Taxi Driver Online

Quoted from this months Private Hire & Taxi Monthly;

"I have to say that the response from the private hire trade (to the OfT report) has been minimal and sketchy.

It may well be the case that many private hire firms do not wish to operate in the same way as taxis. Indeed, a few of our members have said. "We have enough work to cope with, without having cars that can suddenly respond to a flagdown and not be available to pick up customers who have pre-booked."

Well why has there not been a positive response from the PH trade? Especially to a trade newspaper that is called Privae Hire & Taxi Monthly. Can someone tell me as I am extremely surprised that there is seems to be no printed proof that the ph sector support the Oft report. Apart from all the hot air blowing around.

Unless someone knows better?

Private Hire Operators in restricted areas will surely be as much against the proposals as Hackney drivers.

Last thing the short ones will want is their best drivers being able to say 'up yours Guv, Im off down the rank with my new plate'.

Those that are more forward thinking will realise that a more balanced spread between hack and PH will be to the benefit of everybody.

I see the brighton cartel have ganged together again.
They all sit around the table.
They carve up the work. You do one major account I will do the other.
You do one freephone at a shop. I will do the other.
If the oft wanted to look at curruption then brighton is the place to be.
As the advert says.

I understand that there is an agreement in Brighton to block Medigen from operating within the city. which is why the Joint Trade Committee works.

I also understand that there is an agreement to not chase each others existing work by undercutting unless there is a complaint from an account whereby the account is bid for in the normal practise.

Recently a new giant Tesco opend in Hove and Medigen where used to negotiate the free phone. They wanted in the region of £20,000. Guess what? They aint got no freephone. None of the companies put in any bids. The manager came to us begging to serve the store saying that his hands are tied via those above him, and we do , via the normal phone call and it does not cost us a penny. The store is welcome to use any cab company it wants but it uses us when customers need a cab. We get 90% of the work via the store calling us or the customers calling us direct.

If you want to call it a cartel well fine. If you want to lable it corruption then that is fine too. I do not see it either way. However, I do see it as a way of ridding the trade of those upstart store managers who, over the years ( and I all going way back over twenty years) of lining there own pockets. It was a bad day when Medigen moved in, but with a bit of organisation they are cut out. And the same should happen throughout the rest of the country. The likes of Medigen should be exterminated!!

You will also know that the JTC ( made up of reps from each company and chaired alternatively) is there to meet each month with the Hackney Carriage Officers, the police and any other interested party from time to time such as an disabled interest.

It is also there to negotiate the fare review. In fact I remember years ago when the JTC didnt exist the council requested an organised represention from a single body and not from all the various interests who could not agree on the yardage.

Anyway.. the thread is all about the lack of response from the ph trade. As yet I have seen no representation from the ph trade in Brighton from any union.. and there are plenty ph in Brighton, I am not knocking it...just wondering why.

perhaps because the report does not affect them and they did give a reason.

but why are you bothered anyway? surely you did not expect massive opposition from them?

what a laugh summed up in one.

yes scanner what you describe is a cartel.

I am not "bothered" . Just making the observation that I have yet to read in print any pro-active campaign from the ph trade in full support of the OfT report. I really did expect a a massive response but it doesnt seem to be there. Which is why I asked if anyone knew better. All I have read in print so far is complete resistance to it. I would like to see a proper organised ph reply to get a ballanced view.

ok theres your task for today, organise it

ok fine... I have no problem with your view. However I trust that you do not support the likes of Medigen even though you have given no thought to my input... just a glancing off the cuff remark.

I think it is far better to be organised then bickering between local companies. I suppose it is a no win situation. Either carry on argueing at a distance or get together and be accused of a cartel

. I would point out that the Brighton taxi JTC is made up of taxi and private hire .Two Associations/companies which are mainly hackney carriage owner members and three privately owned companies mainly made up of ph. Two reps for each company meet once a month and a democratis meeting takes place. I would not go as far as to say it is perfect but from what I hear around the rest of the country is far better then what goes on with the trade broken up and getting nowhere.

And if it is branded a cartel then the cartel seems to be sanctioned by the council

Above posted by Scanner

Im quite nicely represented thanks... well organised. Any other useless bit of advice you would like to give.( as Scanner detects a slight incline to sarcasm and dare he say envy from the Guest)

Im quite nicely represented thanks... well organised. Any other useless bit of advice you would like to give.( as Scanner detects a slight incline to sarcasm and dare he say envy from the Guest)

I'm not sure if you are right or wrong Mr Cgull.

However if you are right, then I notice that another organization has joined the gang.

What was that about 'free and open'?

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IDFIMH

Yeap that's a cartel.

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IDFIMH