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What price a base licence?
http://www.taxi-driver.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=19802		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  Jasbar [ Thu Jul 19, 2012 11:25 am ]
Post subject:  What price a base licence?
If base licences are supposed to protect the public, do they really?

If you have a system where long jobs can't be allocated to guys at the end of their shift, then how does it happen?

An error? Or just another routine feeding of a job to mate?

Wick. And 15 miles beyond. 11 hours all round. Not a bad shift, well within the capabilities of a tacho-less driver.

Except the job was allocated late afternoon. And the driver had signed on at 7.30 in the morning.

That's 20 hours in the saddle.

And that's customers who think they're being served safely.

And that's a client who thinks a supplier is behaving responsibly.

And that's a fair number of road users who're sharing an already dangerous A9 with this driver.

And that's a council who should be all over base licence holders to make sure this can't happen. After all, the information is all available.
Author:  toots [ Thu Jul 19, 2012 1:17 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: What price a base licence?
It's a good point you make but it's been going on for years. Was the job pre allocated or just on the bidding screen (if you have one)?
Author:  Jasbar [ Thu Jul 19, 2012 1:48 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: What price a base licence?
Information is that it was a cancelled transport alternative service, therefore one can assume it came out, although any priority given at the time is not known for sure.

Had it been pre-allocated then one could assume that the driver would not have signed on so early, saving himself for the job.

But you saying it has gone for years must be a cause for concern. And more so that it hasn't been stopped with the introduction of base licensing.

Isn't it for this kind of abuse that base licences were been brought in in the first place?

But what checks have been made to ensure licences are being operated properly? A cosy wee visit by the cab inspector doesn't add up to much of an inspection, does it?

Shouldn't there be a regular forensic investigation of all company records to establish proper conduct?

And why hasn't this already been implemented?

And shouldn't abuse of the type described, where substantiated, be tantamount to revoking of the licence?
Author:  grumpy [ Thu Jul 19, 2012 4:24 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: What price a base licence?
Your point seems to be more the driver's greed than the office's method. It looks like they employ a similar rota system to ours. A distance will only be allocated to a driver on the road at the time it's to be dispatched. Having been out from early doors, he should have stood down on the hire and allowed someone "fresher" to do it. Some chance of that.
Author:  Jasbar [ Thu Jul 19, 2012 5:05 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: What price a base licence?
grumpy wrote:
Your point seems to be more the driver's greed than the office's method. It looks like they employ a similar rota system to ours. A distance will only be allocated to a driver on the road at the time it's to be dispatched. Having been out from early doors, he should have stood down on the hire and allowed someone "fresher" to do it. Some chance of that.


Can't see how this would work. What driver is gonna refuse a job like this? Aint gonna happen.

And its the company who is responsible. It's their customer. It's their duty to allocate the jobs appropriately.

Doesn't get any more difficult than that.
Author:  gusmac [ Thu Jul 19, 2012 5:16 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: What price a base licence?
Jim's right. This is just stupid and it will end up with tachos
Author:  grumpy [ Thu Jul 19, 2012 7:32 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: What price a base licence?
Jasbar wrote:
grumpy wrote:
Your point seems to be more the driver's greed than the office's method. It looks like they employ a similar rota system to ours. A distance will only be allocated to a driver on the road at the time it's to be dispatched. Having been out from early doors, he should have stood down on the hire and allowed someone "fresher" to do it. Some chance of that.


Can't see how this would work. What driver is gonna refuse a job like this? Aint gonna happen.


Hence my footnote. Should have put a smiley in.
Quote:
And its the company who is responsible. It's their customer. It's their duty to allocate the jobs appropriately.


Again I agree fully. My take on it is based on my experience of the working of our company. The staff won't bypass anyone. They (rightly or wrongly) don't have the authority to do so.

Quote:
Doesn't get any more difficult than that.


It does when years of doing it one way becomes the only way to do it. (5 monkeys)

I'm not blaming the staff on this. The company is a driver owned association. The drivers set the rules, the staff follow them (sometimes) in most cases they would stand down. Tho' this is not to say that they all would.
gusmac wrote:
Jim's right. This is just stupid and it will end up with tachos


All the more reason for a tightening up on the procedures by the committee/owners of all companies. Suggesting bringing in a rule/condition stating that all distance work (of over "x" time) will only be allocated to drivers with less than "x" hours on the road might be worth exploring. Probably not pass, but worth a try.
Author:  Nidge2 [ Sat Jul 21, 2012 9:12 am ]
Post subject:  Re: What price a base licence?
Jasbar wrote:
If base licences are supposed to protect the public, do they really?

If you have a system where long jobs can't be allocated to guys at the end of their shift, then how does it happen?

An error? Or just another routine feeding of a job to mate?

Wick. And 15 miles beyond. 11 hours all round. Not a bad shift, well within the capabilities of a tacho-less driver.

Except the job was allocated late afternoon. And the driver had signed on at 7.30 in the morning.

That's 20 hours in the saddle.

And that's customers who think they're being served safely.

And that's a client who thinks a supplier is behaving responsibly.

And that's a fair number of road users who're sharing an already dangerous A9 with this driver.

And that's a council who should be all over base licence holders to make sure this can't happen. After all, the information is all available.



We had one driver last weekend who worked a 26 hour shift, on his 26th and a ½ hour of working he was given a London, it was 2 ½ there and 2 ½ hours back, that's a whopping 31½ hour shift. Would you have been happy with a Taxi Driver taking you that far after a shift of that magnitude?
Author:  Skull [ Sat Jul 21, 2012 7:51 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: What price a base licence?
Nidge2 wrote:
Jasbar wrote:
If base licences are supposed to protect the public, do they really?

If you have a system where long jobs can't be allocated to guys at the end of their shift, then how does it happen?

An error? Or just another routine feeding of a job to mate?

Wick. And 15 miles beyond. 11 hours all round. Not a bad shift, well within the capabilities of a tacho-less driver.

Except the job was allocated late afternoon. And the driver had signed on at 7.30 in the morning.

That's 20 hours in the saddle.

And that's customers who think they're being served safely.

And that's a client who thinks a supplier is behaving responsibly.

And that's a fair number of road users who're sharing an already dangerous A9 with this driver.

And that's a council who should be all over base licence holders to make sure this can't happen. After all, the information is all available.



We had one driver last weekend who worked a 26 hour shift, on his 26th and a ½ hour of working he was given a London, it was 2 ½ there and 2 ½ hours back, that's a whopping 31½ hour shift. Would you have been happy with a Taxi Driver taking you that far after a shift of that magnitude?


I would've told him to get in the back, and that I'm driving, no matter how pished I was. :shock:
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