Taxi Driver Online

'I work 40 hours before earning a penny': Taxi driver opens up about being 'trapped' in job

https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/tees ... e-15716811

He's calling for a cap on private hire taxis, claiming Teesside's roads are overrun and drivers are struggling to pay the bills

A Teesside taxi driver has called for a cap on private hire vehicles - saying he has to work a 40-hour a week before earning a single penny.

Private hire firms are flooding Teesside's roads with cars, sending drivers "spiralling into debt as they struggle to make ends meet", he has claimed.

The driver from Middlesbrough, who did not want to be named for fear of losing his job, said he's had a black eye and been beaten by passengers over the years, battling depression as he feels stuck in a job that pays a pittance.

He's calling for a limit on the number of licences issued - but Middlesbrough Council says there is no current legislation to enforce such a cap.

'I pay £70 before getting into the car'

The driver said: "I have to do a 70-odd hour shift just to make a couple of hundred pounds.

"The first 41 hours, you give it to the company. I pay £65 to £70 a day before I even get in the car.

"The car costs £260 in rent. The licence is £300 every three years.

"It's £120 in diesel a week. You're out doing six to 12 hour shifts and still not covering your money."

But the driver said there's "no unity", and although others are angry "nobody sticks together".

He added: "So what can you do? You just have to plod on.

"It stresses me out, there's no other job out there where you have to work 40 hours for them rather than yourself.

"We don't get sick pay, holidays, I could quit the job but what would I do.

"The council gets money for every car on the road, they should stop issuing badges but it's business for them.

"Middlesbrough doesn't need any more drivers."

'Druggies', threats and black eyes

Working on the taxis can be "scary" he added, especially after he was assaulted by a group of men to avoid paying a fare.

"I've had a black eye, been beaten up - I thought 'I'm not going to see morning'.

"Two lads got in once, high as kites - one was messing about with the radio turning the music up.

"I pushed their hand away and said 'can you not do that' and he said 'I'll break your neck'.

"The next fare you pick up could be a druggie and you're taking them on their drug run. You feel like you're in with them, it's depressing.

"Each firm is trying to beat the other so they won't put their fares up. They are all the same.

"They're not there for the drivers, just to make money for themselves."

Relying on tips

Customers are aware of the issues and sympathise with drivers, he added.

The driver claimed that some customers over-tip, as they realise the fares are too low.

He said: "Someone last week gave me a £5 tip on a £7 fare. He said 'look I know it should be more'.

"Drivers are getting into debt, they can't pay their rent - they get stuck in the job and can't get out.

"It's true that the poor get poorer.

"If you talk to them, they're stressed and say 'I can't go home, I won't get paid at all'.

"Someone needs to wake up and do something about it."

No laws to limit numbers

We put the driver's claims to Middlesbrough Council.

A spokesman for the authority said: "The present legislation does not allow local authorities to limit the number of private hire vehicles, however we do limit the number of hackney vehicles unless they are the purpose built wheelchair accessible type."

There are currently around 190 hackney vehicles and 70 wheelchair accessible hackney vehicles in Middlesbrough, they added.

I can agree with some of that.
Overall costs just to come out to work are £60 a day, at the moment mid-week I'm lucky to just cover that amount.

Everyone's making money out of this except me - the base, insurance company, oil companies. It seems I'm only making money for them sometimes.
Did £100 on Saturday night, after I took off fuel, a packet of fags, a sandwich and drink, credit card payments I had £30 cash left ! All in all for 8 hours work after expenses I made a profit of £40.

Working all night for £10, being robbed and dealing with 'runners' - taxi drivers on stresses of job

https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/tees ... d-15742193

They are backing one driver's calls for a cap on private hire badges after he told how he works 40 hours just to break even

More taxi drivers on Teesside have opened up about the stress of the job "making them ill" - from working all night for a tenner to being robbed and dealing with "runners".

They are backing a driver's calls to cap the number of private hire badges on Teesside's roads, after he revealed how he was spiralling into debt and struggling to feed his family.

The driver, who did not want to be named, told how he works 40 hours just to break even as more private hire drivers are flooding the roads and getting caught in the poverty trap.

Drivers - and those who have left the industry - have posted on Teesside Live to show their support.

And others have called taxis the 'fourth emergency service' for 'keeping the country running'.

Gary Sturman said: "I'm a taxi driver and have to work 70 hours a week, seven days a week.

"I have two little kids and a house to run it, costs me £370 just to keep the car on the road each week but you have to just get on with it at the end of the day. Ya not happy, move on and find an other job."

One ex-driver said: "Dreadful job. You get the taxi company telling you to take 'flagdowns', the council telling you not to and trying to catch you out.

"I got robbed once, I had numerous 'runners'.

"In my day you could work all night and take home a tenner. Since then they brought in the minimum wage but they get round this by making you 'self employed'."

Another ex-driver said leaving the industry 15 years ago was the "best thing he ever did".

"Unless you're part of a big firm you're wasting your breath because they poach off the streets and there are more taxis when the nightclubs kick out than what there are people.

"Plus no one flags taxis anymore through the day they book them."

Another poster added: "It's a nightmare my partner is a taxi driver and he did 47 hours the other week and we still had to put in over £100 ourselves.

"We thought it would be the best job for him as he could work around emergencies with [his daughter] but its made us both ill and cost us a small fortune in the process."

Another poster said their partner was "in the same boat".

"I cant wait till this taxi is bought he might be a little better off or least he can look for another job he’s tied in buying the car he’s drained day in day out."

Another poster questioned whether the job was so bad, posting: "Would love to sit in my car all day nice and warm listing to music and get paid for it. Every single job out there has its stresses...no difference here."

To which someone responded: "No stress? I was robbed once and had numerous 'runners'."

One Teesside Live reader said: "I think of taxi companies (also bus and train to an extent) and their drivers as the fourth emergency service.

"Over worked, long hours. The majority provide an excellent service and keep the country running by getting people to school, work, hospitals and anywhere in between.

"It's a shame to read this and see how much they struggle to make ends meet."

Another added: "It should be paid like any other job out there and at end of every month or week they're getting a decent wage paid and scrap all this rent a taxi malarkey!

"Going out to work 40 hours + a week to fill the owners pockets and leaving yourself worn out stressed and depressed over not making ends meet, to get back out there the next day and that’s without paying your own bills."

And one supporter added: "So true, public don't appreciate what taxi drivers have to pay out to get them from a to b and back, feel so sad for this driver."

Is that the fault of the trade, or the fault of the PH spivs and plate barons?

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IDFIMH

Depending on the outcome of the Uber Supreme Court hearing, the above might well be a thing of the past.

Especially to those drivers renting vehicles from operators.

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IDFIMH

I must be clearly doing something wrong. Our drivers pay 50 pence for every mile that they drive. They have no other expenses. We still have a couple who moan at that. We just tell them that if they can get a better deal elsewhere then go for it. About 3 years ago they did try another company. One was back after 2 days and the other lasted nearly a week before he came back. We have a couple of other drivers at the moment who are thinking of getting their own cars. I have told them to go for it if it is what they want. At the moment they are looking at around £400 per week to buy the car, insure it and fill it with fuel. That is before they have to service and maintain the vehicles. At the moment one of them has school runs with us that gross £711 per week and the other has school runs that gross £345 per week. I really don't know how they would cope without those runs.

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Grandad,

As the previous generation of cab drivers said you will never be a rich man in this game but you can always buy a loaf of bread!.the running costs of hack or ph are just uneconomic to make a sizeable profit.And those who run for less than £1.90 per mile are 'thick'!

this trade is full of people who think it's clever to keep undercutting one another and councils who like it that way cheap fares for their electorate and a nice big fat license fee for them

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

To a degree I agree, but also the trade is full of people who's greed knows no end in respect of draining as much cash from those in the trade who are less fortunate.

Crazy rents from plate barons or spivs are the norm all over the country, leading to drivers never having the means to buy and run their own vehicles. I know people paying, with fuel and insurance, £500 + week for hackneys and £350 for PH.

No-one, other than the barons and spivs, will ever make a long term living out of those numbers.

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IDFIMH

I wonder if there is a case for claiming "modern day slavery"?

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Grandad,

Yes, and no doubt the council will be training them to look for it some time soon

I suppose at any time drivers can leave and work elsewhere, so I doubt a case for modern slavery could be laid.

But in reality many drivers are stuck in a horrid circle of having to work crazy hours just to get a wage.

Albeit a less than 'minimum wage' wage.

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IDFIMH