Taxi Driver Online

Private Hire Drivers to stage go-slow protest through Sheffield

Private Hire drivers are to stage a drive-slow through Sheffield tomorrow in protest at cab firms’ pricing policies.

Up to 50 Private Hire cars will converge in Woodbourn Road, Attercliffe, at 11am, before driving slowly through the city centre and then back again.

Mohammed Yasin, chairman of the Sheffield Private Hire Drivers’ Association, said 1,400 self-employed Private Hire drivers in the city are being caught in rival firms’ price wars.

“Fuel prices have rocketed sky-high,” he told The Star.

“But we are not allowed to change our prices.

“We are all self-employed and pay companies a weekly fee for them to take bookings.

“They set the prices we charge - and the prices have not changed since 2009.”

Unlike Hackney cab drivers, private hire drivers cannot carry passengers that have not pre-booked.

They rely on firms such as Sheffield City Taxis, Mercury and Abbey for their bookings.

Mr Yasin said: “There is a price war going on in Sheffield and it is being fought at the drivers’ expense.

“We are getting stuck between the different companies and we are the ones who are losing out.

“Diesel is up to more than £1.40 now and unleaded is not far behind.

“With the unrest in the Middle East this is only going to get worse.

“We need to be able to change our prices.”

He insisted his protest was not aimed at inconveniencing Sheffield residents.

“We have timed the drive-through so that it is finished before rush hour,” he said.

“We don’t want to inconvenience people.

“We are just trying to bring attention to the issue,” he said.

source: http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/

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

The chap makes a good point.

During a ph fare war it's never the ph operator spivs that take the financial bullets.

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IDFIMH

I agree.....but a go slow wont change anything.......taking radios out will.

CC

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

Sheffield taxi drivers hold protest against rising costs



Fifty taxi drivers in Sheffield have protested in the city against the rising costs of the business.

The drivers said that since January they had seen a rise in petrol and insurance prices and an increase in the money paid out to the taxi firms who generate bookings.

A convoy of taxis travelled through the city centre via City Road, towards the Manor, ending in Attercliffe.

Members of Sheffield's Private Hire Drivers Association said their protest was to "make a point".

'Sharing costs'

Mohammed Yasin, chairman of the association said: "This is the only way we can answer back.

"Fuel prices have been rising steadily. We have asked the taxi companies to share the cost a little bit.

"We do not want to put the price onto our customers because we realise we are not the only people suffering. It is about sharing cost."

The drivers also said they were unhappy with paying 'radio rental fees', a fee charged by taxi companies to distribute customers to drivers around the city, which increased from £94 to £96 per week in January.

Mr Yasin said: "We are being told it is about choice and if we are not happy we should go elsewhere but we are being cornered."

The BBC approached Mercury Taxis, a major company in Sheffield, which said: "We do sympathise with the drivers, but now is not the time to be raising fares.

"We try to keep our costs to a minimum but the running costs and overheads for the company are increasing all the time."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/sheffield/h ... 432397.stm

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

even though all the firms round here are hackney there is a massive amount of discounting going on and ever more pressure from customers to drop prices ever lower trade has been desperately poor this last 3 months I heard about a school contract the other day where the price is £24 for about a 60 mile round trip the driver is on 40% so that equates to well below minimum wage although the driver is a mad one so maybe not at the speed he drives

The trouble is theres too many Firms out there that think that the solution to getting work is to keep going cheaper and cheaper and if the drivers get fed up and leave well theres plent more fresh off the plane !

Eventually drivers will be down to £3 or less per hour and then maybe numbers will start to decrease I think in some parts of Britain Ph and hackney drivers could end up like the dairy farmers did earning about £5000 a year for an 80 plus hour week

I have a driver who was working for another firm in the town and he worked around 70 hours a week for a year and his share after paying for the fuel, insurance and 40% of the bag ended up at £7,000 for the year, around £2.00 per hour.

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Grandad,

Private Hire cars driving slowly....

Might be worth a trip to Sheffield to see that

They weren't on a go slow last saturday near the motorpoint arena...

Went to see the AWESOME Elbow.

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Former taxi driver

The only time ph companies are going to listen to drivers is when it starts hitting their pockets. Perhaps drivers should discount the settle they pay. If it's done on mass there isn't really a lot they can do, but, address the problem

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

lol PH......those whacky guys!

Dont they know that a radio circuit wont work without them?

Give it one week with no cars working......its a bit difficult to keep customers when no cars when a PH company has no cars.

CC

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

We're not so whacky as you think, they'll need those customers a week later when they return to work. Heaven forbid we drive our customers to the taxi, bus and train services

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

cant see a problem with the taxi.....those that can go by bus probably already do......and the train is a tad limited?

CC

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

Did they use a Sat Nav?

good idea, and when they find the cost of metered trips the PH can raise thier fares

might do it myself

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

Ouch you bitch.

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Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.

Believe me, don't get Mercury X2

why do you think satnavs have so many language options?

heeeelo, eye ham yoor dreeever, mah neeem is stansilav, i very cheep, i have many cheeeeldren back home

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most