Taxi Driver Online

Driver walkout at Leeds Bradford Airport private-hire firm


Scores of drivers staged a walkout of Leeds-Bradford Airport’s private hire taxi provider after 11 colleagues were suspended.

Drivers from Arrow taxis went on strike claiming it was over a row about the amount of commission the firm charges them on airport jobs and the “high” base rent.

Several drivers were also banned from the firm’s offices in Horsforth as a result of growing tensions.

However, the firm blamed internal politics and allegations of disruptive behaviour, and one manager told the YEP: “Enough is enough”.

At the airport yesterday, there were scenes of chaos as striking drivers parked their cars on the main road and blocked much of it.

Eyewitnesses described groups of passengers looking “stranded”. Police were also called to a protest at the firm’s Horsforth base but no action was taken.

Karl Thackray, fleet manager for Arrow, confirmed the company had “sacked 11 drivers” for disruptive behaviour and had closed the area where they get together.

“We have to tackle this,” he said. “Our commission hasn’t changed for four years and it’s the same as any other business.

“We make a gross commission of less than 30 percent – not outrageous and less than Gatwick airport or Southampton or Bristol. Our pricing is also very simple and [drivers] receive a mileage rate.”

“The firm is working normally,” he added. “We will have issues but there comes a point when you say enough is enough is enough,.”

Tahir Hamid, one of the drivers on strike, said: “The toilets have been closed and we have been banned from the holding area. We are being treated like rubbish. Nobody has done anything wrong.”

Mr Hamid claimed the drivers’ committee had tried to talk to managers but had been rebuffed.

Meanwhile, commentators watched the developments with interest, as the row comes just days before a council scrutiny panel reports its findings on a much-debated case for a new taxi rank at the airport.

A tweet from Leedscabsection said: “Lbia private hire on strike. Stranded passengers today. Great news for executive meeting Feb 10th. Rank to be decided finally. Great news.”

http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/n ... _1_4189261

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

I wonder if Manchester Airport are aware of this?

CC

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

And East Midlands.

_________________
Grandad,

I would imagine that this is even worse a time of year at the airport ranks than it is for the trade generally.

Hardly surprising that tensions boil over at this time.

I thought arrow cars had lost east midlands and checker cars were back in there now or was I imagining things last time I was there ?

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

The office next to the terminal still said Arrow yesterday.

_________________
Grandad,

Ahhh; the pleasures of legalised private hire driver slavery as legislated by the good old Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976!!

You couldn't make it up, except that it is the law!!

Akin to plate barons really, except that the PH operator licence as enshrined in the LG(MP) Act 1976 created driver baron instead, with licensed PH drivers used as slaves paying extortionate weekly rentals / settles in many PH operations that just can't support the numbers of PH drivers that the firm has on its books!!

But then that's the law; a PH driver has to work through a PH operator and pay whatever the operator dictates should be paid in weekly settle / rent.

The PH driver has no choice but to pay up and shut up!!

Good legislation; for the PH operator barons at least!!

_________________
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.

Or apply for his/her own operators license.

_________________
Grandad,

There's nothing stopping the ph driver getting his own ops licence and working for himself,this is how all company's started ?

And that’s what you call a realistic option is it, especially in large cities?

This is just one of the reasons that I believe we will be saddled with a one-tier taxi system before the half-decade is out!!

_________________
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.

Clearly the answer to such slavery is to allow those owner drivers to license hackneys instead.

Welcome to my gang Mr Brummie.

_________________
IDFIMH

Sussex how many PH are there in Brighton and if all of them became Hackney how far would the queue to the railway station be around 6 to 7 pm when all the commuters are returning ?

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

Bet that fella who loves Arrow didn't see that coming

_________________
Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

pmsl

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

Why?

Let's go back to the example that my side often quote, and the other side often ignore.

An area is restricted and has 500 taxis and 500 PH. And those vehicles serve X amount of punters.

When that area de-restricts you might get 750 taxis and 250 PH, or 1000 taxis and 0 PH, but you will still have the same number of vehicles, and no reason why the amount of punters will decrease.

So what difference does it make?

Unless you are concerned about ranking spaces. If so then put ranks in the areas that the PH currently sit.

_________________
IDFIMH