Taxi Driver Online

This drones on slightly


Taxis getting charges for jobs at hotel near Brighton Station

https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/1973974 ... n-station/


Image: The Argus

CABBIES picking up customers from a hotel have been hit with fines after getting caught by a camera set-up to monitor the taxi rank at the nearby railway station.

Taxi drivers says they face "ridiculous" charges after being called to collect guests from the Jury's Inn hotel, which is just behind the station in Brighton.

They have been snapped by a camera which was recently activated to stop cabs without a license from waiting in the taxi rank on Stroudley Road.

The Argus has been told that taxi drivers have started to reject jobs at the hotel for fear of getting caught by the automatic numberplate recognition (ANPR) technology.

Southern Rail, which manages the station, is looking to make changes amid complaints from Brighton and Hove Cab Trade Association (BHCTA).

Andrew Peters, representative for BHCTA, said: “People are saying they have now got this parking ticket when dropping off at the Jury’s Inn when they’re just doing their job.

“This is a ridiculous situation where drivers are trying to do their job, especially after the pandemic, and now they are being penalised. It’s not as if they are obstructing the rank.


Image: The Argus

“All cab drivers know that if you haven’t got a permit there, you can’t use the rank. I don’t have a permit myself, but if I was to drop off at the hotel, I’d then carry on and turn around at the roundabout where the taxi rank is and come back out again."

The association say that around ten of its members have received charges when entering the area in the last two weeks, despite claiming that they did not stop in the taxi rank.

Marc Venturi, a taxi driver for Brighton and Hove Radio Cabs, said he received a charge when picking up some guests at the hotel.

He says he never stopped in a taxi rank despite his penalty charge notice stating the reason for his charge was “use of taxi rank without a valid authorised license".

Mr Venturi added that the time from arriving at the hotel to leaving with the passengers was three minutes.

However, the company will be looking into moving the ANPR camera forward and having two bays for picking up and dropping off outside the hotel.

Chris Fowler, Customer Services Director at Southern, said: “We understand people’s concerns and actually made these changes in response to taxi drivers telling us it’s unfair that some cabbies are using the rank without paying the licence fee.

“The camera is positioned at the entrance to Stroudley Road because the taxi rank runs its entire length on the opposite side of the road from the hotel and so anyone entering the area could be using the rank.


Image: The Argus

“All of Stroudley Road is railway property and there are very large and clear signs warning drivers they’re entering a controlled zone for which they need a licence.

“In light of the issues highlighted, we’ve already been in contact with the hotel to discuss a solution that would move the camera forward to create two dedicated bays outside the hotel.”

"Meanwhile, drivers without a licence can stop in the car park opposite for up to 20 minutes.

"If anyone has been issued with a Penalty Notice they feel is unjustified, they should follow APCOA's appeals process detailed on the notice so their individual circumstances can be looked into."

Part of the problem is kind of self-inflicted.

The rank was moved to the back of the station, and the lads who pay a king's ransom (over £900 a year) to ply at the back got the hump when non-permit holders were dropping and grabbed a fare when there was a queue. They were also miffed off at the number of Uber vehicles waiting nearby.

However the numpties from the station put the camera about 200 yards further up the road. Hence the problem is when drivers are picking up and dropping off at the hotel.

In short all of them are as thick as pigs s***.

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IDFIMH

Obviously this HCD thinks the issue is more about non-permit cars grabbing fares rather than being wrongly penalised when doing hotel jobs. Who to believe?


Cabbie does not want camera moved at Brighton Station taxi rank

https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/1974690 ... taxi-rank/

A CABBIE says taxi drivers without permits are “stealing” work from those who pay to use the Brighton Station rank.

Cameras were put up as a deterrant to anyone without a permit for the taxi rank in Stroudley Road, next to the station.

The cameras were recently activated, with some drivers complaining of getting charged when picking up from the Jury's Inn hotel, which is on the rank.

But one taxi driver said the cameras should be left where they are to protect the 80 drivers who pay for their permit at the rank - and that he is losing business as a result.

Southern Rail, which manages Brighton Station, said the cameras are in place to protect taxi drivers with a permit for the taxi rank and encouraged all drivers without a permit to use the nearby multi-storey car park, which is free for 20 minutes.

But it will also consider moving the camera forward and having an allocated pick up and drop off spot outside the hotel to prevent drivers being charged when going to jobs at the hotel.

The cabbie, who runs his own independent taxi business, thinks the cameras should remain.

He said: “They wanted to stop accidents that were happening, but also to stop those who don’t have permits coming on to the site and stealing work as it were.

“If you’re sitting there for a couple of hours, as we have been during Covid, waiting for a job and someone takes work away from you, it’s very annoying.

“That’s really what the issue is, health and safety and to stop people procuring work without authorisation."

The cabbie said he pays £915 a year for use of the rank and that others entering it should pay that too.

He also encouraged people staying in the Jury’s Inn behind the station to use taxis with rank permits.

His comments came after complaints from taxi drivers and the Brighton and Hove Cab Trade Association, which said its members were being wrongly fined for picking up people from the Jury’s Inn.

They argue they should not be punished for answering calls to pick up people from outside the hotel, which they are allowed to do.

Despite this, the cabbie rejected calls to move the camera.

He said: “I don’t think the camera should be moved. It covers the front entrance of the rank and drivers who come on to the rank who don’t have a permit.

“The hotel is on the rank so, for people who want a taxi, there are 80 cars that have permits.

“That’s what it’s all about, people being caught out. People have been doing it for over a year now, ignored the signs and camera. Now all of a sudden because the camera has come live, there are protests.”

Indeed, keep those pesky Brighton PHDs away from the ranks, even if it's a hotel drop or pre-booking

So this f***ing numpty is happy for all his fellow cab drivers to get tickets when they are doing no more than dropping customers at the hotel of their choice. Which is about 50 yards away from the rank.

I suspect he is one of the many f***ing numpties whose actions at the front of the station (blocking the whole area by over ranking) led to the powers that be moving the rank to the rear. Which has significantly dented their income.

I also suspect he is one of the many f***ing numpties whose actions by refusing to take card payments has led to most of the customers coming off the train booking cars via apps.

No wonder he didn't put his name behind his views.

Maybe someone who knows a little bit about taxi law should remind this f***ing numpty that the rank he sits on is not an official rank, therefore every time he ranks there he is in breach of his license by not returning to an official rank when free.

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IDFIMH

If it was just that it would make sense, although all of the previous post still applies, but he is also happy for his fellow taxi drivers to kop a ticket too.

The thing is that the approved drop-off point is via the car park (no charge for 20 minutes), which is about 5 yards from the rank.

So if anyone wants to ply illegally they can.

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IDFIMH

Below is a rather iffy picture, but the yellow line is the rank (not approved as I mentioned above).

The very top of the road is where the hotel and CCTV are, just outside of the picture. In other words way way way away from the rank.

The official drop-off, for private cars, PH and hackneys is as I said about 5 yards from the front of the taxi rank in the station carpark next to the disabled bays.

upload picture for free

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IDFIMH