Taxi Driver Online :: View topic - Cardiff taxi firms go head to head over banning of meters

These people appear to be mad.

CC

To put it in a nutshell the Black & Whites who work for these companies will charge as per instruction fare and a half/whatever, but in reality the fare should be a lot less.

cabby john wrote:

To put it in a nutshell the Black & Whites who work for these companies will charge as per instruction fare and a half/whatever, but in reality the fare should be a lot less.

Surely to charge more than the tariff, for Hackney, is blatently illegal!

Maybe the reason the council didn't ban meters in PH was because they have no powers to do so.

The leader of the drivers might be a good guy, but he needs to start fighting for things he can achieve, not pi** around on piffle like this.

Now it has been publicised in the press that councillors think PH are cheaper. Is that what the hackney trade want to promote? :roll:

lets do away with hackneys, rank work is dead, there are more mobile phones than people in the UK, who walks to a rank?

I take it you don't have the same rules down there as we do in Scotland.
If a meter is fitted to a PH, it must be set to the councils tariff, or below, and must be tested and sealed, but cannot be set above the hack rate

skippy41 wrote:

Us?.....not sure, i think meter rates must be notified to the LA and displayed, if in a PHV

Quote:

my biggest gripe about meter rates in an 8 seater hack was having to charge standard rate when they would have needed 2 cars otherwise.....

skippy41 wrote:

Us?.....not sure, i think meter rates must be notified to the LA and displayed, if in a PHV

my biggest gripe about meter rates in an 8 seater hack was having to charge standard rate when they would have needed 2 cars otherwise.....

Author:	Brummie Cabbie [ Wed Oct 06, 2010 12:00 am ]
Post subject:	Cardiff taxi firms go head to head over banning of meters
Road wars: Cardiff taxi firms go head to head over banning of meters The latest rift between private hire and black and white taxis in Cardiff sees an application for fare meters to be banned 5th October 2010 Cardiff council has today rejected an application to ban meters in private hire taxis – causing a rift between hackney carriages and private companies. The application was submitted by Mathab Khan, the chair of hackney carriage association in Cardiff – the latest in a string of applications which private hire drivers feel are designed to limit their trade. Owner of private hire company Premier Cars, Tim Mahoney, said, "For the last few months I have been coming here because all I have seen is applications against the private hire trade." "We try to be as professional as possible. Mr Khan should leave the private hire trade alone. It's wasting all our time." Application to ban meters Khan submitted an application to see fare meters in private hire taxis removed based on his belief they were charging more than the council regulated fares of black and white taxis and hackney carriages. Khan, who is in charge of 387 members of the Hackney Carriage Association, said Cardiff council should look to other cities such as London for how to run private hire vehicles. He said: "The reason why I have applied is that I have found the private hire are using tariff two which is 50% more than a normal tariff." "The situation created by non-regulation of private hire taxi fares makes it open to abuse because people need to be protected. It's confusing for people who are not sure what the meter should be on." But chair of the public protection committee, Ed Bridges, pointed out private hire vehicles are allowed to charge whatever fare they choose, and Cardiff council cannot legally regulate the fares (by making them the same as for hackney carriages for example) as this would be a restriction of trade. Khan added, "It's like going to Tesco and filling up your trolley without knowing how much each item is costing and getting to the checkout and finding it's a lot." Taking Cardiff back to 'the dark ages' Objecting to the application, Gareth Owen, director of Dragon Taxis, said, "The argument for keeping them is obvious – public protection. At the present time to remove meters from private hire vehicles would be taking Cardiff back into the dark ages, the public demand transparency and meters achieve that." "If meters were not present in private hire vehicles this would lead to distrust of drivers, arguments over fares and possibly violence towards the driver. I can see no positive reason for the driver or the public to remove meters from private hire vehicles." Owen added that removing meters could pose a risk of violence to the drivers and would also open the flood gates for more abuse of over-charging customers. "It would be a step backwards to expect private hire drivers to get to the end of a journey and just ask for an amount of money with no proof of distance or waiting time." "The only fair way to charge the residents and visitors of Cardiff is by a pre-programmed meter which drivers cannot tamper with." Councillors back private hire plea Councillors agreed private hire vehicles should be able to self-regulate their own fare prices as they are offering an independent and different service to the hackney carriages which are licensed by the council. Councillor Bob Smith said, "I use taxis all the time – both black and white and private hire. I have found a difference with the hackney carriage fares usually being slightly dearer." "There are different tariffs within the private hire association. It's up to them what they charge and up to the customer whether they use them or not." Councillor Sue Goddard also said she preferred private hire vehicles, "I have paid more for the regular taxi then for private hire for the same journey. I can see this banning of meters in private hire causing more abuse not less." Private hire to have 'advance booking' door signs Private hire taxis will from now on also be required to have signs on their doors alerting customers to the fact they can only be used by 'advanced booking only'. The public protection committee today approved the small door signs proposed by private hire companies after the council decided signs were needed to show the cars must be pre-booked. See our earlier report here. "The reasons behind the signs is to educate the public," said councillor Goddard. "I think the small sign is perfectly adequate on the window for those that try to cause trouble for drivers that wont' pick them up." Source; http://www.guardian.co.uk/cardiff/2010/ ... ff-council

Author:	captain cab [ Wed Oct 06, 2010 12:03 am ]
Post subject:
These people appear to be mad. CC

Author:	Chris the Fish [ Wed Oct 06, 2010 12:06 am ]
Post subject:
captain cab wrote: These people appear to be mad. CC They certainly seem to be, Cardiff is a City to watch.

Author:	Brummie Cabbie [ Wed Oct 06, 2010 12:14 am ]
Post subject:
Why?

Author:	Chris the Fish [ Wed Oct 06, 2010 12:27 am ]
Post subject:
Brummie Cabbie wrote: Why? Because neither side is happy with the status quo - so more things will happen. At the end it will cost all, on both sides, and in all likleyhood the status quo will still remain.

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Author:	cabby john [ Wed Oct 06, 2010 12:49 am ]
Post subject:
I have not spoken to Mathab Kahn re this situation but take it from me he is a good guy with principles. The councillors who claim that they have paid more for "Black & White Hackneys" probably have, as they (the hackneys) probably work for the P.H firms who will send them out to pick up P.H quoted fares To put it in a nutshell the Black & Whites who work for these companies will charge as per instruction fare and a half/whatever, but in reality the fare should be a lot less.

Author:	toots [ Wed Oct 06, 2010 1:24 am ]
Post subject:
Chris the Fish wrote: cabby john wrote: To put it in a nutshell the Black & Whites who work for these companies will charge as per instruction fare and a half/whatever, but in reality the fare should be a lot less. Surely to charge more than the tariff, for Hackney, is blatently illegal! We have taxis on our system and they have been told by the licensing that they must charge the private hire rate unless it exceeds the hackney rate. I'm inclined to think that the LA can't insist that a HC charges a lesser rate than what's on the tariff card, it is only the PH ops that can insist they charge the PH rate

Author:	Sussex [ Wed Oct 06, 2010 7:25 am ]
Post subject:
Maybe the reason the council didn't ban meters in PH was because they have no powers to do so. The leader of the drivers might be a good guy, but he needs to start fighting for things he can achieve, not pi** around on piffle like this. Now it has been publicised in the press that councillors think PH are cheaper. Is that what the hackney trade want to promote?

Author:	captain cab [ Wed Oct 06, 2010 11:11 am ]
Post subject:
Sussex wrote: Maybe the reason the council didn't ban meters in PH was because they have no powers to do so. The leader of the drivers might be a good guy, but he needs to start fighting for things he can achieve, not pi** around on piffle like this. Now it has been publicised in the press that councillors think PH are cheaper. Is that what the hackney trade want to promote?

Author:	wannabeeahack [ Wed Oct 06, 2010 11:16 am ]
Post subject:
councils would LOVE all PH to have meters to equalise standards and get £35 for a meter check (here at least), the hacks in questin (in cardiff) probably dislike PH passengers seeing a meter in a PH car and thinking its a taxi, further eroding the HC:PH divide..... Quote: lets do away with hackneys, rank work is dead, there are more mobile phones than people in the UK, who walks to a rank?

Author:	skippy41 [ Wed Oct 06, 2010 1:50 pm ]
Post subject:
I take it you don't have the same rules down there as we do in Scotland. If a meter is fitted to a PH, it must be set to the councils tariff, or below, and must be tested and sealed, but cannot be set above the hack rate

Author:	wannabeeahack [ Wed Oct 06, 2010 2:49 pm ]
Post subject:
skippy41 wrote: I take it you don't have the same rules down there as we do in Scotland. If a meter is fitted to a PH, it must be set to the councils tariff, or below, and must be tested and sealed, but cannot be set above the hack rate Us?.....not sure, i think meter rates must be notified to the LA and displayed, if in a PHV my biggest gripe about meter rates in an 8 seater hack was having to charge standard rate when they would have needed 2 cars otherwise.....

Author:	skippy41 [ Wed Oct 06, 2010 3:00 pm ]
Post subject:
wannabeeahack wrote: skippy41 wrote: I take it you don't have the same rules down there as we do in Scotland. If a meter is fitted to a PH, it must be set to the councils tariff, or below, and must be tested and sealed, but cannot be set above the hack rate Us?.....not sure, i think meter rates must be notified to the LA and displayed, if in a PHV Quote: my biggest gripe about meter rates in an 8 seater hack was having to charge standard rate when they would have needed 2 cars otherwise..... What no fare and a half like us http://www.scotborders.gov.uk/life/appl ... 66001.html

Author:	toots [ Wed Oct 06, 2010 3:02 pm ]
Post subject:
wannabeeahack wrote: skippy41 wrote: I take it you don't have the same rules down there as we do in Scotland. If a meter is fitted to a PH, it must be set to the councils tariff, or below, and must be tested and sealed, but cannot be set above the hack rate Us?.....not sure, i think meter rates must be notified to the LA and displayed, if in a PHV my biggest gripe about meter rates in an 8 seater hack was having to charge standard rate when they would have needed 2 cars otherwise..... Personally I don't think they should be able to charge more just because it saves you from needing more vehicles. You should only be charged more if it costs more to run with 5-8 passengers than 4.

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