest the single tier consisted of purpose built vehicles then what is to stop a return to pre 1976 and the saloons once again being unlicensed but providing a service.



You can get even closer by providing a variety of vehicles I think you'll find it doesn't matter how many are involved for the act of discrimination to occur it's not about the majority it's about the minority having the same access as the majority. So if the choice was there for you to drive any vehicle you wished to would you drive a purpose built taxi or a saloon?

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

Purpose built with a Hackney spec, as I would be discriminating if I didn't The other reasons being more driver safety etc etc. There will be a vehicle that will cover all eventualities before long, it's called evolution. Why would you need a variety of vehicles? The point being is when it exists, which it will do, it will be a level playing field all round, no excuses. Will you still refuse to get one when they do arrive? As access will be the same all round, it's only the negative ones that will moan, and then find out different, after experiencing a preconceived negative attitude of mind that they are unable to access a WAV for whatever reason, when in fact they can.

As it stands now it won't return to 1976 attitudes as they don't exist anymore, except in some quarters they probably still do.... Ask yourself why it was restricted pre 1976? As far As I'm aware it wasn't completely restricted, that being the LA's allowed so many license issues periodically, allowing for growth naturally instead of it being forced at it was then by the pirate illegal trade. Instead of it being one cab per 1000 population as it was, it is now more like 1 per 200 if you include PH as well. That is why the trade has deteriorated income wise in the way that it has......

When and if there is such a vehicle and if I'm still driving, oh yes and still alive and the majority of my customer base would want to be driven in such a vehicle I won't hesitate to get one providing I can afford it. On the other hand if my customers exercise their right not to travel in such a vehicle, for whatever reason, then I'd have to give it considerable thought. Unlike you I have no desire to take away peoples choice, that is why a variety of vehicles are needed.



That seems to me to be a contradiction they either exist or they don't. As it stands now there is a variety of vehicles available, but, we're not talking about as it stands now are we. We're discussing the possibility of a single tier with only one type of vehicle available, purpose built taxis. When you take away choice there is always somebody who will take advantage of a gap in the market.

It seems to me that you are describing 'managed growth' and as far as I'm aware that wasn't the case in many LAs. Our LA only issued licenses when they were taken to court. There was no 'natural growth' it was restricted end of and it's re-restricted now end of. However I could always try my hand and take the council to court. I don't think you can just point at one thing to blame the ills of trade on. I think there are lots of reasons why the trade is on it's knees in some areas not least apathy and ignorance on both sides, also greed of the ph operators.

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

Toots, it will have to go that way for the trade to evolve equally. At the moment the trade as a whole IS in a complete mess, as you well know, hence the LC intervention. Believe it or not I actually sympathize with some of the things you say, but for the trade to be on an equal footing for the majority, both the public AND the trade, It has to evolve or stay where it is. There will be lots of losers and winners and it WILL be survival of the strongest and fittest, I have no doubt of that. There is a variety of vehicles yes, but they don't all comply to a standard that allows ALL to access them. I'm sure you will be able to afford a new evolved WAV when they do arrive If you can afford £18000 every 4 years or so. you'll have no problem

Nobody outside of the trade and some inside the trade are interested in the trade evolving equally, therein lays the problem. They are interested in customer needs and wants and survival for themselves

Finding 18k every 4 years isn't quite the same as finding however much the super vehicle is going to cost imo

Anyway imo and as much as I'd like a single tier I don't think it is practical and I don't think it would be done to the benefit of the trade so would therefore create a very uneven playing field. Different areas require different things and based on that it is best that locals decide what is best for themselves. Take our discussion for example, there's only the two of us chatting and we can't agree on much if anything at all, now multiply that 1000 fold and imagine all the differences of opinion.

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

Yes, you are right on many a point, but when the new WAV's arrive and the LC say it has to be....... Will you?