Taxi Driver Online

Taxi flat fare sounds fair

Cut-price taxi journeys are on the cards thanks to a new recession-busting offer.

Cab drivers in Sunderland have banded together in a bid to help customers beat the credit crunch.

Hackney cabs bearing the ICHOS (Independent Hackney Carriage of Sunderland) logo have introduced a flat fare of £2 for trips into Sunderland city centre.

The move came after a successful petition from cabbies to have daytime tariffs raised.

Some drivers were worried they would lose customers, so decided to give a little back.

ICHOS representative met Sunderland City Council and thrashed out the plan for cut-prices cabs round the clock.

Customers wanting to take up the deal must hail cabs taking part from the roadside, not a rank, on a straight run back into the city centre, and within the borders of the A19.

ICHOS member Graeme Storey says: "It's our way of saying sorry for the tariff increase and to give a little bit back to the customer.

"A fare from Town End Farm to the city centre could be £9 to £10, so you are saving £8. Some fares could work out little as 30p per person."

The cabbies' group is hoping to link up with the University of Sunderland Students' Union and local disabled groups to bring more bargain deals.

Mr Storey says taxi drivers from Washington may get involved if the scheme works out.

"If any independent drivers want to take part they just need to get in touch with us, or if anyone has other ideas of other deals we could do," he said.

Councillors agreed a rise in taxi fares in November last year after bodies representing Wearside cabbies lobbied for the increase.

Sunderland Hackney Carriage Operators' Association made a successful bid for rises of between 4.9 and 6.4 per cent on all three tariffs used for taxi journeys in the city.

IHCOS wanted fares to rise for customers travelling between 2am and 6am, when they would be charged the most expensive tariff three – usually reserved for the festive season and bank holidays.

The council sets the maximum rate which hackney carriage operators can charge.

Taxi fares were last increased in March, and before that in December 2007.

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

3 rate rises in 15 months!

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Grandad,

How much aggro is that going to cause?

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IDFIMH

Bunch of idiots if you ask me

CC

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