Taxi Driver Online

An extract from an online article from the website of Management Today, which criticises London Black Cabs, The Knowledge system and LTDA. The full article is available on this link; http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/news/1 ... k-winners/

The nice chap who wrote the article, whilst talking out of his ar*e, is Luke Johnson and the scribblings are contained within his piece entitled;

Luke Johnson: Work on your winners
By Luke Johnson Friday, 01 April 2011
Our serial entrepreneur says it's time to ditch the low performers in your business.

I often take Addison Lee minicabs to work. Overall, they offer an excellent service - reliable, comfortable, with smart, friendly drivers - and their tariff is perhaps 20% lower than black cabs. Unfortunately, they are not permitted to compete properly by plying for business on the public highway - so allowing overpriced black cabs to continue their protectionist racket.

Frequently, I find London's legendary taxi drivers grumpier than ever. They sit in shorts and vest, talking on the phone, and if you recommend a preferred route they behave as if you have sworn at them. Our black cabs are probably the most expensive taxis in the world, but so often the levels of service provided to passengers are pitiful. It's no wonder that nowadays they get minimal tips.

Modern satellite navigation means the qualification to be a taxi driver, the Knowledge, is irrelevant - but the authorities persist with this arcane training, forcing would-be cabbies to study for years. This creates artificial barriers to entry, and gives existing black cab drivers a sense of entitlement to above-market pay. A high proportion of drivers are white, male and well over 50, and lots do not bother to work many days a week, thanks to years of lucrative earnings and adroit tax management. So a high proportion of black cabs are underused.

The entire system needs reinventing. More and cheaper vehicle models need licensing, so it is less expensive to own and repair them. Many more medallions need issuing, to provide more cabs on the streets. Old-fashioned training must be scrapped and replaced with satnav technology to encourage more diverse and younger recruits to the profession. And fares need slashing, so that more of London's citizens and tourists can afford to use taxis.

Our politicians and regulators are intimidated by lobby groups like the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association, but the legislators should be bolder and seek wholesale reform. Consumers are being cheated by a poor-value monopoly, and the world's greatest city deserves better.

Source; http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/news/1 ... k-winners/

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Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

Type a message, post your news,
Disagree with other members' views;
But please, do have some decorum,
When debating on the TDO Forum.

I'm not sure that Addison Lee would want the laws changed to allow their drivers to pick up from the street, as they know most of those drivers would leave and go and work independently.

In respect of his views of London cabbies, well I'm not a massive user of their service, but when I do use London cabs it's good that the lads know where they are going, the fare is never a problem for me, but most of the ones that drive me from A to B are as miserable as miserable can be.

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IDFIMH

What a load of knackers

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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

Which bit?

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Grandad,

I said i see loads of them chatting on handheld mobiles and tail gatting,using horns frequently-SHE LOVES THEM! Wont hear a bad word said about them,they give customers a good,safe service-especially if you are a lone female.

Space

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GuildfordPH

He makes a good point, London cabby's are forced to buy these the more expensive cabs due to the out of date turning circle
If they dropped that requirement cabby's could buy the cheaper cabs that are available to the rest of the UK so they could keep there fares down

Good to see he supports the slave trade.

They can ply for hire, they just have to pass the Knowledge, it's not our fault they're too thick or their lack of direction and english prohibits them from doing so.

He's also talking about account prices, phone for a Scaddison Lee and he'll charge you a minimum fare of £17, plus more than we do for most trips, so this 20% is crap.




What crap.

This guy is well suited to the second rate service that he uses.

Sat Nav?

Yep, that worked well the other weekend when half of London was under attack from anarchists, or when the daily 43 major routes around London are closed for roadworks etc etc.





More crap. Drivers can work when they want, thats what self employment is about, unless he's advocating we all work contracted hours like the Addison Lee slave trade?

He uses the term 'medallion' which would suggest he's a yank.

I dislike Yanks, so if he doesn't like our system, [edited by admin] off back to America with your opinions.

Nuff said.

Really?

Have you ever bought a house in or around London?

A studio flat in London would buy your house, car, bank savings and a bit more, the fares we charge reflect the costs of servicing and living down in the south east.

I don't know where to start.......

their tariff is perhaps 20% lower than black cabs.

Well thats just bolox

if you recommend a preferred route they behave as if you have sworn at them.

No I'm more than happy if the punter recomends a route as long as they do so at the begining, it's the "you should have turned left there mate" merchants that wind me up. I suspect Johnson is one of them.


Modern satellite navigation means the qualification to be a taxi driver, the Knowledge, is irrelevant - but the authorities persist with this arcane training, forcing would-be cabbies to study for years. This creates artificial barriers to entry, and gives existing black cab drivers a sense of entitlement to above-market pay. A high proportion of drivers are white, male and well over 50, and lots do not bother to work many days a week, thanks to years of lucrative earnings and adroit tax management. So a high proportion of black cabs are underused.

Anyone with a driving licence and a cleainish record can do the knowledge If anything there is positive encoragement iof minoraties,

The entire system needs reinventing.

If it aint broke don't fix it.


.

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There's no excuse for animal abuse. If you ain't vegan you are an animal abuser.

What you need a bank loan to get a cab in London

Well....it Is April the 1st

NUFF SAID!

London Taxis Voted World’s Best, Rome Worst
Mon, Aug 9, 2010
Odd News

9
ShareThe results of hotels.com third annual taxi poll was just released, and as expected, London taxis were voted best in the world again.

London cabbies beat the competition far and away thanks to their friendliness and taxi wisdom, which has a lot to do with their extensive taxi education called The Knowledge (sounds like a course from The Matrix). London was also ranked as having the most expensive taxis in the world, but you get what you pay for.

Here are cities with the top 10 taxis in the world according to voters:

#1 London – 59%
#2 New York – 27% (We wonder if Cash Cab has anything to do with this favorable number.)
#3 Tokyo – 26%
#4 Berlin – 17%
#5 Bangkok – 14%
#6 Madrid – 12%
#7 Copenhagen – 11%
#8 Dublin – 11%
#9 Frankfurt – 10%
#10 Paris – 10%

On the flip side, Rome was voted as having the worst taxi drivers in the world, with 1 in 10 travelers putting them at the bottom of the list in terms of quality of driving.

Despite both cities making the top 10, Paris and New York tied for having the rudest taxi drivers in the world. But New York took home the honorable distinction of having the most available taxis of any city in the world. (That seems like a fair trade off: the driver will be an a-hole, but at least you can easily catch a cab.)


http://thejetpacker.com/london-taxis-vo ... ome-worst/


You can stick your addipoo where the sun dont shine!

Well that's one way of getting your cab account paid

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

All of it.

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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

Yeah right my sat nav never takes me the shortest route when I have to go to London (which is not very often fortunately). Theres no substitute for real knowledge

that article is typical journalistic license the facts are highly embellished and wrong but I'm sure the magazine that printed it got a nice big advert out of addison lee

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector