Taxi Driver Online

I think Skull is having a bad influence on you.

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

I actually think Skull is fairly cool....he wears his heart on his sleeve and TBH if he's right or wrong he doesnt give a sh*t......now that sounds awfully like someone I know from Sefton

CC

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

Reply from Terry Flanagan GMB PDB National Organiser. 07958 275339


The main point of the interview is "a fair days work for a fair days pay" obviously without putting the Drivers, the passengers, or other road users at risk!
As we all know fares are set for Hack's by LAs, Sometimes PH Operators undercut THESE rates. LAs are of course political organisations and therefore susceptible to ORGANISED pressure. Naturally we the GMB have different methods of dealing with LAs of differing political control, but they are all susceptible to the GMBs methods, and MEDIA influence. Given that Drivers would aspire to obtain "a fair days work for a fair days pay" the lesson is ORGANISE!

Another aspect that MUST be addressed is that Drivers of both Hack and PH must recognise the absolute necessity of both sections agreeing binding DEMARCATION. The current mess only assists the exploiters, companies giving drivers 40% of the take and deemed self employed is an nonsense that could only be inflicted upon the unorganized. Our organisation is expanding rapidly we are willing and able to exert major pressure on our industry, we will meet with and assist ALL who have the beneficial interest of the WORKERS within our trade.

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Mick Hildreth (07814 032002)
GMB PDB P39 Southern Region Branch Secretary
mick.hildreth@gmbtaxis.org.uk
www.gmbpdb.org.uk

And how do you achieve that if you are self employed and relient on circumstances beyond your control for securing custom? I suppose you hold a gun to the publics head and force them into your cab.



Yes we all know fares are set for hacks and have been for some considerable time so what is the point of the meaningless statement above?



I don't know what is meant by binding demarcation in the above post but I should remind the poster that we have legislation that sets out the demarcation boundaries of both hackney carriage and private hire.



So its a London private hire problem, working hours related to poor working conditions = massive illegal plying for hire. When you have an abundance of private hire operators starved of customers and an over supply of drivers you get the type of situation the poster is complaining about. However instead of facing reality he tries to dress it up as something else.



Well I'm pleased your organisation is expanding rapidly but perhaps the first thing you should do is remind them that when work is scarce they should refrain from plying for public hire on the streets of London.

I don't buy this restricted hours business because some people are sitting around for hours at a time between jobs and a good days wage for them will be totally different to the guy who only waits a fraction of that time.

I think the poster based on these comments is totally oblivious to why private hire drivers are working more hours than he himself likes. Perhaps it hasn't accured to him that cutting down their hours will also cut their earnings.

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 think this post has served to point out the different problems that both PH/HC face. Overall though IMO there are a lot of drivers out there working for less than minimum wage some days of the week and a little more other days of the week. Whilst HC's that only work public hire are at the mercy of passing trade which is getting less and less thus making the need to work excessive hours more necessary. PH drivers are at the mercy of companies who increase their driver count but not the work thus making it near impossible for some drivers to earn a decent living. My argument is more often against these companies that continue this practice and there should be some way to bring them 'to heel' so to speak. I think it is wrong to charge drivers in excess of £85.00 per week for systems that don't bring in work. Whilst I understand that these companies have the wages of staff to pay out of any money coming in it doesn't help the drivers when the company doesn't do all it can to provide work and some of the work is at contract rates below the normal rate. Again whilst I appreciate there are unions out there that are prepared to help in some matters they themselves cost money before you get any joy out of them and that's money that some drivers can ill afford. Before legislation is brought out to control the hours that drivers can work they all need to check that drivers can earn a decent living. When I say a decent living I mean a living above that enjoyed by regular dolites that seem to have mastered the art of working the system we all help to fund.

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

my 6p worth...

im PH, i only take advance bookings (rarely for the same day), with a vehicle i see as bordering taxi work and exec work

im probably cheaper than a HC, certainly for a 7 pass vehicle, and also after midnight and bank holidays,etc, when i charge what i want, not what the LA tell me to charge

the main thing is, I can be quite happy to do what i want, where i want for who i want.

my vehicle is now signwritten in my livery, which i did to remove the temptation to go and pay £50-£65 per week radio only to be spoon fed jobs no-one else wanted.

if i get it wrong, wtf, ill live with it

Outside of London most licensing authorities are deregulated as far as numbers are concerned and therefore private hire are in a minority in many of these areas. However radio is still king in many circumstances albeit that Hackney carriages have replaced private hire as the majority.

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.

the biggest divide between HC and PH is that PH are very often 7/8 passenger vehicles, like mine, and the real difference is that HC with 8 passenger seats have no tarrif option (or legal option to charge) for the extra seating, and as was always the arguement, pay the xtra or pay for 2 cars.....

i could have had a white tourneo with 8 passenger seats but only be able to charge for normal time during the day, hence me not going HC

I have to say in my area the PH far out number the HC even though we are a de-regulated area. There are no more than 400 HCs here (with at least 50% working on PH systems) and around 1500 PH taxis in an area with a population of approx 350 thousand. When councils perform excercises to evaluate the services available to the public when it comes to unmet demands for taxis they only ever consider the HC as a taxi IMO this gives a false reading to the facts they supposedly are trying to ascertain.



I would say that 90% of the PH here are regular saloon vehicles



Computer systems like Auriga are king here together with their ability for 'callback'. Our customers have forgotten what it's like to keep an eye for their taxi and many have missed it cos the callback never worked etc. etc.

As regards a fair days work for a fair days pay that just doesn't exist here with companies greedily taking on drivers that they knowingly have no work for or at least not enough to justify the payments they are getting with the hours that have to be worked to attain it. The company I work for never even bothered to place an advert in the local papers for the christmas period but there is nothing we can do as there are no agreements or contracts as such in place. The only agreement is we will pay them £85.00 per week and if the phones ring the work will be put out end of. Am I annoyed with the taxi company's policy, yes I am but my heart goes out to anybody here who's sole income comes from taxi driving as I can see a great many hours being worked next year for less money and the danger to the public increasing but nobody will care until something undesirable happens as is the norm for anything.

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

Toots you need to understand that JD will make sweeping statements to promote his own ideal.

PH numbers are greater than HC numbers in most areas, but as JD commented during the OFT report that all PH drivers wanted to be HC he has to continue that argument by claiming that deregulation has worked as he described.

Working hours against earnings is an argument that has been debated since the Working Time Directive, with some arguing that restricting hours will mean a spread of existing work and others that more cars will be available at the busy times and fewer at quiet times so earnings will be reduced.

My own thoughts are simple.

Restrict the numbers of the controlled market to a level that meets demand, and allow those who aren't bound by those controls to compete on levels of service and price.

B. Lucky

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"Here's a simple solution. If you don't want to pay more for a premium service then wait in the queue, problem solved".
Skull on TDO

TF pi$$ed on his chips.

not so, certainly not me at the moment

Still peddling untruths I see.

The only time deregulation ever works in the majority of places is when solid quality controls are in place as I have always said but with me the issue has always been one of equality and you would do well to remember that.

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.

The funny thing about Deregulation........... is that when it is put in place............. the only people who profit from it are the instigators..... who were usually at the top.... and then to regain control bring in more regulations... I suppose it keeps them in a well-paid job for the next 10 to 20 years........

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

I and everyone else excepting you are under the impression that it is Mr Flanagan who is promoting his ideal by using Mr brightonbreazy as a vehicle to explain his logic of a mandatory reduction in working hours.

Perhaps you can point out my ideal as you describe it, or shall we chalk up that statement as just more bile?

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.

If it is untrue, and by that I mean your statement that dereguation leads to more HC than PH in areas of deregualation, then you need to highlight exactly where this is the case, or if you think its easier highlight the areas where PH numbers have decreased to a level below HC since deregulation.

I can start you off -

Gateshead - 3 times as many PH than HC. Deregulated area.
PH numbers increasing at a greater rate than HC.

B. Lucky

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"Here's a simple solution. If you don't want to pay more for a premium service then wait in the queue, problem solved".
Skull on TDO

TF pi$$ed on his chips.