Taxi Driver Online

Word has leaked out from the secret coven that is the Hire Car Licensing Consultation Group (HCLCG) that a deal has been struck by the vested interests with the council. It is to go before the Regulatory Committee (RC) to be rubber stamped.

NOTE:- Not reported on The Taxi Forum

Fact: No independent review of the need for any increase has been made.

Fact: In the absence of such, there was no wider consultation with the trade.

Fact: There is no intention by the council or the vested interests to intimate the details of the deal to the wider trade until it is a done deal.

Fact: The sensible approach of deferring a decision for a period to see how the recession settles was ignored.

Fact: By constructing a formal tariff increase the parties have committed the trade to no further normal increase until expiry of the period for review allowed by statute and council practice - around 18 months from now.

Fact: The deal makes no allowance for any historical increases, nor any potential increases over the coming period - Fuel, increased licence fees, servicing, insurance etc. (A proper study would have highlighted all of this).

How can such a carve up possibly be legal?

Here are the reported details from our mole in the camp.

1. The day shift drop of the flag inceases from £1.60 to £1.90.

2. The night shift drop of the flag increases from £2.70 to £2.80.

3. No increase in the meter rate nor reduction in yardage.

4. There is proposed a £1.60 to be added to the meter for airport pickups.

5. There is no peak period "Christmas Tariff" proposed at this time. It is being held pending further consideration.

Consider this:-

1. The tariff review exercise has been hijacked by the radio companies working their own agenda to cover the costs of their airport contract.

2. The rest of the trade has been kicked into touch, committed to a small increase that will be lost if owners hike rentals on the back of it. Particularly given the £35 cost incurred by owners to have the meter changed to deal with this derisory increase.

3. At £1.90, plus £1.60, plus presumably the questionable call out charge, day shift customers at the airport will be faced with a £4.30 initial charge before the car has turned a wheel. The night shift equivalent will be £5.20.

4. The council and the companies have ridden roughshod over the process again. They cough but it is the drivers who once again are going to catch the cold.

5. Private Hire are not certain to follow suit. Already up to 30% cheaper, and having just incurred tariff change costs, they may hold off and reap the benefit of a fresh marketing campaign attacking our trade.

Question: What benefit will a driver get from this tariff increase once the airport hikes its fees again, owners hike rentals and the publicity of the second hike during this recession turns even more of our customers towards the competition?

Won't an average £42 a week increase on dayshift, and £12 per week on night shift soon be swallowed up leaving us spending the next 18 months scratching our heads at the confidence trick played on us by our own trade?

_________________
Skull, "You are a police inspector, aren't you?"
Cab Inspector Smith, "Yes."
Skull, "So, are you going to tell Mr Taylor what his rights are?"
Smith, "And ... What rights?"

Why would a independant review of fares be needed?

Why should there be consultation with the 'wider' trade (in England people can object to a fare increase when its been advertised in the press).

What possible deal could be done in respect of fares?

You mention the recession....but the RPI index has increased by 3.7% during the past month.....these are costs that directly affect the taxi trade.

In England the 'trade' can apply as many times as it wants for fare increases.

Your final fact actually contradicts your forth listed 'fact'

I hardly think a £35 tariff increase is going to affect the rental cost ffs.....9 pence per day?

CC

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

because the majority of cabs who don't use the airport are getting hit with a [edited by admin] tariff increase(not that this is a good time to do so) while those that can use the airport get a decent one.
the radio companies screwing non radio operators
ill be objecting

Thats fine ali.....thanks for explaining.

CC

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

You're not the brightest candle in the box are you Wayne?

_________________
Skull, "You are a police inspector, aren't you?"
Cab Inspector Smith, "Yes."
Skull, "So, are you going to tell Mr Taylor what his rights are?"
Smith, "And ... What rights?"

Maybe not.....but I'm somewhat brighter than you.



CC

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

That was a gimme.

_________________
Grandad,

Only in your own mind Wayne, only in your own mind.

_________________
Skull, "You are a police inspector, aren't you?"
Cab Inspector Smith, "Yes."
Skull, "So, are you going to tell Mr Taylor what his rights are?"
Smith, "And ... What rights?"

Really Jim? Because from this side of the border it appears you have somekind of mental illness

CC

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

oh you can forget the borders side o things CC

Thank chr*st for that.....thought it might have been a race thing

CC

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

Now that's a FACT
Jim your post's are so one sided and based on your individual opinion, nothing you say is said to the benefit of the whole trade, your superior intellect is so illusional

I for one will be quite happy to pay £35 for a Tarrif increase, if it wasn't for you and your carpetbagging fiends we wouldn't be needing a tarrif increase.

Isn't it true that in de-limited area's Tarrif increase's occur to equalise the impact that De-limitation bring's to our Trade? So you could say the 30 plates that have went on in Edinburgh are part responsible for the pending increases in Edinburgh

Now stick that in your PIPE and smoke it

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Alway's been about Tightening the Grip!

your going to pay £35 for a almost nil increase,remember there is no increase in the mileage.

this is city/crt trying to cover their increasing costs at the airport,not to mention all there other costly mistakes,mercs,court cases etc
and remember that it will be a long time before you can ask for another properly surveyed and applied tariff increase.

we're being sold up the river buy these radio companies,who sit on the hclcg and you think its a great idea.

i don't wont a fare rise,and I'm not about to be out of pocket to get one that will have nil effect on my earnings.

Not here they don't. Second year running we aren't even asking for an increase.



If that were the case, any increase would affect everyone, not just those who want to travel from an airport.

You may as well argue that somebody has to pay for the high plate values and rental charges that restricted numbers create.
That somebody is Joe Public, since all our incomes come from there.

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http://wingsoverscotland.com/ http://www.newsnetscotland.com/

Give us your current Tarrif structure and then give us your pre De-limitation Tarrif structure I'm interested to know as Edinburgh and Aberdeen are two different cities, De-limitation might work in your city but trust me it definitly wouldn't work in Edinburgh

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Alway's been about Tightening the Grip!