edders23 wrote:
They don't want to make it easy for you to find it do they !
Not that it is of much interest to me but are the results what you expected ?
grandad wrote:
You could have just told us the result.
Nigel wrote:
grandad wrote:
You could have just told us the result.
I was thinking that.
Oh, you lot are lazy!!!
It doesn’t take that long to read!
The bare bones of the survey are;
No significant unmet demand!!
Huge 2-3 page discussion about drivers avoiding chariot work
A further 2-3 page lament on the very poor age profile of Brum taxi-cabs.
Massive evidence of blatant illegal plying for hire by Private Hire, the likes of which the surveyors had never seen before.
The survey came to the conclusion that Birmingham Licensing Enforcement Department is massively under staffed.
Too many Hackney Carriages in Brum
There are other points & the report is a good read.
Some extracts;
No significant unmet demand
This was calculated using The Index of Significant Unmet Demand (ISUD) which is generally regarded as the standard measure for unmet demand.The ISUD was first developed in the 1990s, modified in 2003 when a seasonality factor was added to the algorithm, and again in 2006 when the latent demand element was added to reflect DfT’s guidance on its inclusion in studies. According to DfT guidelines, latent demand should be considered in the calculation of taxi demand. However, on the basis of the findings of the 2008 survey, which showed that there is oversupply of HCV’s, it is difficult to justify the cost of undertaking another public attitude survey for this purpose so soon after the previous one. Furthermore, case law (
R v Brighton Borough Council ex p. Bunch) indicates that latent demand need not be considered when measuring unmet demand. Hence this proposal focuses on patent demand.
When the Index of Significant Unmet Demand value is greater than 80, significant unmet demand is present.
The Brum survey result was an index of 2.15
However, if passenger surge delays were omitted from the formula (where there are taxis present but passengers cannot board due to passenger surge), the output would be reduced and the index would then be 0.0.
Wheelchair accessibility
There is much consternation around the accessibility of wheelchair users to taxi services. The Birmingham Disability Resource Centre (BDRC) claims that they frequently have visitors who complain they have to wait an excessive amount of time for a taxi; it is claimed that some have waited at the Centre (where, ironically, they train drivers in wheelchair handling) for up to two hours.
The taxi trade associations correspondingly claim that drivers have an issue with carrying persons in wheelchairs. They claim that their main problem is the varying sizes of chairs, leaving drivers unsure as to whether they will fit in their cab (unless they are regular passengers).
The requirement for wheelchair users to face the rear of cabs and not to sit side-on adds to the burden, associations argue. Drivers can find it difficult, if not impossible, to turn some wheelchairs to get them into the correct position, especially electric wheelchairs.
Despite having received training, the association representatives confess that many drivers remain nervous about carrying wheelchair passengers. They claim that most drivers have very few opportunities to practice using their ramps and assisting passengers into their cabs, positioning the chairs correctly and strapping them in. Thus they shy away when asked to take such a fare.
Taxi association representatives say they are aware that some drivers purposely drive away from a rank if they suspect an approaching wheelchair might require their services. Further, one radio operator indicates that it can be difficult at times to get drivers to respond to a call to pick up a wheelchair user. Whilst another disagrees, wheelchair users claim that there can be significant time delays when waiting for radio linked taxis irrespective of operator.
There also appears to be some concern amongst drivers over the time it takes to get a wheelchair user into a cab, adequately strapped in, and then out again at the destination. This time is not typically recorded on the meter and therefore it is a cost to the driver.
Electric wheelchairs are a particular problem for hackney carriages and require a single ramp to allow access. BDRC report that it is rare to find a cab that can accommodate these chairs.
BDRC also report that they had a driver on site who recently purchased a new cab only to find that it was not sufficiently large to carry a wheelchair of any size. Understandably they are calling for a national standard of hackney carriage manufacture that ensures that the majority of wheelchairs and their owners can be carried.
The representative from the Access Committee for Birmingham concurs with the taxi associations’ fears and concerns expressed above. They describe situations whereby drivers have claimed they are unable to carry wheelchair users because they will not fit into the vehicle (and the user knowing it will) and others where the ramps are broken (although if this were the case then the taxi should not be on the road).
To avoid the embarrassment and the chances of being stranded, it is claimed that wheelchair users commonly have a favoured taxi driver whom they call when they need picking up or collecting: someone who is sympathetic to their needs, friendly, helpful and knowledgeable in handling wheelchairs.
“The main problem at the moment…Hackney Carriage says all vehicles have got to be wheelchair friendly but then there is such a vast difference in the wheelchairs that some you can get in and some you can’t. Some you can do it properly and some you can’t… if you can’t get the wheelchair in properly you don’t do it…I make a bit of an effort to try and get people in …9 times out of 10 if they see you have made a bit of an effort and they see you can’t get them in then they accept that they can’t travel with you…It’s a bit difficult because the passengers aren’t really aware that they can’t travel unless they are in the right position.”
“Disability worries me, being in charge of a taxi operation. It worries the hell out of me to be honest; I have had sleepless nights over disability. I don’t think disabled people get a fair chance in Birmingham to be able to ride in taxis. It’s not their fault nor taxi drivers’ fault... It says that supposedly we have 100% wheelchair fleet. We haven’t. Different types of taxis, different types of wheelchairs…When somebody has even a doubt in their mind as to how a wheelchair goes in that then becomes a dangerous issue…sometimes the wheelchair is big and the driver is minute, he is trying to wheel a huge wheelchair in. Is that correct? Is that right? I don’t think we are specialist enough...There have already been people hurt in wheelchairs and drivers are panicking, drivers are worried. What I can’t accept is if a wheelchair passenger goes to a rank and a driver is pulling off because they don’t want to carry the passenger and that’s the situation we’ve got. Everybody will say I don’t refuse wheelchairs, the truth is the driver doesn’t want to do it because he doesn’t know if he is doing it right….Will I end up in a complaint? There is too much worry. This is a subject everyone is scared of…this is a country-wide problem.”
Quality of hackney carriage offering
Overall, the general feeling is that the quality of Birmingham’s fleet of hackney carriages could be better. The Birmingham Licensing Committee set the limit for the ages of HCVs, By 1 April 2010, to be more than 14 years old unless the vehicle possesses an exceptional condition assessment certificate.
Some stakeholders claim that other cities have much younger fleets and that Birmingham’s offering is not commensurate with the image that it is seeking to portray. This is especially around the ICC and other venues which attract national and international visitors.
“The quality of the vehicles is appalling…ultimately occasionally a bloody disgrace. We try and project ourselves and indeed we do project ourselves successfully as an international convention city. It’s a disgrace - the quality of some of the cabs and private hire out there…”
“Everything over 10 or 12 years should be off the road. Drivers say they can’t change things because they’ve got no money, and you can’t argue against it unfortunately. The cab profile is Birmingham is very very poor and causing concern. Drivers can’t change cabs, they can’t afford it…there is a lovely age profile at the airport.”
“The quality of taxis does not portray a city of international importance; they get you from a to b. There is not the bells and whistles version that you would like to have. Having said that it is a very hard one to achieve and to have taxi drivers as fabulous ambassadors.”
An analysis of the age of hackney carriage vehicles shows that just 4% are over the age of 14. However, 20% are more than 12 years old and 45% are older than 10 years. With the 10 year age restriction at the airport, it begs the question whether Birmingham city centre and surrounding area is attracting a disproportionately high number of older vehicles
Enforcement
Private hire drivers have been accused over many years of “stealing” the customers of hackney carriage drivers through illegal plying for hire.
Although evidenced occasionally when undertaking similar surveys for Birmingham City Council in the past, Research by Design has never experienced night time plying for hire in such proportions as those seen during the fieldwork period of this study. Suggestions from the taxi trade that there is also an oversupply of PHVs, resulting in drivers plying for hire, appear to be borne out by Research by Design’s observations.
Stronger enforcement and more resources are clearly needed to curtail this behaviour and maintain the law in respect to plying for hire as well as to preserve the safety of passengers.
The other area of enforcement discussed was the desire to see more PHV drivers prosecuted for plying for hire. Associations especially complained about PHV drivers plying for hire outside the O2 Academy on Suffolk Street Queensway, the Paragon Hotel on Alcester Street, Snobs night club and the Crowne Plaza Hotel on Paradise Circus, Bristol Street, Broad Street, Summer Row, Ladywell Walk and generally around the Arcadian, Dale End, the Custard Factory, Eastside and Colmore Row. They also claimed door staff take “backhanders” to put people into private hire vehicles on Summer Row.
Certainly Research by Design’s observers evidenced
blatant plying for hire outside the O2 Academy and this very nearly resulted in a fight on one occasion between Five Star Security representatives and waiting black cab drivers. They also found it prolific on Bishopsgate Street when there were no police officers patrolling the road (congestion and noise levels peaked too). Observers at New Street Station were approached by PHV drivers for a fare.
There is general agreement amongst stakeholders, taxi associations and others that there are insufficient enforcement officers monitoring the taxi trade, both daytimes and night times. One representative also commented that those engaged in this role tend to be retired policemen who stand out from the majority of younger visitors to Broad Street, especially at night times, and thus fail to attract PHV drivers plying for hire.
Overall, representatives of the taxi associations suggest there is a clear imbalance between private hire vehicles and black cabs. At a ratio of just over three to one they suggest that this is unjust and that there should be some mechanism to restrict the growth in the number of new private hire firms. They argue that new private hire firms should be discouraged from setting up, promising work to drivers, charging for radio hire and then being unable to supply work. The oversupply of PHV drivers, they argue, results in them plying for hire to make a living.
Number of hackney carriages
There is a general feeling amongst the taxi trade that there remains too many hackney carriages in Birmingham. Amongst other stakeholders there is a sense that there too many at certain times of the day and days of the week and too few at others. On balance, overall, they feel that the number is about right. However levels of supply also depend on location.
Several of the taxi association representatives claim that the recession has hit the trade very hard and that demand for taxis is significantly less than it has been in previous years. This is resulting in drivers (both hackney carriage and private hire) having to work long hours and often six or seven days a week.
“Black cabs can’t continue with the amount of money they are making, or not making. I have seen marriages collapse because of the number of hours they have to work, not seeing their wives. It is a problem, a social problem that’s being created…(drivers work) typically in excess of 12 hours per day, six sometimes seven days a week…there just isn’t enough work in Birmingham.”
“Far too many (black cabs)…..1000 would be far too many…we are in a recession, can’t anyone see that….”
“I think there are too many cabs, not enough work or cabs are too expensive hence no work.”
“I have never ever picked up any issues around short supply (of taxis). The only problems we pick up are around too many of them.”
They complain about having to wait much longer for a fare than ever before and therefore having to work longer hours to maintain their income. It is perhaps unsurprising then that they feel that competition is too great (from other hackney carriage and private hire drivers) and that there are too many cabs. Some are calling for further restrictions on the number of licences issued. One representative went further to suggest that private hire drivers should be encouraged to move over to hackney carriages, jockeying/sharing a cab with a licence holder, and thus also help deplete the number of PHV drivers in the market.
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