Taxi Driver Online

We are being driven out of business, claim Carlisle taxi drivers


http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/1.239999

Taxi drivers in Carlisle have spoken of how the credit crunch has hit the city’s once booming nightlife as more people stay at home.

Taxi drivers in Carlisle say business is plummeting They say making a living is getting harder as the effects of fuel price rises and the deepening economic gloom hit home.

Taxi drivers fear they may have also lost business through the introduction of free bus travel for pensioners. Some are also blaming the effects of the ban on smoking in public places.

Stuart Curtis, 33, who has lived in the city since 1992, said: “Carlisle’s a one-night-a-week town now.

“I used to go out in Carlisle myself and Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights used to be heaving. Now it’s only busy one night a week.

“I think more and more people are just staying at home.

“People used to queue down the road and on to Crosby Street to get into Buskers but now in the week Carlisle’s like a ghost town. It’s a real shame.

“It’s a struggle for taxi drivers and it’s only a matter of time before the number of taxis reduces.”

Chris Bray, a taxi driver for the last 12 years, said: “The night life in this city has just about halved in the last 12 months.

“Takings are down between 30 and 40 per cent, and I think the reasons are the smoking ban and the credit crunch.

“The smoking ban hit us and now it’s the credit crunch: people aren’t moving house, can’t get mortgages, and they’re spending less on going out.

“It used to be busy on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, but now it’s just Saturdays, but even that isn’t that busy any more.

“Even on a Saturday night now, you can sit for an hour waiting for a job.”

Wayne Casey, chairman of the Carlisle Taxi Association, said price rises and free bus travel for pensioners have probably had an effect on the amount of trade.

He added: “It’s certainly quieter than it has been.

“I don’t think things have picked up since Christmas.”

In recent months, Carlisle has seen a number of nightspots in the city close as they compete for trade.

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

Doomed I tell you.

Doomed.

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IDFIMH

Are you in practice for a role in Dad's Army?

CC

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

Dont tell him your name Sussex

Don`t panic Mr.Mannering,sir,
don`t panic.

vot iz yor name?

dont tell em your name pike


i vill hav salt unt vinegar


absolute classic tv comedy

BB eat your heart out

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

100% correct, we are lucky we dont have any local night buses but the pubs are dead due to the smoking ban and many pubs have closed because of it

To make matters worse I'll kick him playing football tommorrow

CC

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

In all it's classic glory.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=pwldGmw4yDo

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IDFIMH

Shouldn't that be Mainwaring?

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Grandad,

Stupid Boy

Id Agree, thats the bloody annoying part, the Harder things are getting due to the Credit crunch and a Reccession the more the EU and UK governments compound the issue by ever Increasing bans on that, this and the next thing.....this on top of more rules and regulations that seem to spew out of the EU and UK bodies just about bleed us dry.

Surely in times of Austerity this kind of over regulation and needless bans should be relaxed in order to kick start the economy. For example,do we really need men and women to get a years Maternity leave, or the Temp help to get a full holiday entitlement, or the Struggling Minibus driver needing to fork out £1250 on Re training even though he past a bloody Minibus test to prove he could drive one. no..times are hard and we dont need this never ending crap, and the first political party that sees common sense on this Nanny nation will get my vote. lets go back to the Days when we could call a spade a spade without fear of being racist or the time when we could all enjoy Gay abandon without being seen to be Homophobic...

please...lets get back to normality.

Now that IS being racist and you should be ashamed to use language like this.

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Grandad,

Perhaps he's referring to an offer that's on at Homebase?

Or a shovel?

CC

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