Taxi Driver Online

Now your just coming over as a failed Taxi driver.

Professional?

My arse.

That's why Minicabs in London get no where.

When you and Mick pop up for my tour, I'll take you to the bottom of Tottenham Court Road, they tout there on a regular basis after about 1am.

That's what happens when you have a fleet of PH with little work and too many drivers, but they can comfort themselve in knowing their ott radio fees are paying for another Griffin funded venture into the impossible.

I've never paid a penny for all my work, and thats what gets their goad.

Feel free to publish this mythical survey Don.

The majority of Bus Lanes in central London are nose to tail with Buses, if you drove a Minicab opposed to a computer, you'd know this.

Regards earnings, they seem to do ok. Access to the bus lane will not dramatically increase their earnings as far as i can see.

My main issue is that with 60,000 PH vehicles in London and climbing, the bus lanes will slow to a crawl and will be of no benefit to bus or taxi. Because of the daft way licensing was handled we have a great many vehicles in London registered as PH but are in fact private cars and not in use for hire and reward. They too would get access to bus lanes. Other motorists seeing "private cars" driving down the lanes will also want to join in thinking it's ok to do so and you end up in a situation where anarchy ensues.

I for one don't profess to make loads of money! My bills get paid, i'm in the red on my overdraft, a loan i'm trying to pay off and i have a sensible mortgage that thankfully doesn't cripple me. I owe my folks a few quid from them helping me a while back and a missus who works part time. I work 5-6 days and never more than 8 or 9 hours a time. Ph drivers are the same as me in this context, they too have bills and debts; they work to provide for themselves or their families. They work whatever hours they choose and earn accordingly. They've managed to do so since the 60's so why now will access to a bus lane increase their earning potential ?

As i've already stated there are far more important issues to be dealing with. If access to a bus lane is so important or PH feel they aren't on a parity with us regards earnings then why not do the knowledge ? It's a simple choice; takes a few years and then they are free of the PH shackles...........i guaranteee if they do so they too will be calling for PH NOT to have access to the bus lanes.




The majority of them don't tout to be fair but i have seen a fair number of them doing so.

When dictionary definitions become stated law, then you'll be laughing, until then the rest of society will stick with the current and relevant legislation.

I saw that wad of £50's!

Plus you have lots of nights off.

Part timer.

true, i'm off this evening (feeling pretty rough, stomach pains etc) as indeed i was last night...........shall be back tomorrow for the rest of the week.

Yep, even I will be working 4/5 nights a week for the next 4 weeks.

Mind you, it's only December that I do.

Will I be able to cope?

Not having a go acabbie and I didn't want to know your ins and outs and it's nice to hear someone who isn't full of crap regarding earnings. I can see your point about 60,000 minicabs being able to use the bus lanes but there's no chance of 60,000 doing the knowledge and then getting licenced as Hackney. In Liverpool and the whole Merseyside area if it's a bus lane and states bus taxi and cycle on the sign then that means both sides HC and PH can use it. Admittedley congestion in lLonden is probably a million times worse than here and I will say that as for the city center the public don't give a toss and they just drive anywhere in bus lanes or not. That though is due to lack of enforcement rather than people doing it just because PH are. Recently though CCTV has been installed for enforcement so when they start getting fines through the door it might stop.

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Wishing I was in Greenhall Whitley Land.

a cabbie,well done for such a long service record,mine is only 46 years,so perhaps you could make a cab driver of me The private hire industry has nothing to fear in terms of not being allowed in bus lanes but the obvious benefits of being able to transport our customers to and from without undue delay.The other benefits are,less congestion for all road users,less pollution from traffic(not that the greenest fleet) in London contribute to unlike the ageing taxi fleet Yes we will see a major reduction in our fuel consumption and expenditure.This of course would make us even more competitive,and you are really concerned about your finances being severely affected.Modernise and stop holding the public to ransom at every opportnity and perhaps you could survive. In regards to touting yes we are as concerned about this as you are and this will be confirmed by people like John Mason,who has been made aware of our feelings through our trade delegations

_________________
GMB PDB London Branch President
Vice-chair National Organising Committee
07956-884076
www.gmbpdb.org.uk
AFFORDABLE CCTV FOR EVERY LICENSED DRIVER
www.gmbpdb.org.uk/gmb-cctv.htm

Don, I'll send you a paragraph for Christmas.

Which floor do you live on?



Ah! Acceptance?



Modernise? Like Minicabs? What do you propose then Don? Non English speaking drivers? Vauxhall Astra's worth £300? Sat Navs? Prices that go up when the driver fancys it? More sexual assaults in the cars? More body odours?



You mean like your new found buddy Griffin when he charges £80 from W1 to LHR, and a real taxi costs £55?

Sure thing. Tell you what, we'll stay the best, you stick with the worst.

Do you get drunk before coming on here?

why the patrionising attitude ? I'm merely stating how long i've been driving in response to you asking; not nessesarily how long i've been a taxi driver. Time served should have no bearing on ones opinion.



i suspect that you fear losing your customers to a superior service and not just because of the issue of bus lanes! Perhaps it's a convienient argument to make in order to impress prospective customers but ultimately an executive being delayed because the incompetent driver can't find the Bank of England will do little to enhance the bus lane argument and will only reinforce the ineptitude of many PH drivers!



More congestion for buses, more people delayed for meetings! More pollution as uses wait to crawl along.



not that aging, my taxi is less than a year old.



ok, so now we are getting to the truth. With legislation and all the additional expense it brings you are finding it harder to earn a living than prior to legislation when you could pretty much do as you please! Well my friend, welcome to the real World; OUR World! I knew a PH driver who did nothing but complain about the rules and regs put in place by the PCO after licensing came about. He whinged about the inspections on his vehicle, the price of his licence etc. For the first time he was having a taster of what we've had to endure for years.



Explain this further please ? Where do we hold the public to ransom ? In what respect should we modernise ? Just as you have to abide by the ruling that says no access to bus lanes, we have to abide by the ruling that says what vehicle we have to use! See, life's a bitch for all concerned!



That's excellent news, something we can agree and move forward on. Perhaps the top jocks in your industry should get out there and take down numbers of the cars/drivers concerned. Get yourself to Abacus tomorrow night (ask a cabbie if Cornhill doesn't show up on tomtom) and see for yourself what a few years of neglect and incompetence is doing to London. Ask yourself why your industry isn't putting more pressure on TOCU to get it's act together, or perhaps you're happy for them to be checking taxi badges & bills whilst 100 yards up the road proud members of YOUR industry openly tout!

I'm signing off for now.

Dear Brothers .Sorry for the delay in replying,but had to watch the CHAMPIONS being SPUR-RED on to win and progress to the next round.

NORMAL SERVICE RESUMES TOMMORROW

_________________
GMB PDB London Branch President
Vice-chair National Organising Committee
07956-884076
www.gmbpdb.org.uk
AFFORDABLE CCTV FOR EVERY LICENSED DRIVER
www.gmbpdb.org.uk/gmb-cctv.htm

This has got to have become the most boring thread in TDO history.

CC

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

Wayne, sorry you feel that way,but this is one of the most important issues in LONDON. Obviously the old saying of, if London sneezes we all catch cold applies here. ALL licensed private hire should be able to travel along these lanes without being penalised,(how does it work in Carlisle)
Regarding boring check out your own posts ,and answer why the NTA(association) does not offer individual membership to anyone belonging to an association.


[b]TFL ACCESS LANES FOR ALL LONDON PRIVATE HIRE USERS[/b]

_________________
GMB PDB London Branch President
Vice-chair National Organising Committee
07956-884076
www.gmbpdb.org.uk
AFFORDABLE CCTV FOR EVERY LICENSED DRIVER
www.gmbpdb.org.uk/gmb-cctv.htm