Taxi Driver Online

Taxi meters mix-up gives Aberdeen passengers cheaper fares

Computer problem blamed for discount

TAXI fares in Aberdeen were reduced over the festive period – because of a computer glitch.

A problem with the programming of meters in Aberdeen meant fares were £1 short on Christmas Eve and Hogmanay.

Aberdeen taxis had their fare counters altered to accommodate a 4% fares rise but meters should have showed the starting fare between 8am and 10pm on Christmas Eve and Hogmanay as £3.40 instead of £2.40.

For the full story, pick up a copy of today’s Evening Express

http://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/Article.aspx/2581687

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

Which meters were effected was it the Halda ones?

It's Gus's manor....so it'll be the scottish nationalist ones and the company that let them down is bound to be English

CC

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

Yes. Probably no more than 10% of the fleet.

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

The paper has, as usual, got the story wrong.

90ish % of the fleet don't have halda meters, so didn't have the problem.
The halda agent advised the affected drivers just to add on the £1 as extras. Whether that's legal or not, I don't know.

Very few if any passengers got a discounted fare.

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

So only 10% of the fleet put the meters on early for radio work.

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IDFIMH

Not sure what you mean

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

Meters are calendar controlled and time locked. The drivers can't change the tariff early.

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

For radio work they need to travel to the job once they have got it, so what some ghastly drivers could do is put the meter on whilst on the way ensuring the meter showing the correct flag when they got there.

You are far too honest Gus.

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IDFIMH

I don't have a radio

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

Almost a carbon copy of what happened in Edinburgh seven years ago:

http://taxi-driver.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=18523

Not quite. The problem only affected halda meters, was only a pound short & wasn't during the festive tariff.

It was 5am -10pm on 24th and 31st December.
As I understand, the meters weren't programmed to recognise these dates as Saturdays, so were running a start fare of £2.40 instead of £3.40

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

Perhaps I should have put the word 'almost' in bold.

Hardly the same would be closer

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

Yes, I can see why as someone from the affected area you're taking that perspective, but from the perspective of most others on here they'll just notice a problem with the programming of calander controlled meters which arose because of the festive season and made it into the local press.

Likewise, there was a similar, er I mean an episode sharing some of the same characteristics, in Dundee last year.

viewtopic.php?t=15729

Funny that, I can't recall reading any other stories on here about that sort of thing elsewhere in the UK, so it's strange that all these three reported cases arose in Scotland?