Taxi Driver Online

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/moneytaxand ... dg_4015975

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/employment-status/index.htm

Sometimes Skippy I think you think I'm thick I was merely questioning whom exactly would be paying the self employed taxi/ph driver if they didn't own their vehicle and a definition of 'don't own the vehicle'. Lots of drivers do not own the vehicle they use, that in itself does not make them employed.

Perhaps it would be better if a SUD became a survey of over supply and councils and ph operators should justify their requirement for more vehicles by proving the market is not over subscribed and there is a living to be made out there

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

Those drivers who don't own there own vehicle but either rent from the owner, or work for a company driving that company's vehicles must be paid the min wage
This would cut drivers/vehicles numbers down over night, as in nearly all areas that are not restricted, as owners would not be able to pay them the min wage along with all other benefits such as holiday pay and sickness
I know that in my area if this was brought in 60% of vehicles would be off the road

Skippy has a good point there.......

I agree, but cabbies in this country, much the same as elsewhere I would suspect, only think of themselves and not the trade as a whole, also how this affects their ability to earn a decent living. If the trade and that's a very, very big IF were more united as a whole in each particular country it would go a long way to having a more powerful lobbying scenario.... Where it is so divided is it's actual weakness, hence the disarray we are all in....

No it won't see a drop in drivers it will see a drop in the actual taxi/ph operator companies renting out veicles. They would probably set up a rental side to the company completely seperate and just rent out vehicles, kind of the same as the 'taxi baron' scenerio. However I think if a driver works for the company driving their vehicles they would almost certainly be already classed as employed by that company and are already on a wage. The problem with the minimum wage is it gives a minimum hourly wage and not a minimum weekly wage so a driver could be employed to do a school run and nothing more. Most of the settle cars in this area are rented out by people who have nothing to do with the taxi trade other than renting out licenced vehicles, they are not responsible for the work the driver does or does not obtain

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

Toots things are different up here, drivers work on a split bag there is no settle, last night for example some drivers where on the rank for 3 hours before they managed to get a fare or call to go and get one, I was talking to a mate and he said he had done 3 hires from 4PM to midnight £13.20 so £6.00 for a wage I on the other hand had a good night for a Sunday

So how will the minimum wage help that driver when he has to pay for the rental of the vehicle regardless of how much he earns cos the owner isn't going to pay him a minimum wage or worse case scenario ends up with no vehicle or income cos the owner isn't going to employ drivers he just wants to rent out vehicles like they do here. The owners of the vehicles will do what is best for them not what is best for drivers. You on the other hand either have to put part of that income to one side to pay HP on your vehicle or save for a replacement when the time comes. You also have to maintain the said vehicle and that isn't cheap. You also have to put fuel in the vehicle which the driver of a split bag doesn't have to do

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

Toots, nobody rents here, the only thing that we have apart from split bags is office rent and that only applies to the 3 large company's, whose drivers have there own cars

I'm sure they don't, but, if you start making split bag drivers employees they will

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

That´s exactly the point. The trade is full of stupid people who are blinded by the big stack of tenners in their hands, whereas a decent jobs gets you only a small number on your account, but this of thousands, not of tens. They can´t think more than two days in advance.
I´ve seen it in Brighton, all that rage, that led to spontaneous wildcat strikes, that brought traffic to a stand-still - and everybody up against cab-drivers. The very next day they were doing their low-wage job again, peaceful like lambs and stupid as sheep. The result was only that the cab-image got another scratch and nothing was achieved.
The whole time I was there they were arguing about the station rank and all that was needed was some civilised talk between the different parties to find a solution, but it was hopeless. (And in Germany they don´t even have the will to do anything, they just sit and take it.)
That´s what the trade needs to perhaps get unified one day, people who don´t loose their heads and can think in long terms.

PS: I´m taking a train today to Geneva and have a look there.

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Jochen Lembke, Europe´s cab-driving writer and author of the best Hitch-hiker´s-Guide-to-the-Galaxy-volume-six ever written. Or else money back (haha.)

I'll bet it's the same there, like you say taxi drivers cannot see past the end of their noses and those that can are few and far between. That is evident in the number that post here and the amount of members listed in this forum.....

Jochen, While your on your travels , could you inform us of how many country's have WAVs on there ranks, or what alternative arrangements that country has in place for wheelchair users

Pheeww, back from Geneva, after six hours on the train and it´s hot, hot, hot!
But it´s a nice little town, "dirty and full of Arabs", but quite charmingly mediterranien. My, but the only speak bloody French there!

WAV... sure. Basically, in Germany and Switzerland they have this "but you can walk, cripple, if you´d only try"-approach. No, jokes aside, England is far ahead when it comes to WAV´s. There are only a few in Freiburg, Germany, which are specialised for wheelchairs, but it´s kind of akward to operate them. Health insurance pays for the fare. In Zurich, Switzerland health insurance pays almost for nothing, because everybody except cabbies is rich, so there are none. There are specialised transports for it but no taxis.

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Jochen Lembke, Europe´s cab-driving writer and author of the best Hitch-hiker´s-Guide-to-the-Galaxy-volume-six ever written. Or else money back (haha.)

Thats the kinda thing Jesus would have said and look at the legacy he left us...no Wheelchair accessable donkeys in them days, just good old religious values and a belief that miracles can happen....