Taxi Driver Online

Although most drivers are self employed we have to work under local Authority rules and regulations.

The one that is getting to me at the moment is that they can flood the market with taxis under the guise of "deregulation"! this has generally one result only, and that is for drivers to end up working 70/80/90 + hours per week.

I could probably end up writing page after page on this that would be no more than a rant, so I will cut to the chase.

As it stands L.A after L.A are creating dangerous working conditions, caused by making drivers who are desperate to work purchase expensive vehicles that then have to be paid for! The drivers find that the trade disappeared big time so end up working silly hours.

My question is this; Do we come under P.A.Y.E terms of employment in terms of safety, because we are working under the L.As legislation/working conditions that is plainly dangerous.

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if you cannot be yourself, then who can you be.

They don't care John, it's all about the folding to them, more cars more fees, local firm does a contract job, 20 mins to locate, 40 mile round trip, 30 mins drop zone, total for the job is 2-3 hrs, £16.50.

So that is minus £6.50 fuel, then take the other costs and that tenner looks like a quid an hour.

Wonder why 80% of the drivers on there are foreign, and that 80% of the cars are owned by 5 LTD Companies accounting for 600 odd cars.

They simply don't care, it's greed greed greed, and if you look ahead 50 years these people are the WMD that will decimate this country, because there will be nobody with any money and anarchy will reign supreme, I hope they like cowering in the corner as the Zombies close in on them.

Who priced the job and who accepted the job?

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Grandad,

It all started about 20 years ago, another now retired bankrupt taxi company owner got it in his head he had to have the NHS contract at any cost, this 20 years ago meant you got £1.80 less 20% admin to do a 5 mile trip that back then was at least £4.50, he did this infront of a specialist company that used to moped samples about and the guy said he simply couldn't match the quoted £1.80, it then went from bad to worse when he murdered his company and the remnant's were picked up by the now dominant firm, his mentality was terrible, he coaxed an LO to push de-reg through so he could have an Asquith retro 5 seater licensed, something we are still reeling from today, all done and dusted in time for the LO to quit the council to go work for the cab firm, soon after he disposed of him as he had no further use for him, plus he was a fat useless t*** anyway, came after me like a SWAT team one night for double parking in an 8 car wide road, then virtually followed me back to the office, can't write what happened next but lets just say I was ushered out of sight until he'd gone away, only LO I've ever had a dislike of in 25 years, says a lot really doesn't it.

What we have here is people who'd rather do something for nothing than let someone else make a profit from it, my mate recently sold up and bought a 20k executive car to do long distance, 80 miles for £78 plus another 20 miles RTB after that, minus 15% settle per job, fuel and £200 per corner tyres that don't last long, I asked him the other day how it was going, yeah great he says, he now earns £3-400 pw out of a £900pw take and god knows how many hours at any on call hour, not for me, bad enough on my side of things but at least I know when bedtime is and my take exceeds my miles per unit.

Btw, the firm has training camps in eastern europe and basically runs trashed cars with trash customers on a trash fare scale, wanna know why the insurance is rising, it's not claim culture it's Pavel and co smashing the cars up constantly, you can take any test you like, but when you get here you have to adapt to the other side of the road and that isn't easy when you get less per job than the pub does per pint.

Mmmm sounds like a firm round here.

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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

Something else that isn't highlighted either Mids is those that set these prices never ever do the jobs themselves, I had it 20 years ago, they set bad prices and all that happened was they sacrificed two areas of the town where drivers simply wouldn't call for a job, as those areas were the better areas customer wise it made a difference to the firm long term and the drivers began to leave, so what was a 55 car company working on two way radio when I joined it in 1986 was eventually swallowed up with 12 cars remaining in 1997.

You will also notice that certain cars are immune to bad jobs and others aren't, locally an airport run can be as little as £49 and averages £55 for a 58 mile trip one way, the meter shows it at £140 one way, these are two reasons I never want to go PH again, it is what it is, totally unregulated and abusive, if I ever get back there it will be with my own company, and the rules will be no cheap account fares, instant dismissal for operators caught feeding and the removal of drivers who harm the company with complaints of overcharging and bad hygene, i.e I intend to offer a service to people who want a service, the cheap seats can stay where they are.

That is what works for me.

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Grandad,

Can't argue with that Doom, I hate feeders with a passion and the drivers who think they should get all the roaders leaving the other drivers to sweep the mess up.

If I had my way it would be like yours but I'd add another little bit, "No Drivers In The Office At Any Time." We've got a problem were there's always the same drivers in the office and are never seen on the rank but you'll see them schleping around town with their top lights off and with a POB. If I found any drivers in the office I'd sack them on the spot.

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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

Seen it myself, we used to have one years ago who'd wait for the op to be away from the desk and read the booking sheet, another one currently in the game can't give the staff enough coffe,fags and pressies at xmas, it's sickly if you ask me, I look at them as dead wood, any cabby who is a real cabby doesn't have to bribe folks to earn a living, company cars are another thing, they never seem to get the muck and creme is just thrown their way, one reason I'm Indy now and have been for nearly 15 years, I look at firms like a creche, all the babies have to flock to mummies tit to survive, but the way mummy treats them they should bite her feckin tit off and spit it in her face, there is one team in town, driver is a grub and the partner is an op, she's been working it into him all these years and nothing is done, we got them bang at it one night, we phoned from the rank and asked for a LD quote, agreed a price and said we need to be going asap, he came flying in like a plane without wheels, the car that should've got the job was ranked behind me, he sat there 20 minutes hoping it was gen, still it gave the other cars 20 mins grace to get in front of him job wise.

sometimes its the only way to check base ops aint "buffering" jobs, passing the half mile £2 "jumps" to the 1st driver in the queue and the real next £10 job to the favoured car behind him....

when you dont hear 1 car being called or see them in laybys on the phone then they vanish for 2 hours.....

FTF

Fed To F**k

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