Taxi Driver Online

Yes, I'm quite sure I was wrong in some of my assumptions, that's why I qualified my remarks by saying:

I'm probably not entirely accurate with my assumptions, but I'm quite sure the figures you quote aren't comparing like with like.

Comparisons of rentals are often made and conclusions drawn, but it's very often the case that the comparisons are not like for like, and I was just mentioning some of the factors that may be relevant in comparing rentals.

But I still hold to my basic point - rentals are ceterus paribus ( ) higher in areas with premiums.

The ceterus paribus assumtion (ie that all the other factors in the comparision are the same) is important because it allows the comparison to disregard factors that aren't really relevant to the comparison - for example, if a rental included office fees, then you either include the same fee when comparing a plate premium area with a non-premium area, or exclude office fees altogether. So by keeping other factors the same, and thus comparing like with like, the effect of premiums on rentals can be isolated.

So for a more simple comparison, imagine I wanted to run an Octavia PH in Brighton, which I could probably lease new for around £60pw, and with maintenance and insurance it would probably not cost much more than £100 pw?

Now suppose I wanted a weekly rent on the same car to work the ranks. How much?

Where's cgull when you want him?

ins...............70............................

Dodgy lot up north, right dodgy lot.

Liverpool new driver clean licence

[
car...............60............per week ..
set...............85............................
ins...............70............................
ro/tax...........4.............................
lic.................4.............................
repairs.........30............................
.................253.............per week...if you are lucky...mr T ..

You forgot the ceterus paribus assumption Mr T

I would have used the comparison of a vehicle only without licensing and insurance, but the problem is that you probably won't be able to rent a HC from a plate holder without it being licensed and insured and maintained (unless perhaps you illegally hire a plate).

I was also assuming insurance at the lower end of the market, surely you could insure an Octavia for £20 a week with a full NCB. And there can't be many paying £3,500 for PH Octavia insurance?

I would say you could run an Octavia in Brighton for £120 covering car, reps and maint, insurance, road tax and licensing.

So how much to rent an Octavia HC, before office fees?

...people who speculate money into new businesses should expect a return on the investment made and a decent weekly return for their hard work...

Now I know you have nothing to do with taxis. do you ?????

Now I know you have nothing to do with taxis. do you ?????

In my manor you can buy a new Octavia for £50 a week (3 year warrenty with Taxi Centre) and insure it for £20 a week.

So an extra £50 a week (£2,500 a year) on tyres, brakes and licensing costs, isn't that far off the mark.

OK, I didn't know the precise SP in Halifax, so presumably it's just the drivers that are poor quality

But in general terms, I don't really get your allusion that high premiums mean that there won't be low quality cars.

As we've discussed ad nauseum, there's not really a hard and fast connection between quality and premiums.

For example, as I said in another thread towards the end of last year:

The OFT report said:

The average estimated licence shortage premium (where it exists) for a licensed vehicle is around £16,500 (in addition to the cost of the taxi itself). The estimated values obtained are as high as £50,000 in Woking...

Yet a recent Woking Borough Council report said:

Standard of current taxi service - from the findings of the Survey it is evident that there is a need for continued improvement in the local taxi service. The pedestrian survey and consultations undertaken with individuals and organisations, indicated concerns over the age, condition and safety of vehicles and driver quality and customer care and that the overall impression of the local taxi service did not reflect well on the Borough when compared with taxi services elsewhere.

And we all know about the tat in Blackpool and the £40k+ premiums.

The key to quality is of course direct regulation - indeed you say so yourself - 'the council don't allow [crap cars]'.

Yorkie, plate values for saloons are decreasing but that is following the intoduction of the cheap and chatty Fiat Doblo but as it is a WAV you can get a plate for free.

Rentals in Gateshead are £150 - £180 a week, this is for 24 hrs and includes all costs including insurance, from plateholders.
Rentals from PH operators for HC vehicles far exeed that, vehicle rental starts from about £180 a week but doesn't include office fee's or insurance.

In conclusion the "greedier" plateholders are PH offices, these are the people with enough money to go out and buy 50+ WAVs should they so wish, then rent them out or sell them on to those who can't get finance to purchase their own in their own right.

This whole argument is becoming decidedly boring, people who speculate money into new businesses should expect a return on the investment made and a decent weekly return for their hard work, whether they are a garage owner or taxidriver.

Derestriction doesn't work in the way you suggest, it delivers more power to those with money as they can then afford to put on an unlimited amount of vehicles.

The problem here is that few people can see beyond the end of their noses, they are so blinkered by their own greed that anyone who disagrees with their quest is full of s**t.

I will say only this, when every HC driver is forced to work for a PH operator ,when all the ranks have been replaced with freephones, when all the PH operators demand newer vehicles and then put up their fee's and you've got to either pay up or leave, don't dare say "hey, i wish the trade was like it was before.

B. Lucky