Taxi Driver Online

I think I should say from the outset, I have no objection to anyone entering the trade in Carlisle on a freely issued license, provided they are suitably qualified and license a vehicle that conforms with the criteria as laid down by the licensing authority.

What I do have reservations about is the thinking that delimitation of number will actually improve anything.

As the majority of newly licensed hackney carriages are basically a straightforward switch from private hire, people need to realise that human nature cannot be changed and former private hire drivers will tend to work ranks during busy periods as opposed to the radio systems. Although this is not always the case.

As radio systems find less cars working the system, this actually means that private hire become less effective and the service deteriorates.

I have found, certainly in my area, that the service performed by licensed vehicles of all descriptions is worse now than before.

It has been our experience here, that 10 years on from delimitation, the total number of licensed vehicles has actually decreased in number, it is our contention that delimitation, in the manner our LA did it, has been a failure. A failure to such a degree that it will take many years for the trade to recover.

Regards

Captain cab

It will take many years to recover in some parts of the country, you can't double the amount of Taxis and expect the same amount of work to be there because it won't be. Amber Valley who are a big distrct have only just delimited a few months and their quality of work has dropped already. Only the other day I was talking to an operator over there who has a number of cars and his bookings are down 20% on this time last year due to the number of Taxis appearing on the streets.

I can say that is exactly what I've tried to tell people is happening to me as a private hire driver, pity that everyone was to concerned about who I am and not listening to what I'm saying.

Merry Xmas everyone

Charlie

i think we agree



especially on that

regards

Captain cab

I think if we delimit the problem wont be to few cabs but too many.

Spot on

Well the choice for the individual driver should be paramount over those who think they should dictate to others how they should go about their business.

Your argument might have some merit if your mindset wasn't stuck in medieval times or wherever.

Surely equality shouldn't be sacrificed just because some people don't like the results?

[edited by admin], pillock, thinly-veiled bad language - oh dear, it's easy to know when people are loosing the argument.

Don't you mean LONGER??

But in any case, I think your second point is where you fall down - you say NONE of the new cabs would be working, which probably means 'some'.

Of course some cabs won't be working at night, but you only need a few more to increase supply.

After all, the OFT did say that in de-limited areas supply increased at ALL times, and I can't recall anyone disputing this.

Eh?

For a start, equality is not within the OFT's remit - they deal with competition and consumer issues.

But they did say:

[Restrictions] impede those wanting to become taxi drivers from
doing so.

The Govt said:

The Government...considers that it is detrimental to to those seeking entry to a market (in this case would-be taxi license holders) if it restricted without justification that is apparent to all.

And also:

The Government considers that it is wrong in principle to restrict entry into a market and refuse a taxi license to those who can meet all the local requirements to hold such a license.

If that's not saying that drivers should be afforded equal opportunities, then I don't know what they would have to say!!

Anyway, even if something is not specifically mentioned then that does not lessen its specific importance as an issue, surely?

Ask the T&G what they think of equality, but I doubt if you'll get an answer, at least with regard to the taxi trade.

That's because they're hypocrites, who prefer not to mention equality when it doesn't suit them

Same with many MPs.

But then again, some just don't have a clue about the trade.

But either way, it doesn't mean the equality argument isn't relevant, surely?

Well I'm not bothered about anonymity or pseudonyms, but if someone is using them in an underhand manner then I think they should be exposed. As I said before, I spent a lot of time answering Charlie's initial posts when I, in good faith, genuinely thought he was a new member.
But then I concluded that it was in fact the same old person with the same old arguments and me wasting time with the same old replies.

I'm still convinced you're Mick, but I'm not really all that bothered who you post as, but it would have been nice if you had let us know, at least privately. Remember that as administrators we have access to more info than the members see about who is posting what etc.

Same with Nidge and Alf Richardson, who he seems to have bizarrely resurrected recently

And if Mick specialises in fake tans these days then I doubt if a fake identity on here would be any problem

I agree that this can be a problem, but in my experience it just happens where offices have insufficient control over drivers, but even if they go AWOL when the ranks are busy, they have no hesitation in keeping them in work at other times.

It's the money, see

Hmmm.

There always seems to be a couple of main arguments that seem to be fundamentally contradictory.

First, former PH won't do radio work so that is neglected, and second, that the ranks get neglected as well!

What I can't understand about the first argument in particular is how in places like my manor, Lewes in Sussex and the Sage of Essex's (that's Andy7 for the uninitiated!) gaffe, the trade manages to service the pre-booked market with barely any PH at all.

Probably because the vast majority of taxis are servicing the pre-booked market as well as the ranks. And it's not just smaller locations either - remember our old friends Falkirk, Dundee and Aberdeen that seem to get by with minimal PH - however do they manage?

It's the good old question of supply and demand if you ask me - if too many drivers are doing rank work only, and if pre-booked work is unserviced, then the advantage of pre-booked work will be too tempting and more drivers will join offices, and a balance will be struck at some point.

As for the other argument about not being able to get a taxi late at night, I'm just not convinced that delimitation per se makes this worse, as some seem to claim.

For example, if we all agree that the job is becoming more of a pain at night, then there are bound to be fewer taxis working as effectively we need to be paid more to do it. Thus availability late at night may be getting worse in some places, but I really can't see de-limitation as being the direct cause of this.

There are so many factors to consider, such as licensing hours, which has changed to demand profile significantly in my manor - more pubs opening later has merged two busyish periods into one even busier one.

Another factor in this could be the WAV question - if saloon areas have to go all WAV then the cost will mean less taxis on the streets, no doubt. Unless, perhaps it's a restricted area with a tight quota.

Wasn't, for example, Aberdeen showing SUD but no bugger wanted plates because the only option was WAV?

Interesting, but there are so many factors to consider. For example, wasn't that about the time of a recession - there will generally be less cabs around during better economic times, such as the good economic conditions in more recent times.

In what way do you think it's been a failure? If there are less vehicles then presumably from the trade's narrow financial persepctive it must have been a success?