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Southampton taxi fares to be cut over festive period


Taxi fares to be cut over festive period

TAXI fares in Southamptonwill be slashed this Christmas after a single cabbie scuppered the goodwill gesture last year.

Traditional double fares from 11pm on Christmas Eve to 6am on December 27 will be cut to time-and-a-half.

Taxi chiefs hope the move will boost trade as well as offering some cheer to hard-pressed customers.

Perry McMillan, chairman of the Southampton cab section of Unite, the union, said: “It’s a goodwill gesture from the trade to encourage people into taxis over Christmas.”

Ian Hall, chairman of the Southampton Hackney Association, who first proposed the Christmas cut, said: “We want to encourage people to get into white taxis. It’s good for the customer.”

Taxi trade bodies had hoped to bring in the reduced fares last Christmas but a lone taxi driver objected, triggering a licensing meeting which delayed the change.

Marc Smith, 50, said the festive gesture was “truly bizarre” and claimed many passengers did not care what they were charged to get home from a night out in the city at Christmas. He said drivers deserved the higher premium for working Christmas holidays.

Double fares from 11pm on New Year’s Eve until 6am on New Year’s Day will remain.

source: http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/9425694 ... ve_period/

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

I think Marc has a point, in fact i think he's right.

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 are on fare and a half from 6 PM Christmas eve to 6 AM on the 27 TH, them 6 PM on old years night to 6 AM on the 3 RD

Why do they need to have the fares cut by the council? Surely they could just charge less if they want to. Some companys never charge double fare around here, well at least the companys think they don't, the drivers know different.

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Grandad,

That wouldnt grab headlines

CC

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

I feel the exact opposite.

Down here double meter on Xmas and Boxing day absolutely killed our trade on those days.

We have moved to meter and a half, but it's taking a long time to re-build the custom we lost.

Yes drivers need to be rewarded for working these days, and they are worth every penny they get, however if no-one gets a cab, then they wont earn a bean.

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IDFIMH

In my experience people are quite happy paying double xmas day and boxing day its xmas eve that isn the problem people want to go out for a drink but don't want to pay higher rates and many walk to and most walk that night no matter what the weather

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

Problem with this type of argument is that the people who are disgruntled by high fares won't use taxis at all, so it's a bit misleading to say that those who are using them aren't mumping and moaning.

In the small town where I work some of the worst spells I've ever had have been on Xmas Eve and New Year's Eve, yet we've got the premium fares operating at these times.

And we just get fare and a half.

Even at that I'm making a fortune for a couple of hours after midnight, but Sussex is right, for the rest of the time it just kills the trade.

but the points raised dont actually say the driver can charge less.....the fare is a maximum......just look at how skippys cabs have taken off in gala with his 20% off.

the guy should be running primark.

CC

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

Problem with the discounting argumment is that it's one of those things that if the rest of the world did it then it would be taxi drivers who'd be mumping