Taxi Driver Online

Yes that is, the hac's never used that particular rank for the first few years, then they decided to use it to try to encourage punters waiting for a PH to jump into a hac instead. Some do, but warrinton hac's have got themselves such a bad name the majority prefer to wait for a PH who now pick up just before the rank.
The hac's are concentrating more on disrupting the PH office (over ranking on it etc to block PH from picking up) than servicing the main rank around the corner. So due to this, among other factors theres now a need to shift the punters standing around so the buses have been put on.

Although it's now stopping, the main reason for the bad blood between the two (PH and Hac) is the Hac people tend to shout and stamp their feet rather than enter into dialogue. And this just rub's people up the wrong way and they lose credibility.
Hopefully this has now stopped and everyone can work together to sort the mess out.

Just to clear up one minor point. The taxi office was indeed a public toilet not so long ago and while that wouldn't stop me from booking a taxi, the thought puts me right off buying a kebab!

Bill

I couldnt remember if it was the PH office or Porto's chicken place next door, or both!

Can you tell me where the original funding came from for both taxi and private hire Marshals when they were first introduced and before the respective trades were asked to fund the Marshal scheme themselves?

I would also like to know the terms of the funding proposal for hackney carriage drivers and who decided that taxi drivers should foot the bill for taxi marshals?



The introduction of buses at this location is very interesting? Do you know if these buses are subsidised and if so from which budget is the subsidy obtained? Do you know which bus operators have registered a service at the Bridge street location? Are these buses keeping to a timetable or are they sitting around ranked up on the highway like taxis, until such time they are full? Do they park on yellow lines and cause obstruction and congestion and is there a parking restriction on the length of time they can park?

The number of the bus route or routes and the names of the individual firms would be helpful. If anyone can take a picture of these night buses in service and send it to me I would be most grateful.

Certain circumstances allow buses to be subsidised, bus those bus companies part owned by councils cannot resort to creative accounting in order to use public money to sustain a bus service that is not entitled to the normal bus subsidy.

Regards

JD

For JD

From The Warrington Guardian :-


Cabbies threaten protest as festive night bus returns
By Stephen Bailey


NIGHT buses will be back this Christmas - sparking potential protests from angry cab drivers.

The service will run over eight nights from Bridge Street but taxi drivers are worried about health and safety and the effect on their trade.

Taxi drivers have been unhappy with the borough council for months and around 70 staged a go-slow earlier this year which brought the town centre to a standstill.
Bruno Belinza, chairman of Warrington Taxi Drivers Association (WTDA), said: "We will have meetings and leave the decision over what action to take to the members. They feel strongly about this. It's their livelihood that is involved."

The Knightrider' bus service was trialled in 2004 and 2005 and carried home 1,350 passengers last year.

Buses will include a new service to Birchwood to supplement departures to all central Warrington areas.

Buses will operate from 1.30am to 3.30am, with earlier buses from Stockton Heath to the town centre between 11.30pm and 1am. Customers will pay a flat fare of £2, and £3 on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.

Nigel Featham, managing director of Warrington Borough Transport, said: "The service provides safe, plentiful and cost-effective transport home for people at the end of the night.

"Taxi driver representatives have objected to the service and they have been asked to channel their concerns through the Crime and Disorder partnership."

The service has come about through a partnership between Warrington's Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership, town centre licensees, Stockton Heath Parish Council and Birchwood Town Council and Cheshire Police.

Mr Belinza added: "These lads have spent more than £1m on new cabs and equipment and this will have a big impact upon them.

"We want to know where the money for these night buses is coming from. They are putting the buses in direct competition with us.

"It will have a knock on effect. Cabbies who work at night will move on to the day and affect their trade."

Warrington Borough Council did not respond to inquiries about the issue before the Warrington Guardian went to press.

Warrington Borough Transport Website:-
http://www.warringtonboroughtransport.c ... /index.htm

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