Taxi Driver Online

Drivers fed up of rogue private hire drivers stealing trade, says leader

7:10pm Monday 27th September 2010

A taxi boss is calling for Council-endorsed signs to be displayed on private hire vehicles in the Bradford district, to stop drivers illegally picking up punters who flag them down in the street.

Billy Sheikh, acting chairman of Bingley Hackney Carriage Association, said the signs, which are already used by other councils, would make it clear to customers they would not be insured if they travelled in private hire vehicles not booked in advance.

Mr Sheikh said there were problems in Bingley with private hire drivers plying for trade outside pubs and bars, taking business from licensed hackney carriage drivers.

He said: “They are parking outside hotspots, touting for trade. Meanwhile we are sitting on the taxi rank waiting for trade that never arrives.

“When you get into an unbooked vehicle you are not insured. If you have permanent signage people are made aware of the conditions. If you get a scratch in our cars, you can claim.”

Raja Shakhawat Hussain, chairman of Bradford Private Hire Association, said Bradford Council needed to limit the number of licences issued to private hire drivers to make sure there was enough work available.

He said: “The penalties for picking people up who have not booked are very, very tough. When people are drunk they don’t know what kind of car they are getting into. They just jump into it.”

Councillor Ghazanfer Khaliq, the Council’s executive member for environment and sustainability, which includes hackney carriage licensing, said: “Anything we can do to make people safe, we would be more than happy to consider. Councillors are already looking into issues in relation to taxis.”

Bradford Council’s Hackney Carriage manager Carol Stos said: “We are aware of the concerns raised about the situation in Bingley and they are being addressed by our enforcement team.”

Source; http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/n ... ly__signs/

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Brummie Cabbie.

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He's dreaming!!!

They can have all the signs & conditions in the world, but if the enforcement department is crap they will just keep on pirating!!

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Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

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We have signs on our ph and the problem of ph picking up is getting worse only way to stop it is better enforcement.

Surely by far the biggest clue to it not being a Taxi is it not having the word Taxi on top of it...equally.. the more signs with PH plastered over a vehicle the more bona-fide it looks to a Taxi seeking p*sshead in the wee hours of the morning...therefore more signs just mean more confusion..

The trouble is though the punter see's the sign on the door and thinks ahh a Taxi. It could be a Pizza delivery car but, they won't see the real writing they just see the sign.

We used to advertise for a local radio company and when we were out of town on a job punters used to ask us if we were booked?? We always used to say yes. The punter looked on the side of the car and always phoned the radio station number for a taxi.

I work in Northampton. We do not have restrictions for the number of Hackney vehicles or drivers.. There are Hackney available for rent at about the same cost as PHV.. In fact, if you want to be a taxi driver, all you need to do is pass the knowledge.
However, being under possibly the worst and laziest LA in the country, we are destined to be forced into extinction..
I had it reported to me (hearsay), that a senior licensing officer 'advised' PH drivers that if they were approached by a punter while waiting, to get them to phone the office before they got in and then it's ok..
So now, we regularly have 40-60 cars parked outside pubs, clubs, McDonalds etc throughout the week.
The main road through the town center (The Drapary) is about 200 metres long and I have counted in excess of 40 PHV's soliciting there. Despite there being a PH Office at the top and the town's only operating Hackney rank (12 vehicle spaces for 130 Hackneys) 20 metres from the bottom.
Representing 200 drivers, I have had meetings with the licensing department and Northant Police. I presented to them that these cars are 1: commiting fraud and 2: driving without insurance.
They looked me straight in the eye and said they are aware of the problem. But, won't do anything about it because they haven't got the resource / budget and as these are not areas where they are statistically monitored, it is not a priority.
I asked what will happen if the Hackney drivers deal with the matter directly. And was told we would be arrested for breach of the peace..
They refused to answer when I asked where they would find the additional resorces to arrest us..

We can have as many as 45 cabs waiting at the rank for work while the PHV pick up our livelyhood within view.
Although there is a good reresentation of Police in the town during the weekends, they refuse to move these vehicles on. . But ironically, they have taken to threatening to ticket any cabs off the back of the rank if they don't clear the area.

I have estimated that each night driver loses over £4500 turnover per year. The public is being defrauded of approximatly £500,000 and there is approximatly 66000 uninsured journeys per year.. and Northants Police say it's not important enough to get their attention Their only interest is to 'empty the town as quickly as possible' (Inspector Dave Reyfield of Campbell Square Police Station)!!!

The Hackney drivers of Northampton winge and bitch about what's going on. But, in May 2009, I created a platform for them to demponstrate their grievance, 5 of the 200 (including me) turned up... The others didn't want to be seen to be rocking the boat.

Oh... and so far as punters are concerned...

They simply don't care...

Some through disregard, some through ignorance and the rest through stupidity..

They would get into a panel van with the Yorkshire Ripper if he told them ' honest I'm a real taxi and I'll take them home for 30p cheaper'!

Stickers etc.. may possibly make a tiny percentage of people aware.. But, they'll still climb in.. because, they don't have to walk and they don't have to queue..

Then the others must believe that everything is 'hunky-dory'.

So, next time they moan about the situation just tell those that did not support the demonstration that they voted with their feet or cabs to stay away, so they must think everything is OK!!

_________________
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.

I agree, but many think they would aid illegal activity.

I have always believed they will reduce it, and help with enforcement.

_________________
IDFIMH

or remove every sign..........

Outside the park at manchester when oasis played a concert i watch 2 blokes trying to flag down a estate car with signs on it











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