Taxi Driver Online

Airport's reassurance over taxis



An airport is stressing passengers will not be left without a taxi service when a licence for the operation changes. Birmingham International Airport claimed Birmingham and Solihull Taxi Association (BASTA) has not met "the service standards" it expects. It added Passenger Transport Solutions (PTS) will take over from 1 June.

BASTA claimed the issue was over the association's financial situation and claimed drivers would not give money to another management service. The airport said there had been "numerous attempts" to work with BASTA to "rectify various issues surrounding its management of the black cab operation".

But it said it has been unable to meet the service standards the airport expects for "passengers and indeed the hackney carriage drivers". The airport added it was also concerned with the "financial stability" of the association and had to make changes to ensure "any potential problems didn't impact" on its ability to provide a taxi operation.

BASTA chairman Irfaan Ahmed said: "If the airport had said categorically that we're not providing a good service, I could understand, but it's never happened. "We have provided a taxi service for Birmingham airport for many years. "They terminated our contract because of the financial situation.

"It's common knowledge that all around the world at the moment the economic situation is quite bad and so it is with us, but it's our in-house problem. "BASTA belongs to the drivers and there is no way they're going to part with their money to another management service."

The airport said the transfer will enable all hackney carriage drivers who operate at the airport to continue to do so. A spokesperson said: "We are aware that some taxi drivers have signed up with PTS already to operate at the airport."

The airport said PTS has "a wealth of experience in the taxi trade within an airport environment".

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IDFIMH

And no-doubt offer a larger barrow full of a cash.

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IDFIMH

Were'nt BASTA getting slagged off by their members a few months ago?

Self destructive this taxi trade aint it?

CC

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

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

Why don't the drivers just tell them to feck off, and refuse to pay anything, the fecking airport would be in sheit creek if the taxis withdrew there services
HAVE THEY NO BALLS??????????

They don't stick together, they never have done.

Many have, but alas not enough.

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IDFIMH

I wonder how many of the drivers have actually paid the £540 fee to BASTA? I wonder if any of them will get any of the unused part of the fee back?
I haven't been to the airport as often as I used to but there has never been a shortage of taxis there when I have been.

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Grandad,

Not me I don't have any I will fight for something I truely believe in though

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

Sadly all that would happen is a PH company would be brought in to semi illegally pick up passengers, seems to be the way things are going now, all these "blue chip" establishments want a slice of everything now, which I suspect is the endgame plan to this example in the long run.

I don't believe for one minute that the issue is about there being a shortage of taxis. if I am correct it won't be long before the drivers are paying £1 to one pound 50 every time they pull on the airport rank.. that would generate a great deal more money than the pittance they are paying now. Manchester... Liverpool... ring any bells...

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

Maybe you should look at the link in captain cabs post. They are already paying every time they pick up. That is on top of the £540.

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Grandad,

It's an airport I go to on a regular basis and I agree there never seems to be a shortage of cabs (no matter how many planes come in), infact the top car park is full of them, I wonder if they ever make any money??

Bottom line is it's just another pocket pick, and more and more businesses are jumping on the bandwagon, personally I've watched our trade over nearly a quarter of a century become Cuba, i.e ppl outside look at it with envious eyes in some ways and back door bully it in others, before long it will have been plucked clean and there will not be anyone able to operate profitably, if you notice the English cabbie is dying off, English blokes won't do the job anymore and the only reason the seats are still full is because ppl from other countries are filling them, but even they are working it out it's a waste of time now, you can see in quite a few threads here Indian drivers having to protest, and the guys from Eastern Europe are also becoming disillusioned fast, I think it's going to be an interesting summer this year, I see a lot of cars parked up without a driver this year.

IMO the recession will see a lot without drivers for those that rent out vehicles but only in some areas. The owner drivers will have no choice but to work long hours to make ends meet. I know some of the ethnic drivers here pool their takings. They work their shift with the others and then meet up and pool their takings so they get an equal share I suppose. We currently don't have too many Eastern European drivers here at the minute although there was an attempt by one of the PH companies to bring a lot in to work for them but I don't know what happened about it cos they didn't appear.

A lot of the PH drivers are now renting or settle buying the HC's cos they get to do both PH and HC work. I know one renter of vehicles has just bought more so he obviously isn't affected yet and there is obviously a demand for them. To be honest though if I was to go on to the HC I would rent cos I wouldn't want to fork out £32,000 for a vehicle I'd want to change as soon as the warranty was out.

I think it will take a boycott of airports and train stations etc before anything is done. The risk of PH taking over maybe too great a risk to take, who knows. Personally I wouldn't do airport runs unless they begged me cos I hate the places and I don't think I'm alone.

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