Taxi Driver Online

Liverpool fans slam 'rip-off cabbies' who inflate prices for foreign supporters

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/li ... s-15114649

Drivers echo their calls saying they are being 'killed' by those attempting to rip fans off

Liverpool cabbies have praised the work of the city council after an undercover sting at Anfield brought another rip-off driver to justice.

Orlin Angelov Madzharov, 43, was ordered to pay £480 in fines after he was caught trying to fleece football fans for £20 for a trip from Anfield to Liverpool Lime Street in January.

But the taxi driver was the latest to be caught out by undercover council officers posing as football fans in operations that have been praised by a number of black cab drivers in the city.

But a large number of football fans have got in touch with the ECHO with their own experiences and said the operations must continue.

One of these was South African Liverpool fan Evan Lyon who came to Liverpool to see a match.

He said: "I paid £25 pounds from Anfield to the Waterfront . I was in town from South Africa. Just thought that's normal."

Commenting on our Facebook page, Robbie Shanahan recalled an experience following the Reds match with Brighton as a driver tried to over-charge some away fans.

He said: "Walking back to car after Brighton match overhead two Brighton fans arguing with black cab without light on who was trying to charge £40 for a £9 journey! It’s embarrassing to our city."

There seems to be a thought that it is often away fans or foreign Liverpool fans who can be targets as they are less aware of how much a fare should be.

Nikki Fenno on Facebook said: "A black cab driver tried to have my dad off cos he’s got a Belfast accent... not realising my dad had lived here for 25 years already and so he was caught out."

It is clear that it is a small minority of cabbies who are attempting these scams - and a number of honest drivers have welcomed the crackdown and punishments handed out.

Allan Roberts said: "As a black cab driver myself, I welcome this crackdown, we need MORE enforcement from the Hackney officers, these rip off rats are giving us honest cabbies a bad image.

"Just a reminder to everyone there are tens of thousands of cab journeys every week so don't let these stories put you off using us, 99% of cabbies are good HONEST hard working people."

On twitter, the Taxi Alliance Liverpool group was equally pleased, stating: "Finally someone has decided to do something in an effort to clean the trade up. we have noticed that things are changing hooray."

One cab driver who was been working with the ECHO to expose the Anfield scams and has always remained anonymous, added: "I am over the moon that they are doing this and that it is being publicised because these drivers are killing us.

"I am a member of UNITE and the union are fully on board."

But he said the punishments should be harsher and suggested drivers caught out once should lose their license.

He said: "I provide a service, if I abuse that position you should take it off me."

"Just a reminder to everyone there are tens of thousands of cab journeys every week so don't let these stories put you off using us, 99% of cabbies are good HONEST hard working people."


Should be 100%

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

Indeed, but I think 99% is better than most, if not all areas.

In my area that bad 1% relates to about 15 drivers, and I'm pretty certain we have more bad eggs than that.

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IDFIMH

and you think the figures quoted for liverpool are accurate in light of the volume of stories reported ?

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

Of course not.

If the 1% was true then Liverpool would be unique, but the 1% is wishful thinking.

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IDFIMH