Taxi Driver Online

Nothing new here, except it's from the perspective of nighttime economy businesses which think the shortage is losing them customers

But looks like the bus service was used previously rather than something new this year, atlhough it's portrayed here as addressing the current 'shortage'.


Oswestry taxi shortage harming night-time economy

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-s ... e-59185677


Image: Gary Brennan/BBC

Business owners in Oswestry say a lack of taxis in the town is ruining the night-time economy.

Publicans and restaurateurs believe people are not coming into town in the evening because they cannot guarantee they can get home again.

Drivers not returning after the pandemic and wheelchair access have been cited as contributing factors.

A night-time bus service will run throughout December to help ease the problem over Christmas.

Gary Brennan runs The Griffin Inn in the town and says that the taxi issues are having an effect on his business.

"We had some people from Four Crosses, they tried getting a taxi home at 20:30, called about 10 taxi companies - no taxis, he said.

"They had to call a taxi to come from Welshpool. It's killing the night-time economy in Oswestry."

The Oswestry Business Improvement (BID) will be running a night time bus service on Friday and Saturday nights throughout December in a hope to ease the taxi shortage and boost the town's economy at a key time of year.

The bus service was first used in 2019 as part of the organisation's Get Home Safe scheme.

Customers will just have to wait, or prebook with the fella who took them to the venue.

But if they want to use a bus, good luck to them.

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IDFIMH

A few years ago after Chester races, one of our guys had a job to Oswestry. At the time it was a £50 fare. The driver got the money upfront from the two lads and off they went. Arriving at the start of town the two lads were fast asleep, he stopped and woke them up and asked where they needed to be, one lad said he felt sick and needed to get out, the driver unlocked the doors and the two lads bolted out the cab like Gazelles and ran off down an alleyway, they’d forgot they’d already paid! The driver got out to shut the door and there, on the back seat was one of the lads wallets containing £60 in cash as well as his cards and driving license. The driver, being a bit put out that they were willing to do a runner, pocketed the cash and posted the wallet through a bank which the lad had a debit card for.

When you say "pocketed" you mean "stole".

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Grandad,

Yes, his thinking was if they were willing to leave him out of pocket by £50 he had no qualms about leaving them out of pocket either. I’m inclined to agree with him.