Taxi Driver Online

High petrol prices forcing Cheltenham minicab drivers to consider quitting


Minicab drivers in Cheltenham are being forced to consider giving up their jobs because of rocketing petrol prices.

Unleaded petrol has risen by 5p over the past month and is now at 138.32p per litre, while diesel has jumped up by 4.78p over the same period to now stand at 145.10p.

Keith Shepherd, a driver for Bishop's Cleeve Private Hire, said the cost of fuel was making drivers contemplate finding a different career.

The 37-year-old said: "I know that the high petrol price is something that's a regular topic of conversation.

"It makes drivers think about other careers because the money does not seem to be in this work anymore."

Most minicab drivers have to cover their own fuel and car maintenance costs.

Keith, who has been a minicab driver for 10 years, added: "My car uses diesel and it's costing more and more to fill up, which is eating into our profits.

"We can't put our prices up because we will find that customers will not want to use us."

Experts said the weak pound was the source of the rise, with sterling recently hitting a two-and-a-half year low against the dollar, and that prices were expected to continue to increase. This was because crude oil and refined products were traded in dollars and, therefore, became more expensive for British companies when the pound fell.

Another other factor was the rising price of oil on the international market, which influenced the petrol price.

They said there was no obvious reason for this increase, as supply was not tight at the moment.

Chancellor George Osborne plans to increase fuel duty in September, but the Automobile Association (AA) is calling on him to scrap the idea because rising prices are forcing drivers off the road.

Keith said: "It's an easy tax for the Government to add on and I don't agree that it should go up. Motorists always seem to be an easy target to get money out of."

The chancellor scrapped plans for a 3p per litre fuel duty increase in January following widespread criticism from motorists.

Around 60 per cent of the price motorists pay at the pump currently goes to the Treasury.

The Government has not increased fuel duty for two years, and actually cut the tax by 1p in March 2011.


Read more: http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/ ... z2M1VDk7bp

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

Fuel costs are a pain.

But enough to make you want to leave the trade?

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IDFIMH

The trouble with a race to the bottom is there's no place left to go.

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http://wingsoverscotland.com/ http://www.newsnetscotland.com/

Galashiels?

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IDFIMH

Think that's still a one man race

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http://wingsoverscotland.com/ http://www.newsnetscotland.com/

Not had a bad week yet in the last 18 months

If someone started a ph company here they would not last a week

Be hard to compete against your prices ,have you workrd out the best place to position your phone yet ?

I suppose when cab firms are subsidised its a little easier

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

To put some context into the issue ;

My car averages 7 miles/litre,
I drive approx 35,000 miles a year,
Thats 5000 litres of fuel.
(Figures are a very rough estimate.)

So each time fuel goes up by 1p it costs me an extra £50 a year, 10p £500 p/a etc.

A 1p rise is negligible and even if the price increases by 10p in a year it's still less than a tenner a week. I know it's all money out of your pocket but prices would have to rise a hell of a lot more before fuel costs forced me off the road.

And is it worth shopping around to find a garage that is 2p/litre cheaper just to save slightly under £2 a week ?

its not changed significantly in the last 12 months, going by the figures I have available the UK average fuel price has went up 4p/litre in the last 12 months.



nowhere near as bad as the year on year jumps in 09 and 2010 of 20p.litre on diesel.

if anything fuel prices have in my opinion stabilized over the last 2 years with no significant rise. granted we are still getting screwed and its overpriced but its not suddenly jumped up


average uk prices

Date Unleaded Diesel
Oct '05 94.3 97.2
Nov '05 90.6 95
Dec '05 87.9 92.4
Jan '06 89.3 93.5
Feb '06 90 94.1
Mar '06 90.3 94.5
Apr '06 94.1 97.4
May '06 96.6 98.9
Jun '06 95.8 98
Jul '06 97.3 98.9
Aug '06 97 98.7
Sep '06 90.9 95.1
Oct '06 86.9 92.2
Nov '06 86.1 91.7
Dec '06 87.6 93.1
Jan '07 87.3 92
Feb '07 86.7 90.7
Mar '07 89.4 92.7
Apr '07 92.6 95
May '07 95.6 96.6
Jun '07 96.9 97.3
Jul '07 96.7 97.1
Aug '07 96 96.9
Sep '07 95.3 97.6
Oct '07 97.7 99.9
Nov '07 101.1 105
Dec '07 102.8 107.8
Jan '08 104 108.9
Feb '08 104.3 109.5
Mar '08 106.4 113.4
Apr '08 108.1 117.3
May '08 112.5 124.1
Jun '08 117.6 130.9
Jul '08 118.7 132.3
Aug '08 113.4 125.7
Sep '08 112 123.5
Oct '08 104.7 116.4
Nov '08 94.9 108.7
Dec '08 89.5 102.8
Jan '09 87 98.9
Feb '09 90.2 100.5
Mar '09 90.8 99.9
Apr '09 94.8 102.4
May '09 97.7 103.3
Jun '09 102.2 104.5
Jul '09 103 104
Aug '09 103.9 104.5
Sep '09 106.2 106.8
Oct '09 105.7 106.9
Nov '09 108.4 109.6
Dec '09 108.2 109.7
Jan '10 111.4 113.2
Feb '10 112.1 113.7
Mar '10 115.6 116.4
Apr '10 120.5 121.5
May '10 121 122.6
Jun '10 118.2 120.6
Jul '10 117.3 119.8
Aug '10 116.2 118.8
Sep '10 115.3 118
Oct '10 117.4 120.7
Nov '10 118.9 122.7
Dec '10 122 126.1
Jan '11 127.9 132.3
Feb '11 128.7 133.8
Mar '11 132.2 138.5
Apr '11 134.7 141.1
May '11 136.7 141.5
Jun '11 135.7 139.5
Jul '11 134.9 139
Aug '11 135.5 139.7
Sep '11 135.4 139.5
Oct '11 134.6 139.8
Nov '11 133.8 140.9
Dec '11 132.5 141
Jan '12 133.3 141.6
Feb '12 135.1 142.9

thats was a lot back then

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

The problem for ph drivers is they blame the fuel costs when it's possibly the fact that the circuit they work from are too cheap with their fares and too high with their settle.

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

I think its shocking how taxi drivers are considering giving up their livelihood due to the cost of fuel costs, same for everyone in the transport sector - my father in law runs a haulage company and the costs are crippling his business. Fuel strike anyone??!

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http://www.ZingoTaxi.co.uk

Like Toots said. Cheap prices and high settle are the real problems.

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Grandad,

OMG - They're quitting in Bournemouth too!!!!!!

Rising cost of diesel forcing drivers to quit


‘VERY HARD’: Taxi driver Azzedine Lemhazem at Bournemouth train station

THE rising cost of diesel is hitting Dorset’s motorists hard, with the average cost of petrol now 138.32p a litre.

And those whose livelihoods depend on the price at the pumps say they are being forced out of the market as a result of the spiralling costs.

Taxi driver Azzedine Lemhazem, who rents a space at Bournemouth railway station, said some journeys are not worth the expense of petrol.

“Everyone is struggling,” he said.

“At the moment, it is quiet already, and when we have to pay rent and for diesel, what’s left for you? Last week, I had £165 for myself. I’m living day-to-day.”

Mr Lemhazem, who drives to Bournemouth from his home in Salisbury each day, said he starts the day with no money at all.

“Just to get here is expensive,” he said.

“I start the day at minus £20 and I have to work back up. I have never been on the dole, and I must work, but it is very hard.”

Driver Azmeer Toms said: “It is over £100 a week to buy diesel.

“Your living standards are affected. It used to be that if a customer paid £5, you would get £4 towards your wages, but now it’s more like £3. Ten years ago, diesel was 85p a litre, but it has doubled and my wages haven’t really changed.”

He said he was working longer hours to try and make up the short-fall.

“You have the right to pray and hope for better, but it’s not happening,” he said.

Driving instructor Sally Durnan, who runs her own business, said the rising cost of fuel was making life tough.

“It’s putting a strain on everybody’s pockets,” she said.

“It’s eating into the profits you make at the moment. Diesel is up to £1.47 per litre in some places, and it’s having a real impact.”

The AA revealed the cost of diesel has risen 4.78p from its mid-January price to an average of 145.10p.

The cost of petrol too has risen 6.24p a litre since early January – 1p of that in the past five days – adding £3.12 to the cost of refilling a typical 50-litre tank.

Filling up the 70-litre tank of a Ford Mondeo now costs £4.37 more than six weeks ago, while a two-car family’s monthly petrol cost has risen £13.25 with the current price surge.

The AA said this was due to the effect of the pound sliding against other big currencies, adding that market speculation could push prices to record levels by Easter.

147.9p a litre

The cost for petrol in the Bournemouth and Poole ranged from 137.9p a litre to 147.9 a litre on Tuesday.

ASDA in Canford Heath featured the lowest price of the eight visited by the Daily Echo, while BP in Castle Lane, Bournemouth had the highest.

Most of the other stations were selling petrol for between 138.9p per litre.

From lowest to highest cost per litre of petrol: ASDA in Canford Heath – 137.7p
Esso in Barrack Road, Christchurch – 137.9p
Sainsbury’s in Alder Hills, Poole – 138.9p
Tesco Extra in Tower Park, Poole – 138.9p
Esso in Charminster Road – 138.9p
Murco in Southbourne Grove – 138.9p
Shell in Bournemouth Road, Parkstone – 139.9p
BP in Castle Lane – 147.9p

source: http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/1 ... _business/

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