Taxi Driver Online

Middlesbrough taxi wars erupt

A TAXI war between rival firms vying for customers outside a busy supermarket erupted into anger after a councillor threw his weight behind one of the companies.

The row started after Morrisons stores awarded a sole contract to Middlesbrough Borough Cars Ltd to ferry its customers from the supermarket in the town.

It meant the hackney carriages, who have been plying their trade there for more than a decade, were no longer welcome to park up outside the store. But, with their livelihoods threatened, the hackney drivers continued to pick up customers.

And Borough Cars were furious when councillor Barry Coppinger stepped into the row. He sent a letter to Morrisons chief executive, which suggested the council was backing the hackney taxis, even though the store owned the land and had a contract with Borough Cars.

In an angry letter to the council, Borough Cars said Mr Coppinger’s viewpoint was “factually incorrect, appears to condone not only illegal activity but also the trespass on private land, omits to acknowledge the health and safety issues at the site and fails to acknowledge that this new arrangement will improve public safety.”

Christine Bell, Middlesbrough Borough Cars’ company secretary, said: “We have met with the council’s solicitor who has now confirmed the council’s correct position with regard to this matter and we understand progress is to be made to resolve the issue.

“Morrisons Supermarkets, through a tender process, has chosen Borough Cars to be the taxi free-phone service provider at their busy Berwick Hills store.“We look forward to providing a safe and efficient service for their valued customers.”

After the row erupted Middlesbrough Council said Mr Coppinger was speaking in his capacity as a ward councillor and not as a member of the authority’s executive cabinet.

Borough Cars had threatened to take Mr Coppinger to the Standards Board and claimed the council was acting with maladministration, opening up the authority to censure.

The company also claimed in the letter that Mr Coppinger was backing an illegal taxi rank and that the hackney carriages were trespassing on private land, were causing congestion and were obstructing the entrance for Morrisons’ customers.

Middlesbrough Council’s chief executive Ian Parker said: “The arrangements put in place by Morrisons are entirely a matter for the company, and the arrangement with a private hire operator is an acceptable approach.

“Any complaints referred to us regarding inappropriate use of the car park will be investigated by the council’s Licensing Section and dealt with accordingly. “Councillor Coppinger’s request to discuss these arrangements with Morrisons was in his capacity as a ward councillor and in response to concerns brought to his attention by members of the public.”

A spokesman for Morrisons said: “At Morrisons, customer service is of the utmost importance, which is why we supply a customer taxi phone in all stores.

“This enables us to liaise direct with a single taxi firm, ensuring our customers get the best service whilst reducing traffic flow within our car parks. The telephone line also means customers have their own taxi individually booked in their name.

“We are obviously happy for other taxis to use the pick up point when booked.”

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IDFIMH

PROTEST IS HEARD

July 14th 2009

Hackney cab drivers were celebrating a small victory in the battle to save a Middlesbrough taxi rank today.

As reported, the Morrisons store at Berwick Hills, Middlesbrough, announced early this month that it would no longer allow Hackney cabs to operate from its premises.

But at a meeting with Morrisons bosses yesterday, drivers say they were told they could continue to work from outside the store, at least for the time being.

Drivers told the Evening Gazette they arrived at the meeting with a 1600-page petition to plead their case and were subsequently granted a “stay of execution”.

One driver, who asked not to be named, said conditions had to be met by the cabbies in order to remain at the rank.

He said: “One was that we form an association, so that Morrisons can have a single contact. We also need to keep a log of passengers, and we have got to use a designated parking space.”

The move comes after residents hit out at the decision to remove the taxi rank provision.

Disabled gran Sheila Taylor, who walks with crutches, said the cabs are a lifeline for her and others like her.

“I live locally in sheltered accommodation and rely on those taxis,” she said.

The Morrisons store has put in a free phone system, which customers can use to contact a local private hire firm.

But 60-year-old Mrs Taylor didn’t feel such a system would suit her needs.

“By the time you’ve walked around and done your shopping, you’re exhausted and thankful for just being able to get into a cab.

Mrs Taylor welcomed the news, but said she was disappointed the future was still uncertain.

“I’d be happier if it was permanent,” she said.

A Morrisons spokesperson said: “Due to traffic management issues the unofficial taxi rank which previously operated at the store is no longer sustainable.

“We have therefore been holding discussions with the various parties concerned including the council, some of the local drivers and the Hackney Carriage Drivers' Association to ascertain what the alternative options may be.”

Source; gazettelive.co.uk

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Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

Type a message, post your news,
Disagree with other members' views;
But please, do have some decorum,
When debating on the TDO Forum.

The private land issue raises it head again the Eastbourne Borough Council v Stirling is a good example.

Taxi wars back on.

He who pays the piper picks up the punter!

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IDFIMH

There'll always be an issue where there's a freephone and a rank on private land. We'll be going down this route next year when one of the big supermarkets installs a freephone direct to a PH company.

If customers want real Taxi's opposed to pretend ones, then give them that choice.

Once again we see brown envelopes taking priority over customers / taxi drivers wishes.

In London several of the hospitals have installed the usual collection of beat up 10 year old Vauxhall Astra's with their non english speaking drivers at their premises, no doubt for a pretty penny.

I'll always continue to wait if i'm passing by, you never wait long before someone hails you.

Me -1
Scabs -0

The issue is not private land as the public have access.The problem is whether private hire cars can legally have Block bookings.It is going to take a court case to sort this out.

As people maybe aware we have the same problem in Dundee which is still ongoing.

What exactly is a pretend taxi Is it like a pretend friend, you know the kind that are imaginary and only inside your head

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

Wont be long now station, once the offices have to be licenced in November they wont be able to claim fat Sam's is an office then will they

I hope you are right because this is a problem that is going to grow .The situation at fat sams is still being fought.What hacks need to realize if block bookings are legal like what is happening at fat sams it will cause a lot of grieve.

The only reason that the ph cars are being allowed to rank up outside fatsams night club is because they have a block booking to take home the night clubs customers.If someone who has not been in the night club gets into a phv then the driver has picked up illegally.The night club holds over 1000 people and these drivers do not have a name or a destination they just pick up like a hack would.

We are trying to prove that this type of block booking is illegal.

A driver that thinks he is a Licensed Taxi driver but is'nt.

We have around 48'000 in London.

They're easy to catch out though, ask them where their meter is.

That doesn't mean much really does it. I'm a licenced taxi driver although I work ph and as for the meter it's in the front of my vehicle for all to see

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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 depends on where you are whether it means much.

In the largest licensing area with the best trained drivers (Not an NVQ area) it means more than much.

Much more.

In the case at hand PH will arrive once booked by the freephone, of course if the taxis wait on a rank on the highway then punters will have a choice, and if the rank is well served then most punters will choose that option.

If the rank isn't well served then punters will join up to the PH ongoing bandwagon.

As for block bookings, well IMO down here it is 100% illegal.

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IDFIMH

As there is no case law that says they are lawful and none that says they are i suppose the argument will go on