Taxi Driver Online

TAXI drivers campagining to stop a 58% increase in fares say people with learning difficulties or in residential homes will be among the hardest hit.

Bridlington cabbie Michael Stephenson, an owner driver for Mick's Taxis, said: "We carry people from residential homes including disabled people and those with learning difficulties. "They have a limited amount of money to spend on taxis and will definitely suffer. We do not need this increase."

But East Riding of Yorkshire Council say their replacement of five separate licensing zones with one single zone will raise the maximum fare Bridlington taxis can collect but they don't have to charge the top rate.

Coun Margaret Chadwick, chair of East Riding of Yorkshire Council's licensing committee and a Bridlington councillor, said: "The aim is to try and put everyone on the same rate across the area. Taxi drivers can charge what they want up to the new maximum rate. "Their meters will have to be recalibrated, but they do not have to charge the maximum rate."

However, Bridlington Hackney cab drivers' leader Dave North says in practice that is what most drivers will do. "A lot are on commission, they are going to have to charge it whether they like it or not. "These people are in business. If you are in business you charge it, you charge what you are entitled to." Alan Sanders, manager of Mencap's Meadow View in Bempton Lane which houses 16 people with learning difficulties, said: "Any increase in fares would impact on their limited financial resources. Transport costs are already one of their highest outgoings." Residents would find it difficult to use public transport. There is a mini-bus but it is frequently in use elsewhere. "They need taxis for leisure, shopping, socialising, attending day centres and outreach services. "They are extremely important to their quality of life," said Mr Sanders.

Kirkgate House in Kirkgate, has 24 permanent residents with learning difficulties who have an active social life visiting day centres, swimming and attending further education. It does have its own transpsort but it is not always available. At Red House residential home in St Anne's Road a spokesman said most of its 48 residents, relied heavily on taxis for a variety of needs including doctors and hospital appointments. Also may of their visitors needed to use taxis.

Waiting for Government decision according to East Riding council, replacing five old licensing areas will enable it to create one set of by-laws governing Hackney cabs and a single maximum table of fares. Making the change means removing part of an existing public health act relating to Hackney carriage licensing which can only be done with government approval.

The council has already sought permission from the relevant secretary of state but Paul Meers, the council's senior environmental health officer for safety and licensing, said a response to the council's application had been delayed by the election. Bridlington taxi drivers leader David North says he still wants the authority to look again at the situation.

At a meeting with the council on Tuesday evening he said he wanted the matter to be referred back to the relevant council scrutiny committee.

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IDFIMH

Now is this a high increase, or a proper increase on stupid fares?

And as for having five different sets of fares, in the same district, is pretty dam dumb, and a recipe for trouble.

Not a great fan of zones me.

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IDFIMH

I wonder how Yorkie would have gone on with five seperate tarrifs, for five seperate zones? lol

Regards

JD

since when did he ever worry about things like zones.
picks up here picks up there.
zones what are zones.

No doubt some contracts and regulars will get a discount, but others will pay the new rate, so I think the LA is being a bit naive when they say that drivers can charge below the metered rate, but it's a common fall-back position.

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Taxi Driver Online
www.taxi-driver.co.uk

This sounds a bit like what happened to us about a few years ago and to be honest things have never been the same since.

Fife has a few zone, but they were never amalgamated, but what happened a few years ago was that they made fares across all Fife the same. Some of the local runs went up about the same as the runs in the storey 50%+, but all the local runs went up by a good bit and they stuck 25% on fares to other LAs.

Soon after a couple of discount firms set up, and now everyone is offering discounts, especially on the long runs. This has led to lots of bickering, and the some of the asshole customers enjoy going up the rank shouting quotes to their mates who are asking other drivers.

The funny thing is that we are actually getting a lot less for some runs now than we did before the rises in 1999. For example, Dundee used to be £20 for everyone, but nowif you get that you are lucky, even if the metered fare is at least £25. Edinburgh used to be £60, but a year after the rises a lot of firms were asking £50, and your still tight to get anyone to pay 60 unless you are with one of the bigger offices.

So fare hikes are not always a good thing.

I cycled from Edinburgh to St Andrews a few years ago.

I would happily have paid you double that to have taken me, trust me.

We should not be in the habit of subsidizing fares we are not a charity and do not get any rebates etc from any gov. depts we pay top whack for ins fuel etc we should charge what the tarriff is set by the council THEY SET IT WE CHARGE IT

Im I wrong in saying that if you have a meter fitted and you have a fair in the cab you must have the meter on from a to b, and that if stoped by the plod or inspector clueless and you dont have it on you can be suspended or have your badge removed.
That is what happens in the Scottish Borders, the only exception is if you go outside the area then negosiated fairs come in
a 58% increase seems steep, we will be extreamly lucky if we get our 10% and we are about 5 or 6 from the bottom of the fairs leage in PH monthly

Thats certainly not what happens in St Andrews - there are lots of off the meter runs even in the area.

But you should still be able to discount the fares in the Borders, or that would breach the Civic Government Act.

That could be one way of reading the acts, but I take the view that the acts say you mustn't charge more than the local set rate.

If you charge that via the meter, or not, shouldn't really come into it.

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IDFIMH