Taxi Driver Online

EPPING FOREST: Cabbies' fight for standard fares moves a step closer


CAB drivers are celebrating a milestone in their campaign for standard fares and taxi ranks to be introduced.

The district council is asking people for their views on whether meters set by the council should be installed in Hackney carriages – any cab that can be hailed in the street.

Sanu Azid, 33, the chairman of the Epping Forest Taxi Association, said the consultation was a big step forward.

“We have been speaking to the council for three years about this,” he said. “There has been demand for it before, but no-one constantly creating the pressure.

“As it stands, a driver can charge £100 for a local journey, if he can get away with it, and the passenger can’t legally do anything.

“It gives a bad name to a taxi driver and everybody gets grief.”

The council also wants to know how much support there is for official taxi ranks and suggestions for which roads they should be on.

It has already raised the possibility of setting up a rank outside a parade of shops in Loughton High Road, near the turning for Trap’s Hill, although this raised objections from traders and the council has yet to make a decision.

Mr Azid said his group supported taxi ranks in general, although he would rather see one behind Morrisons that on the High Road.

“Once a rank is established, the public knows there’s a licensed taxi waiting there,” he added.

“In the whole of Epping Forest, there’s one official taxi rank, which holds three cars, in Epping High Street.”

Ron Taylor, 62, a self-employed driver who works around Buckhurst Hill and Loughton, said: “I think it’s the right thing to have meters.

“It’s fair for everybody – customers and the council as well, because if people rip off customers, they’re going to complain to the council.

“Putting bays in can only be a good thing. We’ve been pushing for ages for this.”

The consultation has been sent out to town and parish councils and its questionnaire on the topic can be found by going to www.eppingforestdc.gov.uk and clicking on 'licensing'.

http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/e ... ep_closer/

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

I wonder if it isn't time to suggest to the law commission and others that a national standard for hackney carriages is worth pursuing so we don't have these silly long running negotiations with councils over things like this All Hackneys should have meters and I personally think meter rates should be set on a regional or at least county basis except for the large Metropolitan boroughs with perhaps a national standard on vehicles age limits etc. I.E remove responsibility for these matters from local government to regional level it might create a better environment for cabbies to work in

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

Can someone just confirm it is 2012 not 1912?

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IDFIMH

Its 2012 in Brighton but 1912 in Epping forrest simples !!

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

Do you want Lincoln to use the Stamford tariff, or Stamford to use the Lincoln tariff, and why?

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Former taxi driver

I am suggesting that if tarriffs were set on a regional basis there might be a lot less politics and less influence from certain firms for example when SKDc sets the default rate it is always the proposal from one particular Grantham firm which is adopted and I'm sure that happens elsewhere as well plus we get a lot of comparisons with Rutland,Peterborough etc. I would personally like to see something like say an east Midlands tarriff with a legally prescribed period of review say every 2 years then you wouldn't have the situation where some councils might refuse to allow a price rise for 5 years others might put the prices up every year despite some of the drivers arguing against it Less rows,political interference or commercial interference

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

It's a bit like the cross border issue, no matter how big the districts/counties/regions are there will always be borders where two sides have different rates/standards/etc.

Personally I think it would be good to have a national fares formula which would take into account the trade's true running costs, with a regional variation based on the average working wage for the local area.

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IDFIMH

The nearest thing we currently have to that is the Brighton formula.

CC

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