Taxi Driver Online

Cabbies furious at firm charges despite weather

http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/newshome/Ca ... 6004497.jp

Cabbies are furious after being charged hundreds of pounds - for a period in which many couldn't work.

Taxi drivers have been told they must pay their companies at full rate - hundreds of pounds in some cases - despite many being forced off the road when snow and ice hit the south coast.

One driver, who feared he would lose his Andicars contract if he gave his name, told The News: 'Many of us were unable to work, but the company is charging us in full as if we had been out collecting fares.

'I can't see how, in this economic climate, these large companies can get away with taking the food off our tables in order to pay themselves a wage, regardless of whether we managed to work.'

The issue has arisen because most cab drivers in the city are officially self-employed and pay their firm for company livery and to be connected to the radio service which allocates work.

Some also pay the company rent for vehicles, though this is passed on by the taxi firms to car leasing firms, and in many cases drivers hire cars direct from leasing companies.

But when Arctic conditions struck earlier this month, up to 80 per cent of drivers were either unable to work, or decided their insurance excess payments were too high for them to risk their cars on the ice.

They expected not to be charged, but have now learnt that even though they didn't work or earn money for up to 10 days, they still have to pay for a service they say they didn't receive.

The driver said: 'Many of us were snowed in. Many others couldn't risk insurance excess of £500 in the event of an accident.

'But we pay the firm for a service and we didn't have it in that week.

'Lots of us are now in arrears with the company because we don't have the cash.

'I can understand not being paid if you don't work, but being charged on top of that just isn't reasonable.'

Doug Anderson, marketing manager of Andicars, admitted the company was charging its drivers £ 85 as usual, but claimed the policy was in keeping with its contracts. Other firms charge up to £200.

He said: 'It's simple. They have to pay us per week for the work they do. If they choose not to work, they have to give us notice. 'We didn't receive notice from these drivers, so they will pay us as usual.

'Work was available during that period, and it was their choice whether to go out and do it.

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

I wouldn't mind seeing one of these contracts. I've yet to see any written contract between these firms that provide radios, data heads etc and the drivers they supply them to.

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

If you can't use your private car because of the snow, will your hp company let you off the payments? will you get a refund from your road tax? will your insurance company reduce your premiums? Of course they won't.

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Grandad,

That's a stupid example if you don't mind me saying so. There is a clear written contract between you and the other companies. There are no such clear written contracts between PH companies and their self employed drivers

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

Actually I do mind you saying so. the drivers have agreed to rent or hire all these things regardless of any contract that may or may not be in place. simply because they were unable or chose not to use them, they are still obliged to pay. that is the way it is. I am not saying that I agree with it but this is always going to be the case if you sign up with the robbers.
If you sleep with the devil................

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Grandad,

Office rent still has to be paid,equipment,telephone rental,and operators(if they turned up for work)still have to be paid so I think the fees are still due.Surley these self employed drivers are not living from hand to mouth do they not have good weeks when the office do not ask them for any extra radio rent.Put some by for bad weeks.

We didn't have to pay for the time we were off the road. I got one and a half days free.

If the drivers chose not to work then thats their lookout during the bad weather we were getting up to 5 times the number of calls we would usually get. My drivers were given the choice but in fact all of them chose to work their regular shifts and could have earned quite a bit if the town hadn't of been gridlocked with traffic all the time ! My bills for running the business were increased during the cold snap not decreased so why shouldn't I be entitled to board rent the only exception to the rule should be if the driver was off the road due to vehicle breakdown or accident because it would take longer to get that sorted during bad weather conditions

That's my point though, who agreed and signed what? How do you know what is agreed if it isn't written and signed for. I pay my settle every week as do the rest of the guys here, but, if they don't work they don't pay. It maybe different for the small independant companies that rely on the weekly settle to keep them going but some of these larger companies are just plain greedy IMO.

It is about time these larger companies put pen to paper and told their drivers exactly what they expect from them in return for the weekly payment and exactly what the drivers can expect from the company for that same payment

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

In my view there are many more drivers living 'hand to mouth' than not.

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IDFIMH

Easy.

Do what I do, go the independant route in a licensed Taxi.

Then the firms get now't.

If everyone done that, they would soon change their tune or fold.

I am not having this, I agree with you!

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Grandad,

Easier said than done, for some

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