Anonymous wrote:
Mr Pickering said drivers had joined the group for the initial free period but some had left when rental charges had kicked in.
Wot a surprise, drivers well happy when its free, but not so when its not.
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| Zingo's not buzzing, surprise surprise. http://www.taxi-driver.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=683 |
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| Author: | Guest [ Fri Jun 11, 2004 7:40 am ] |
| Post subject: | Zingo's not buzzing, surprise surprise. |
Driver shortage takes toll on Manganese Bronze Manganese Bronze, the manufacturer of London taxis, has been hit by a shortfall of recruits in recent months as its Zingo cab-ordering business has failed to attract sufficient new drivers. The group yesterday cautioned on profits for the second time in three months, causing the shares to fall 19p to 206½p. Manganese's Zingo business, which allows customers to call a taxi from their mobile phones anywhere in the capital, has not achieved the growth levels that had been hoped for. "We haven't been able to grow the fleet of drivers to sufficiently meet the demand," said Ian Pickering, chief executive. The group also said that taxi sales to the US had been hit by the weakness of the dollar against the pound. Manganese was expected to return to profit this year following losses of about £10m last time. But a warning in March, fuelled by the lossmaking Zingo business, prompted analysts to downgrade forecasts to losses of about £1m. Losses in the year to July are now estimated to be about £2m. Mr Pickering said drivers had joined the group for the initial free period but some had left when rental charges had kicked in. The number of drivers has remained at approximately 1,200 as new recruits have been offset by those who have left the business. "We experienced a lull over the New Year holiday as business people were away on holiday but this didn't bounce back in the way we expected," added Mr Pickering. He thought drivers might have been deterred by the group's payment structure. At other radio taxi groups, fares can often be paid through accounts and the driver is remunerated by the company. But at Zingo, drivers take passengers' fares and then get charged for rental by the group. "There is a perception that taxi drivers are a traditional group of people," said Mr Pickering. "It could be difficult to persuade [them] to take up new products and services." But he added that the Zingo model, which was launched in April last year, could bring in a significant amount of extra work for drivers. It offers passengers the opportunity to call a taxi in safety and comfort, rather than going to the kerbside, he said. The group has completed its restructuring of its Zingo operations, which has halved the rate of monthly expenditure. |
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| Author: | Guest [ Fri Jun 11, 2004 7:41 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Zingo's not buzzing, surprise surprise. |
Anonymous wrote: Mr Pickering said drivers had joined the group for the initial free period but some had left when rental charges had kicked in.
Wot a surprise, drivers well happy when its free, but not so when its not.
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| Author: | Sussex [ Fri Jun 11, 2004 7:28 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
I expect if the black cabs boys blank it, then it will be offered to the LPH boys. |
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