Taxi Driver Online

Taxi drivers face airport trade charge Nov 15 2006




By Michelle Fiddler, Liverpool Echo


HACKNEY cab drivers will have topay £6.85 a day to ply for hire outside Liverpool's John Lennon airport.

The new permit scheme, which will be limited to ensure enough demand and business for drivers, will be introduced from January 2007.

Drivers will also be expected to participate in 08 Welcome and Welcome International short courses before Capital of Culture Year in 2008.

Airport officials hope the move will "raise standards" for the thousands of passengers visiting the region through the airport.

But union officials today said the new charge of £2,400 a year could signal the end of some driver's livelihoods.






The extra money is linked to provision of new driver facilities and a rest area.


Each vehicle will be charged an annual fee, equal to £6.85 per day, for a permit for seven days a week.


An airport spokesman said: "Liverpool is one of the few UK airports not to charge hackney carriage vehicles for the use of its taxi rank and hence access to over 4.5m airport users per year.


"The charging structure is similar to other airports, rail stations and ferry ports."


But Tommy McIntyre, T&G convener for hackney cab drivers, said: "Drivers are not going to pay that. They already pay to be licensed by Liverpool city council.


"It's a lot of money and they are being told they have to go on training courses as well."


The airport has appointed Passenger Transport Solutions Limited to implement the permit scheme.

Revenue raising exersize

CC

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

What could the airport do if no one bought a permit, all it would need is for the city council to put a rank near but not on the airport land, then the airport could be left in the mire

So just like other Railway stns it will be limited to the few, I hear that York Stn permits are to be trimmed, 10 permit holders are going to be turned away on permit renewals next year, the greedy get more greedy

the Airport quotes 4.5 million passengers pass through every year, do they really think 4.5 million take taxis

Their playing up now but wait and see how many go for it, nah what 6 odd quid a day, some will say, maybe the Council will let them have a meter rise to off set the charges

It's going to be limited to ensure there's enough demand.

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IDFIMH

Well don't pay it then.

Of course the likes of Checkers, Airport Carzs, Delta etc wont mind one little bit if they have to take over the contract.

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IDFIMH

Drivers are talking boycott ,blockade. Tommy is well out of his depth . There are even some saying, what the airport are doing is illegal . streetcars

I have been told Manchester airport charge £275 per year . Liverpool want £2400 if true . Some one is taking the [edited by admin] BIG TIME. Perhaps the Captain would phone Tommy and give him the benifit of his advice ,as Tommy as usual , has not got a clue.

I think your right, loads of places, super markets , stations, etc will be looking at this , if the airport get away with this. They will all be at it .

There was a meeting today between the Liverpool cab trade and P T M I think they are called , I have been told the answer was No from the trade , they were also told that Manchester's fees from next year would be going to the same figure.

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

Let's hope they do, or don't do (depending on ones view), a Watford.

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IDFIMH

Now that is professional fence sitting



I can hear the tendor papers being ruffled at this very minute



I dropped an email

CC

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

I did actually state this last month.

Its nice to see we are ahead of the game but the permit charge seems a little OTT, therefore I am keeping an open mind about that figure being correct? The article does suggest that it is the vehicle that is being charged and not each individual driver therefore considering the Liverpool cab trades insistance that all vehicles are double shifted, means the charge will be split between two drivers.

http://taxi-driver.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=4696

Regards

JD

As usual Mr T you are correct there was a dissision, to reject the permits at the mass meeting at Liverpool airport. The rumours are that if; the owners of Liverpool Airport do not capitulate. There will be a Lime street station, type blockade, boycott. That was well before my time. But I would ask you, would that work in 2006?.

It's Liverpool, those people tend to stick together.

CC

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