Taxi Driver Online

Cabbies turned away after taxi meter blunder

Council officials have had to go back to the drawing board following a taxi fare increase blunder.

Taxi drivers from across the district gathered on the Elvetham Heath estate in Fleet recently to get their meters changed to reflect the fare increases. But independent taxi driver Graham Evans said they had to be turned away. “The problem was the council had advertised one rate but were changing the meter to another so the whole thing had to be cancelled and the council had to start again,” he added.

Mr Evans said, at the annual taxi trade meeting, drivers requested the licensing committee consider a tariff increase of 20p for the first mile and each subsequent mile thereafter. “But the council was trying to change the meter to 20p extra for the first mile and nothing else,” he said. “I pointed it out to them and there were about 40 drivers waiting to get their meters changed when I got there. A council representative was having to send everyone away because they just weren’t able to change the meters.

“The council will now have to re-advertise the new rates, which is a waste of council tax funds. They seem to have a habit of not understanding how the meters and the fare structures work. “These are the people that are regulating the trade but don’t seem to know how the whole thing works.”

Hart’s licensing committee discussed the situation on Monday night when principal licensing officer David King sought approval for an amended taxi tariff increase. His report to councillors said the licensing committee recommended an increase in the taxi tariff of 20p at its meeting on September 19.

Mr King added the proposed tariff was advertised in the Fleet News & Mail and by notices posted at the Civic Offices in Fleet. No objections to the proposed increase were received from members of the public or the taxi trade during the consultation period, said Mr King.

The proposed tariff was to come into force on November 8 and the meters sealed by officers. But Mr King said that on November 8, the licensing department was made aware of the fact that on the tariff proposal published only the first mile would be increased by 20p and the subsequent miles would remain the same.

“This was the first time any query to the new tariff was mentioned,” he added. “The trade has requested that members review and change the 2011 tariff agreed to take into account the 20p increase for each subsequent mile and not just the first mile.”

Mr King said that for the 20p per mile increase and subsequent mile thereafter the formula needs to be changed. Extra charges for hiring a taxi between 11pm and 7am and on Sundays, Bank Holidays and public holidays will also need to be changed.

Mr King said officers would have to seal the taxi meter changes, although it is the responsibly of the Hackney Carriage proprietor to pay for the meter to be change independently prior to the sealing of the meter. He added the cost of a public notice in the paper would be about £350.

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IDFIMH

No real increase then, 2.60 becomes 2.80 if you get a short hop, and what was 3.20 is 3.40, £20 to get the meter pumped cabby loses again.

Just how cheap do they expect a £10-£15k pa running costs vehicle to be.

We have all just paid £27.00 for a 5% increase and the only thing that has changed is the yardage or meters so it works out at £27 for 4 metres from 114 to 100 per 10p click

They don't give a feck, this is like rearranging the deckchairs on the the Titanic.

So who's at fault here?

As I read it the committee agreed only 20p on the flagfall, this was advertised, and the trade only realised what they were getting when the meters were getting changed, so the council reconsidered it and gave them what they'd initially denied them??

Our council have just approved an increase of 28 pence per job regardless of distance provided the job is at least half a mile. What they have approved is a change in the distance covered by the flag fall from £2.50 for the first half mile to £2.50 for the first .3 of a mile. We can have jobs from one side of the borough to the other that cover 40 miles and we will get an extra 28 pence. Just with the rise in fuel prices and insurance since the last fare increase this will mean doing 6500 jobs to be back where we were.

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Grandad,

Them all.

How a tariff gets to the stage of vehicles queuing up waiting for change before anyone realises the change isn't the one that was proposed, or required, is quite frankly shameful.

But I doubt anyone will be putting up their hands saying 'it was I', but loads pointing their fingers saying 'it was him'.

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IDFIMH

Would make a great Monty python sketch all the councilors and drivers stood on the heath shouting it was him then a nice benny hill style chase around the heath as the bloke who came to change the meters makes his attempt at a gettaway

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

Blimey Skippy, £27 for 4 meters - no wonder you can do discounts!

So £10,863.07 per mile - what is your current discount?

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Chris The Fish

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gdlyi5mc ... re=related

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Thats how much the meter setters charges everyone, to update the meter
I still give discounts off all fares over £3.00

Skippy - if you don't get it, it aint funny.

Read your post again (and again and again) and eventually you may laugh....


......and then IT'S FUNNY.

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Chris The Fish

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gdlyi5mc ... re=related