Taxi Driver Online

Cabbies tut-tut over tuk-tuk taxis

The bitter dispute between tuk-tuks and taxis is set to intensify after it emerged the three-wheelers are to operate as a dial-and-ride service. Europe's first fleet of motorised rickshaws has run on a bus network with set stops until now but the firm behind the tuk-tuks has now been granted a license allowing passengers to be picked up and dropped off anywhere in the city.

The change means the vehicles will pose a direct threat to the business of cab firms operating across Brighton and Hove. Taxi drivers who have vigorously fought the quirky mode of transport all the way to a tribunal yesterday reacted angrily to the news.

And city council leader Simon Burgess added weight to the dissenting voices by questioning the safety of the three-wheelers as a de facto taxi service. Councillor Burgess said: "I will campaign to get the regulations changed if they are going to run a service like this."

Taxi driver of the year Damian Norman said: "Once this becomes public knowledge that they are coming back with this service people will be getting even more irate about it."

GMB member Mick Doyle, a Brighton taxi driver, added: "We are worried about safety and that the tuk-tuks are going through the back door to get a taxi service."

TucTuc Ltd has been granted a flexible bus licence to run Tuc Freedom Ride from May 23 which allows the rickshaws to carry passengers who have booked in advance. Firm director Dominic Ponniah has refused to reveal plans for the new service.

But The Argus has obtained details of the outfit from the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency which show that the service is licensed for 24 hours a day Monday to Saturday, except Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

The flexible licence means the tuk-tuks could pick people up from established stops once they have booked and drop them home, or vice-versa, or run a completely flexible service collecting and driving passengers to and from anywhere within the city.

The service could run up to six of its new six-seater rickshaws and eight of its original tuk-tuks. Payment is made at a fix rate, like a bus, so a vehicle which collects three people travelling to the same destination and charges them £4 each cannot charge two people £6 each.

All seats must also be available to the public so a policy of "no sharing" is not allowed. The tuk-tuks cannot be hailed on the street but it is possible for bookings to be made after it has left the depot.

TucTuc Ltd's original bus service was met by strong opposition from taxi firms which complained the rickshaws were flouting the terms of their licence and were unsafe. The campaign led to a tribunal which found the three-wheelers had been missing their timetable and fined the firm £16,000. This was reduced to £8,000 on appeal.

But the latest revelation is sure to raise the dispute to a new level and Terry Flanagan, secretary of the professional drivers branch with GMB, vowed to use the union's legal team to fight the plans.

He said: "We think it is wrong that in civilised society this type of vehicle should be allowed to carry passengers. "We could look to launch a campaign to advise people not to get into one of these death traps." He added he was concerned that drivers may not be fully vetted like taxi drivers.

Coun Burgess said the tuk-tuks were a great addition to the city but added he had raised concerns about the licence with the Government. He said: "I do not understand how the tuk-tuks can have a service when there is very little difference with taxis. "They are a great addition to the seafront offer and I think they have been good for the city.

"But I do not like the idea of drunk people getting into a tuk-tuk at night and falling out or causing the driver problems. "We have a high-quality taxi service in the city and I do not think tuk-tuks should be able to compete with them without meeting their standards."

TucTuc Ltd director Dominic Ponniah said he would be releasing full details of the service in early May, when the three-wheelers return after a five-month break.

He said: "TucTuc Ltd can today confirm they have applied to the South-Eastern and Metropolitan Traffic Commissioner to register their new Brighton service. "The application has been approved and the new service will commence on 23 May 2007."

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IDFIMH

If anyone would like to know Tuk Tuks are operating a flexi-bus route, and if you think we have too many rules and regulations then read what they have to adhere to.

http://www.taxi-driver.co.uk/Tuktukrules.doc

That said, they make for those rules by having next to no rules for the vehicles and no rules for the drivers.

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IDFIMH

The council put a copy of that up in the station.

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Unmet demand you're having a laugh

I think I've mentioned this before but a guy in Scotland got a licence to do pillion passenger tours through the Highlands on a motorbike.

The fact is these vehicles are passed roadworthy and the customer has a choice. I don't really see how you can stop them.

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All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.
George Orwell, "Animal Farm"

IF THE COUNCIL IN BRIGHTON HAD DEREGULATED OR DELIMITED
A FEW YEARS BACK WOULD BRIGHTON BE IN THIS POSITION OF TUK TUKS RUNNING AROUND.IT JUST OPENS DOORS FOR OTHER FORMS OF TRANSPORT TO COME INTO BRIGHTON.I THINK THERE HERE TO STAY UNLESS THEY DO SOMETHINK REALLY STUPID.IS THE TAXI TRADE ACTIVE AND IS THERE AN ASSOCIATION DEALING WITH THIS PROBLEM .

you spelled hear wrong

CC

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

With this thread in mind, I think I have found positive proof of political influence;




New Labour; New Danger

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

I havenot seen any yet,

Has anyone got news about them as I thought they started this week.

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Unmet demand you're having a laugh

Surprised you haven't seen any yet.

http://www.theargus.co.uk/search/displa ... uktuks.php

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IDFIMH

Ive seen 2.

One ranked by the coffee shop in the marian and one with people in dropping the station.

Not seen any rank at the station yet like they did before.

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Unmet demand you're having a laugh

Having spoken to the chaps in the know I can assure you Mr Downtown that everything is in hand. In fact for the first time in my life I was quite impressed.

I think the council are also looking into the touting going on, but it appears the B&H taxi/PH trade are very much on the ball over this issue.

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IDFIMH

Which pillock wrote the touting laws?

Under section 167 (4) of the 1994 Crime Act;

It is a defence for the accused to show that he was soliciting for passengers for public service vehicles on behalf of the holder of a PSV operator's licence for those vehicles whose authority he had at the time of the alleged offence.

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IDFIMH

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IDFIMH

Don't worry the Tinkering brigade know what they are doing? lol

Regards

JD

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Copyright notice © The contents of this post are copyright of JD and are not to be reproduced outside of TDO without written permission.

I take it they're not going for the executive market

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