Taxi Driver Online

Diesel costs hit Falkirk cabbies hard

Taxi fares in Falkirk could rise again in April as drivers insist they cannot earn a living due to soaring diesel costs.


Falkirk Council’s environment and community safety committee recommended on Tuesday that the initial charge should increase by 20p, with a six per cent hike in the running mile.

The proposed rise follows hot on the heels of a price increase of three per cent in February and committee members expressed their concern that this would have the biggest impact on the poorest members of the community.

But taxi driver Roy Kerr told the meeting that cab drivers too were facing poverty wages as fuel costs rocketed.

Mr Kerr said: “It’s very difficult to make a living – it’s almost impossible to get into a taxi rank at the weekend.

“We have taxi drivers who are out working all night and making less than £3 an hour. If it wasn’t for the working tax credits, many of them would struggle to make enough to support their families.”

Mr Kerr pointed out that in 2009 when fares took a steep hike, diesel was £4.78 per gallon but in February this year it was £6.10 and since then prices have crept up to around £6.20, with the government planning a four-pence increase in duty in January.

He later told the Falkirk Herald that national figures show taxis in the Falkirk Council area are the 11th cheapest in the country –with fares ranked 351st out of 362 local authority areas.

The meeting also agreed to look at putting a cap on the number of taxi plates allowed in the town, something Mr Kerr has campaigned for for 10 years.

“It wil be a good morale boost for drivers,” he said.

Nearly half of all taxi operators had responded to a letter from the council, asking if they were in favour of a cap, and 95 per cent of them were.

The first step will be to get an independent taxi demand survey and operators have agreed to foot half of the bill for this, estimated at between £10,000 and £20,000.

“This shows the strength of feeling there is out there,” said the SNP’s Steven Jackson, as politicians from both sides of the divide agreed to take the plans forward.

Taxi drivers at the meeting were also pleased when the committee agreed to formalise the Taxi Forum, with proper minutes published online after every meeting.

The new format will also mean representatives of the public, including disabled people and local businesses who rely on taxis, will be able to have a say on how they run in Falkirk.



http://www.falkirkherald.co.uk/news/loc ... _1_1932111

Some Good news for Grumpy , good to see common sense prevail .

In my borough we have just had a meeting with the council over fares. Faced with the rise in fuel, licensing and 30% on insurance this year alone, what did the drivers propose..................... The flag fall to be for 0.3 of a mile instead of 0.5 of a mile. No other changes at all. I had proposed a somewhat more realistic increase but one driver who initially supported my proposal changed his mind just before the vote and the pathetic proposal was voted for by 6 votes to 5.

_________________
Grandad,

Indeed it is, Tony. nice to see the thoughts of the taxi forum being adopted in full, as there was the possibility of the proposals being watered down. Roy is a stalwart of the forum and always gives a good argument on behalf of the trade. I think the increase is due to take effect in August next year as opposed to April, I'll have to check that. It may be that, as it is within, rather than the full 18 months allowed for a review, it's been brought forward.

As for the proposed cap. I think the horse has bolted on that one. The numbers will remain static or rise through increased PHVs.

The formalisation of the forum is a hard one for me to comment on. I like the "informal" nature we have at present. A case of "if it's not broke, don't fix it." I'll hold my counsel till I attend a couple of the new format.

_________________
My heart is heavy, but my consience clear,
I voted Yes, without any fear.

Its nice to see the Government doing all it can to help kickstart British Business's in these austere times...Bunch of @$£%ng @$&%$&les...

This is all borlocks.

Even a 10% hike in fuel costs is only 10% of at most 20% of turn over. That's a 2% hike in any man's language.

So, where does the extra percentage being imposed come from?

A trade desperate for owners to hike drivers rentals.

So the driver pays again. He bears the brunt of a fixed rental hike, while customers disappear either to the bus, PH or just stay in cos the whole gig is getting too expensive.

Hiking prices in a recession just closes the economy down further. What part of this don't you guys understand?

The reason we're not making a buck is because we ain't getting bums on seats.

So, instead of just making things even harder by increasing the price disincentive, why don't you bright boys come up with the solution to encourage more business?

No ideas?

Thought not!

promised myself i would not respond to your posts but you are a first class Numpty and one bitter individual

Why justify it, if an increase is due it's due.


Folks won't be put in danger, if someone considers it too much they step down a level and get the bus, I want Levi's but I have to settle for what I can afford, hard life isn't it.

Do you have any bright ideas to get bums on seats and still earn a decent living?

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

I take it you have no ideas then?

Me? I just want to give the customers the sevice they deserve.

You truly are a complete t*sser.

It was OK to just hike tariffs when you want, when there was no competition. Now the competition is huge.

Ask where the weekend country jobs have gone? Why the ranks are stappit fu' with cabs all night every night. Why the radio companies give away driver's earnings.

Competition.

And you want to hike fares.

Dumpling that you are.

Quick question to you Jasbar. Have you worked an urban area? Or, as I suspect have you only experienced Edinburgh City Centre and it's environs?

We don't have a steady stream of tourists, students, commutors and day trippers to keep the wheels turning 24/7. Most days the wheels have weeds growing up them they sit so long.

I know you're answer will be of the "work when needed" variety. I tend to agree. The problem being that would cut the working week to 1am -4am on a Sunday. The other chestnut is "work smart, not long". The problem there being there is no smart hours. There is no rush hour. There's no need to catch the earlier train/bus/ferry. There's no customary hotspots on the clock. So what to do? Help us provide a better service. Give us the answers you carry in your head. Who knows we may learn something we don't already know.

BTW I don't think the majority of our customers grudge us an increase they have had the same journey for the same price (give or take 20p) for 5 years now.

_________________
My heart is heavy, but my consience clear,
I voted Yes, without any fear.

Grumpy's got it about right for here in Ayr.

Week days: School Runs ~ Now under threat. 2 trains an hour from Glasgow ~ mostly Commuters who are picked up by Spouse but frequently there are 2 or 3 journeys per train. Otherwise the only people who seem to be able to afford a Taxi are on the Brew and live on one, or other, of the Local Sink Estates.

Otherwise Pub Closing time and then the Clubbers between Midnight and 3am ~ Fri, Sat, Sun.

_________________
Don't dream it ~ Be it.

REALLY!

You're the one who wears a feckin skirt as national dress mate.

I've experienced idiots like you before, 30% discount leaflets printed up without even asking the boss if it was ok, you may well want to watch your profit to effort ratio shrink but I don't and neither do the others by the look of it, ever thought that when everyone is saying you are wrong you might just be WRONG!


Of course it can't be can it, you know Toots is a bloke, you dim feckin tweet.

So how does hiking fares, making the service even more expensive in a time of recession attract customers?

Go on. Explain it to us. We're waiting.



And here's another one to make us all laugh.

Who's gonna benefit from the hike?

Customers? Nope, we already know they're the ones being stiffed. And drivers working longer and harder to stand still in a process of diminishing returns, well that's real public safety isn't it?

Drivers? Well their rentals are gonna be hiked, probably by a fixed amount and which will bear no relation to the level of work available. So you pay more, even if you don't earn more.

Owners? Well they're gonna get a cash injection. They hike the rentals whether justified or no. Their envelope gets fatter as the driver works longer to fatten it.

Taxi companies? Well they're unaccountable anyway. Whether they operate efficiently or not, they get to hike their rates and you pay them or walk. The gangs running them will simply rack up more and higher expenses, their nice little earner secured.

The council? Well they benefit, because they can hike licence fees. All they have to do is make sure that drivers don't have axccess to their own vehicle and the whole house of cards will not fall.

So, what are you?

A winner or a loser?