Taxi Driver Online

Do you think the GMB will be meeting with him to discuss the f***ing weather?

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IDFIMH

They will end up with the usual written response, due to ranks being on private property there is nothing we can do
In other words fecking pay what they want, shut up or feck off

Do you think the hierarchy of the GMB PDB would be having a meeting with the Rail Regulator if that was going to be the outcome.

Due to pressure from the GMB PDB the Rail Regulator is going to investigate the issues that concern us all.

I doubt the Rail Regulator would be that naive to say 'pay what they want, shut up or feck off'.

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IDFIMH

Apart from London where they don't get charged, and possibly a few other small stations.
The prices of these permits varies widely across the whole of the UK
without taxis and busses bringing and removing there punters stations would come to a near standstill due to the number of extra private cars picking up and dropping off
The London model should be adopted across the whole of the UK and if the unions had any balls thats what they should be pushing for

The problem is that in some unions, also some national associations, parts of the trade are quite happy to have high permit prices to keep the others parts of out the station.

My personal view is that a small reasonable permit price is ok to cover the costs of maintenance/cleaning/toilet etc. But I get the right hump when station managers say you will pay this high price, or this high % increase, and if you don't like it go away.

That's where the fair trading aspects of the Rail Regulator comes in.

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IDFIMH

That's it in a nutshell

CC

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

To update this thread the GMB had a meeting today with an officer of the Rail Regulator who deals with competition issues.

The GMB shared their members concerns with the Rail Regulator, who in turn laid out the legal position, and the powers the Rail Regulator has.

The Rail Regulator pointed out that in the past investigations/market studies were usually done in private, but in this particular instance they would be contacting a number of people who had made similar complaints to the GMB's, and he would be meeting with other relevant bodies including the Train Operating Companies, to ask them why they charge what they charge, and how they get to the amount they charge.

The GMB pointed out that in London cab drivers don't pay a bean to pick up from the station, and the GMB stated that should be the situation nationwide.

The meeting ended with the Rail Regulator saying his investigation/market study would continue for a number of weeks/months and a full report will be published in due course.

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 think the HC trade should pay the same as bus companies, from memory the amount is zero.

That being said, I think the chances of free access are zilch, the situation in Birmingham ain't exactly helped the cause.

CC

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

They could go the other way and bring London into line with the rest of the country.....That'll cause a riot!!

I believe it's nearly £400 in Winchester Sh1ty!!
What amazes me is how they all queue back illegally, way past the rank limits just for that "big fare" only to get a £2.60 ride to the law courts around the corner.....
Quite often I get a fare from city centre (as I refuse to pay that to South West trains!!) to railway station drop off and get somebody jump in almost immediately..... Reason: All given up, gone home for breakfast, rank empty.......Guess what?.....

Haven't passengers got to complain before the Rail Regulator get's involved? I thought with it being outside the station the Rail Regulator is powerless to intervene.

In many cases as the lads pay the Train Operating Companies for the permits, they are the customers.

Clearly any one plying outside the station on council land shouldn't be paying a bean to the station folks.

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IDFIMH

I thought the Stations were owned by Network Rail and the rail companies paid them a fee for using them. Sounds like the train operators are sub letting.

I doubt that it comes under the title of subletting. However there is probably somthing in the agreement to allow sub letting. Many stations have independant newsagents and coffee shops inside and I bet they pay a lot of money for their leases.

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Grandad,

Ermmm with 25,000 Black cabs in London they can make some noise if the train operators decided to charge them, if they wanted they could bring chaos to all the stations in and around London.

Many train operators see the network outside of the M25 corridor as a cash cow when it comes to charging Taxis for providing a service to the train operators customers. A few years ago I asked if buses were charged for picking up and dropping of at stations? Buses were getting paid for picking up and dropping off. Were the Station fees paying for this?

You are way off beam IMO. Stick to the boilermen please.