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Cabbies Protest Over Taxi Numbers
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Author:  Brummie Cabbie [ Tue Jul 14, 2009 6:00 pm ]
Post subject:  Cabbies Protest Over Taxi Numbers
Cabbies Protest Over Taxi Numbers

17th July 2009

Taxi drivers in Cardiff are calling on the city to cut the number of cab licences on offer.

The Cardiff Hackney Association claims the Welsh capital has been flooded with cabs, and its drivers are struggling to earn enough to stay in business.

The group is holding a second day of protests on Friday over the issues.

However, Cardiff council leaders say the city needs the current level of licensed taxi cabs to deal with the influx of weekend visitors and events.

The cabbie's association says the number of black hackney carriages in the city has more than doubled since 2005, to more than 1,000 taxi licences.

The council admits that figures have soared, however say the number of licensed hackney cabs in the capital stands at 815.

But the taxi drivers are also incensed by the number of taxi ranks Cardiff, with just place for 50 vehicles.

Mathab Khan, the chairman of the Cardiff association, said the council was failing to address the needs of the industry in the city.

"The demand is never there for this amount of taxis. We are currently at the 1,000 mark - there is no demand at all - there is only supply," he claimed.

He said his members were struggling to make ends meet, as more licences are approved by the council, and competition from the private hire car trade.

"A lot of the private hire drivers now are transferring in to the taxi trade, that's because there's not enough work in the private trade either," he added.

Licensed taxi drivers took their protests to the city centre on Thursday evening, when 20 cars at a time gathered at the civic centre.

The protest is now set to be repeated again on Friday.

Mr Khan said there was also mounting concern at the number of taxi ranks available, claiming that a consultant had told them there should be around 400 rank spaces in Cardiff.

Ed Bridges, chair of the council's licensing committee, admitted that the drivers were right to raise issues over taxi ranks.

Rank space

"I think they have a fair point, that there isn't enough rank space for them, and that's something where I think we would like to make some progress," he said.

But Coun Bridges said he did not accept the argument that Cardiff had too many black cabs.

"We have a lot of extra people coming in to the city centre on the weekend, we have a lot of extra people in the city when there are events at the Millennium Stadium," he insisted.

"For example lone women in the city centre would be getting into unlicensed vehicles or walking home late at night - and we don't want that.

"We feel in the interest of public safety there isn't a strong enough argument for imposing a limit."

Source; news.bbc.co.uk
Author:  Brummie Cabbie [ Fri Jul 17, 2009 7:35 am ]
Post subject: 
New taxi ranks always helps to create new business, but its a slow process building the work up.
Author:  toots [ Fri Jul 17, 2009 11:01 am ]
Post subject: 
Quote:
"A lot of the private hire drivers now are transferring in to the taxi trade, that's because there's not enough work in the private trade either,"


It could be same there as it is here and the PH drivers are transferring over to HC and also having sets in their vehicles so they can cover both work.

Quote:
"We have a lot of extra people coming in to the city centre on the weekend, we have a lot of extra people in the city when there are events at the Millennium Stadium," he insisted.


This may be the case, but, has anybody actually done surveys to see what transport they are using and in particular if they are using taxis. If they are staying in hotels or b & b's the chances are it's PH if they are using any. Also a lot of people will use their own vehicles to get to and from events as well as public transport.
Author:  cabby john [ Fri Jul 17, 2009 12:04 pm ]
Post subject: 
The man "E Bridges" is a complete idiot The stadium gets used about 17 times a year :shock: and women with all due respect will get into anything that has got wheels on. Instead of causing hardship to over 800+ hacks he should be concentrating on getting people being responsible for themselves, apart from concerts and big matches there is NO unmet demand..

The Hack Association are their own worst enemy, at present Cardiff is gridlocked due to road alterations outside the castle which is right in the middle of the City. So what do they do............they hold a drive through on a road that is already blocked up :sad:

I have spoken to numerous guys and my view is that if you really want to achieve what you want, then you do your protest/drive through/whatever between 8.00am and 9.30am :shock: the bottom line being is that the council do not care if you get home late from work and arrive home at 11.00pm! but if you were late for work/meetings/business by an hour or so every morning then the council would be knocking on your door pleading for a meeting to resolve the situation - this country is totally money motivated and if you affected their profits/wealth they will not like it one little bit.

So if you love your families and want to be able to earn a decent return get your butts out of bed and do the a.m demo - make no mistake it would work.

P.S an update.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/cardi ... -24173586/
Author:  taff [ Fri Jul 17, 2009 8:38 pm ]
Post subject: 
cabby john wrote:
The man "E Bridges" is a complete idiot The stadium gets used about 17 times a year :shock: and women with all due respect will get into anything that has got wheels on. Instead of causing hardship to over 800+ hacks he should be concentrating on getting people being responsible for themselves, apart from concerts and big matches there is NO unmet demand..

The Hack Association are their own worst enemy, at present Cardiff is gridlocked due to road alterations outside the castle which is right in the middle of the City. So what do they do............they hold a drive through on a road that is already blocked up :sad:

I have spoken to numerous guys and my view is that if you really want to achieve what you want, then you do your protest/drive through/whatever between 8.00am and 9.30am :shock: the bottom line being is that the council do not care if you get home late from work and arrive home at 11.00pm! but if you were late for work/meetings/business by an hour or so every morning then the council would be knocking on your door pleading for a meeting to resolve the situation - this country is totally money motivated and if you affected their profits/wealth they will not like it one little bit.

So if you love your families and want to be able to earn a decent return get your butts out of bed and do the a.m demo - make no mistake it would work.

P.S an update.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/cardi ... -24173586/


Spot on cabby john !!!!
Author:  Doom [ Sat Jul 18, 2009 2:51 am ]
Post subject: 
Ain't it funny how a bloke in a suit who sits in an office knows how many ppl use a cab each day, how does he know what the demand or wages are like, when him and his type are safely tucked up in bed while we move threatening drunks around, I saw a thing a few years ago where iirc Southend put up the nightrate a fair bit to encourage cabbies to work late because cabbies didn't want the sort of punter Southend at 1am was providing, nevermind about more nightrate to put the already overfuelled punter into orbit, how about doing something to moderate his attitude, as we all know they spend all night and generally get their pockets picked, then last chance to have a go we get the lot.

Suggest this, that he surrenders his bank account for 6 months and drives out there with you on only the money he makes less whatever the average payin is, see how keen he'll be then to state his facts about imaginary punters, one reason I'm home early tonight is because of no trade and nowhere to rank up for the small amount there is, infact I'm about to get out, the job is ruined, ruined by those that never had any intention of being a cabby until life forced them into it, there are other reasons as well but I won't go into that here now.
Author:  cabby john [ Sat Jul 18, 2009 2:24 pm ]
Post subject: 
The rumour is........... I say rumour because I did not go, as in my previous post I think you can see the reasons why.

Anyway here goes..........apparently a "couple of hundred turned up" :roll: but the Police would only let 20 drivers drive the route and would not allow the rest to take part :shock:


Sooo what are the rules re demonstrations?

Is this a breach of human rights?

Are their different rules for those who demo on foot? as opposed to those of us who would use our vehicles and possibly cause chaos?

I mean for example if 20,000 turned up for a demo in London, they just would not tell 19,980 that they could not take part
Author:  Brummie Cabbie [ Sat Jul 18, 2009 6:14 pm ]
Post subject: 
cabby john wrote:
The rumour is........... I say rumour because I did not go, as in my previous post I think you can see the reasons why.

Anyway here goes..........apparently a "couple of hundred turned up" :roll: but the Police would only let 20 drivers drive the route and would not allow the rest to take part :shock:

Sooo what are the rules re demonstrations?

Is this a breach of human rights?

Are their different rules for those who demo on foot? as opposed to those of us who would use our vehicles and possibly cause chaos?

I mean for example if 20,000 turned up for a demo in London, they just would not tell 19,980 that they could not take part


If you call it a demonstration, then the police can, I suppose, limit numbers for public order reasons.

But it should not have been called a demo; IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN PLYING FOR HIRE, which every Hackney Carriage is entitled to do!

You do have to abide by your Bye-laws on the route though, which if they are similar to Birmingham's, will have a clause whereby you should proceed to the nearest rank & take up a space there & if it is full, then proceed to the next rank & if it is full ..... etc.

So on the route you have to take up any empty rank spaces, otherwise you could be done.

It was done recently in Brum & Solihull (airport issue) & was quite successful, as far as the exercise went.
Author:  Nigel [ Sun Jul 19, 2009 8:56 am ]
Post subject: 
Doom wrote:
Ain't it funny how a bloke in a suit who sits in an office knows how many ppl use a cab each day, how does he know what the demand or wages are like, when him and his type are safely tucked up in bed while we move threatening drunks around, I


That's what gets my back up when office workers know F**K all about the trade. Tell them to get out onto the street and into the real world and see what goes off at night.
Author:  cabby john [ Sun Jul 19, 2009 12:38 pm ]
Post subject: 
There are some interesting links from this site that seem to clarify the does and don'ts.

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source ... AIPxkkYqJw

Demonstrations marches and assemblies seem to cover this article, however getting arrested :shock: is also a help.
Author:  MR T [ Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:19 am ]
Post subject: 
cabby john wrote:
The rumour is........... I say rumour because I did not go, as in my previous post I think you can see the reasons why.

Anyway here goes..........apparently a "couple of hundred turned up" :roll: but the Police would only let 20 drivers drive the route and would not allow the rest to take part :shock:


Sooo what are the rules re demonstrations?

Is this a breach of human rights?

Are their different rules for those who demo on foot? as opposed to those of us who would use our vehicles and possibly cause chaos?

I mean for example if 20,000 turned up for a demo in London, they just would not tell 19,980 that they could not take part
The rules when you are doing a demonstration are quite simple, you have to notify the police....but... in the past we have managed to comply with the law and have the demonstration a success.

1. organise some of your vehicles to be at a certain place and time and give the details to the police... they will attend and escort you on your demonstration.

2 organise the rest of your vehicles to be at different locations... and start them off at the same time.. but send them to way you want to go......
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