Taxi Driver Online

Is anyone else finding that some of the Charity Volunteer groups are beginning to work outside of their charitable remit. Im finding in this area that certain volunteer groups are going beyond Transport for the Disabled and the elderly and are now openly stating that they will supply Volunteer drivers to the likes of Mothers with young children and Families in remote rural areas not just to go to the health centre but to take them on runs to the shops, days out and trips to the beach etc..

Ive no objection to the good work they do with the genuine disabled or the elderly, but when they start moving the general public around it starts to gall me a little..its not a free service, they start off at 40pence per mile for the Volunteer driver and in some cases the charges maybe more than a local PH rate. surely this is more Hire and reward work if the Customer is'nt elderly or disabled. the volunteers dont need Plated vehicles or specialist insurances.

Its getting to the point where they are taking work away from local PH/Taxi operators (me included)....can this be right???

Ive done this, though at the time i was plated, i had a payment off the passenger and a payment off the charity to almost a meter rate, this was 15 years ago, i cant recall the exact figures

ive also been an ambulance service "volunteer" driver, £600 a week....lol

no profit involved at the mileage rate so the taxman kept out of it

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

well...by the time I take off my Overheads im getting less than 40ppm...these guys are making something out of it so they need'nt kid me on that they aint...

If anyone charges more than a mileage rate of (I think) 26p, then they are working as 'hire and reward'.

Report them to your council.

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IDFIMH

Alas this will only change when there is a large f*** off accident were many folks die. Then the insurance company will refuse cover and the courts finally will decide what's what.

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IDFIMH

What did that involve and who would you contact

the figure taxman uses is the RAC "what it costs to run a car" figure, it used be 35p ages ago, not heard since. at the figure there is no profit element, or at least thats thier attitude.

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

Engine size (cc) up to 1500 1501 to 2000 over 2000
Insurance grouping 3 8 14
Fuel consumption 55.0 49.5 43.0
Typical cost (new) 9,500 14,450 25,450
Average value @ 3 years 3,450 5,500 10,950
Projected depreciation 6,050 8,950 14,500
Financing charges 1,710 2,601 4,581
Fuel cost @ 81.9p/l 2,435 2,705 3,114
Servicing & maintenance 485 685 1,125
Tyres & replacement parts 375 475 625
Insurance premiums 3 years 1,200 2,235 3,225
Excise licences 3 years 345 465 495
RAC Membership 447 447 447
Total cost 13,047 18,563 28,112
Annual cost 4,349 6,187 9,370
Cost per mile 36.2p 51.5p 78.0p

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

Ive scanned both copies of the information of what they do...but I dont know how to upload them for you to read.

It might be 35p, and I'm petty sure Mr Roland of PHM did an article about it recently.

This is what the Scottish NHS pay. (half way down)

http://www.theyworkforyou.com/spwrans/? ... 3W-12641.h

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IDFIMH

Round here the volunteer drivers work on a fixed rate per journey of £2.00 which is not too bad for them when most journeys are usually no more than 2 miles the "clients" have to pay a membership fee of £3.00 to be included in the scheme although that might now have changed

Im sure I was told the current rate paid by North Wales ambulance service is 35p

West Mids have volunteer and contract owner drivers too, the later have to use the services insurers

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

Then that is 100% illegal and in breach of the 1976 act.

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IDFIMH

At last Cracked it..just click on the Image to expand it.





As you can see it covers a lot more than just few charitable trips..indeed it covers almost everybody in a rural area such as this...hardly anybody here lives on a bus route so around 80% of the local population comes under its umbrella....both In north northumberland and the scottish borders as its a cross border scheme servicen both areas...cant say im chuffed about it..and just wondered what others make of it...

100% illegal.

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IDFIMH