Taxi Driver Online

I know that, Northumberland just started the list off and shows the total number of taxis and private hire vehicles in the area as a whole. Any problems with these figures please consult the dft.



You produced one council to back up your argument. I'm not really bothered if these councils are city, district or something else they are deregulated councils who have a majority of hackney over private hire, which substantiates my point.



I'm not interested in whether a council has deregulated or not, I stated that in the majority of areas were quantity controls don't exist hackney carriages outnumber private hire. End of story. Go back and read what I said.

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.

On behalf of Terry Flanagan GMB PDB National Organiser

We note that crux of this issue is not suprisingly being ignored so lets ask again;

Demarcation ie. agreement within the industry on boundaries of operation re PH and HC would surely enable us to present to authority a united front on all issues? thereby improving earnings and reducing hours worked.

Is there justification for the industry being subsidised, as are its competitors???

The self employment issue has been solved the legislation exists; so why do the VICTIMS tolerate being abused?


Safe hours the WTD regs are there; Drivers and proprietors have already been imprisoned.

Fact if YOU a PH HC or Chauffeur are involved in a shunt which involved a fatality; given that you didnt have a 7 hr break between shifts YOU the DRIVER and if there is one the PROPRIETOR of the company accepting the booking and allocating it WILL repeat WILL be sentenced to between 5 and 7 years, its already happend. source of information Loughborough University sleep deprevation unit BRAKE ROAD safety charity; We say "dangerous practices MUST be eradicated"

There are as well requirements on shifts per fortnight etc. Its worth noting that insurance companies are now beginning to bail out of claims where the Driver/proprietor is in breach of the WTD requirements! note you must have at least one 20 minute break in every 3 hours driving you dont take it you are not insured!!

Fact it is estimated that 3000 accidents per year are partially are completely due to SLEEP DEPRAVATION!!


Given all of the above is it suprising that the GMBPDBs seek to unite all sections of the industry to PROTECT and IMPROVE the standards of all that work within it??????????????


We note that JD has of yet to reply to our invite to the next MOM!!!

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

You've obviously moderated it for him Mr BB as I couldn’t find one reference to the Police, the Royal Family or a mention of how great the Provisional IRA were in killing so many of our servicemen and women.

Not unless he's had a surgical procedure courtesy of the GMB healthcare plan?

How many posting on here are self-employed owner/drivers?

How many posting on here are self-employed 'commission only' drivers?

How many posting on here are employed drivers on PAYE?

To which of the above categories does WTD apply?

I thought you said that you only speak and write things that you know to be true?

Regards
BB

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

I am a self employed owner driver and regularly do 16 hour shifts at weekends, Thurs Fri Sat and 12 hours the rest of the week all calls come direct to me off the diverted home phone

I have no choice if I want to make a living due to the council handing out hack plates as fast as they can, so its 1 against 131 now

So your 'leader' has never said anything like I've mentioned?
Come on Mr BB, have you been on the wine again?

I'm told from a fairly well placed lad, that the 'provincial' GMB branches have as little as possible to do or associate with you know who as is possible.

Me wonders why?

And if they don't 'hand out' hack plates, the market will be satisfied by new PH plates.

Thanks for replying, Skippy. By the way, are you HC or PH?

Anyone else?

With Bloodnock being the only exception folk here only use hacks, I think there will be 10 PH in the whole of the Borders most are used for school runs only, we are split into 4 zones and there are no PH working in my Zone.
This is due to there being no restrictions on plates and vehicles, other than they must be over 1.4 cc and have 4 doors and must be under 7 years 11 months to obtain a 3 year licence

Would you like some sent up from London?
They could stand in Gala High Street chanting 'Taxee Boss'? to all the natives.

There is no room for hacks so you can keep them,

Its Channel st BTW the high st is the over flow, along with market st and Tesco's staff car park (The old dole and tax office grounds)

Question 1, I would say 98%.

Question 2, I would say 1%.

Question 3, I would say 1%.

Question 4, none at present unless you are employed in another full-time job.

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IDFIMH

incorrect



Thank you but I respectfully decline your generous offer.



Like I said I genuinely haven't read or heard the comments but I shall comment on the generality of restricting working hours and the feasibility of less hours equalling earnings parity.



Individual working habits of self employed taxi drivers should not be the concern of trade union officials. We are not here to nurse maid drivers who are fatigued because they have over stretched their concentration level or have exposed themselves to tiredness due to lack of sleep during the day or night. A person deprived of sleep can be more dangerous than a person who works excessive hours.

Some of us who never work excessive hours take offence at someone advocating the abolition of our freedom of choice to work when we wan't for as long as we deem necessary. The practice of some desperate and irresponsible drivers of working excessive hours whether they be private hire drivers in London or elsewhere is in my opinion not a good enough reason to deprive the self employed taxi driver of their ability to earn a decent living.



You can't apply mandatory working hours without diminishing earnings. Where is the blue print for this plan to reduce working hours? Sentiment is a fine thing but reality is the world we live in.



I willl go out on a limb and suggest most of us are befudled by what you mean by demarcation? Hackney carriage and private hire are completely different entities and function under completely different legislation.



Applying for private hire licenses, is that your reason for calling for a mandatory restriction on working hours because London is being overrun by private hire applicants and you wish it would stop? I'm afraid that’s the nature of the game. Many years ago I stated that without quality controls the UK would be overrun by both private hire and hackney carriage drivers. What you want to do is inflict serious harm on the UK taxi trade to solve a private hire problem emanating from London. It may not have crossed your mind but cab drivers in the provinces are not too concerned about what happens in London.

I suggest you ask the PCO to introduce a strict knowledege and verbal test for private hire drivers and dispense with multiple choice questions.



So now we know the real reason for advocating a reduction in working hours and it boils down to the influx of private hire drivers in London. I suppose private hire competition has reached unprecedented levels and in order to curtail competition you conveniently suggest a reduction in working hours.



Again more evidence that driver safety is being used as an excuse for solving a driver influx problem. Your idea might have been better received if you had stated your real reasons for reducing working hours.



Again even more evidence of slight of hand.

I don't think any more need be said except for this.

If you wish to talk about oversupply of private hire drivers in London then by all means do so but please don't dress it up as a need for reducing working hours.

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.

There is an over supply of taxis be them HC or PH in most areas in the Uk.

If the unions etc are concerned about the flood of taxis hitting the high streets they should be requesting tougher tests & higher standards for all taxi drivers. Private hire companies should be made to prove that there really is a demand for their services before the LA issue operator licences. The LA should have to prove there is a demand for HC before they issue a licence.

I work for a company on a self employed basis along with 350 other drivers. There are no benefits whatsoever, there are no written agreements, no contracts as such it's all based on the you give me £85.00 and I'll give you a set so you can receive work if and when it comes in. The driver count will continue to go up because every time it does that's another £85.00 but the work is getting more scarse thus the drivers are beginning to do more hours. Instead of doing perhaps 10 hours they are now doing 12-15 hours on a regular basis. No days off, no holidays, no anything. It is my opinion that these types of companies should be forced to do something as they are being paid £85.00 per driver for work that isn't coming in. If there isn't the work they shouldn't be allowed to take on the drivers and take money for nothing. If I charged somebody for the promise of something and they never got it I'd be done for fraud and IMO this isn't much different.

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

How many were licensed drivers?

CC

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