Taxi Driver Online

Fare cut is unfair claim taxi drivers



TAXI drivers say they are outraged at a decision of private hire company to reduce its minimum fare.

SN1 Cars reduced its minimum fare for a half-mile journey from £3.80 to £3 on Monday.

Its drivers say it will lead to less money in their pockets and drivers from rival companies say it will lead to increased competition.

About 20 drivers from SN1 Cars, V Cars, United, Swindon Airport Cars and Hackney Cab drivers met to discuss the move, as well as other issues affecting their income, yesterday.

Nick Chambers, who has been a taxi driver for 10 years, said: “Private hire taxi drivers are outraged by a decision that has been made without any prior consultation with the drivers, to reduce the minimum fare to £3 from £3.80.

“This will greatly reduce their incomes and it comes at the same time as radio rent was also put up again with no consultation from drivers.

“This, combined with increasing petrol and diesel costs, means drivers are working dangerously long hours and their family life and their health is suffering.”

Other taxi drivers, including Russell Read, also raised concerns about the number of licences handed out by Swindon Council and the rent for radio, which averages at £90.

“We are not asking for special treatment as we have all chosen this particular employment,” he said.

“What we are asking for is the same fair working conditions all people in this country supposedly have the right to.

“That income is not put down by management with no consultation, those working hours are not raised without consultation, those staff levels are not allowed to get so high that the work level just isn’t there.

“We want the people of Swindon to have some understanding of our predicament while we carry on providing a good service.”

Martyn Newson, the proprietor of SN1 Cars, said: “The minimum fare has been reduced for a journey which represents half a mile.

“This was designed because we get OAPs really unable to walk. They have short journeys, perhaps 200 yards up the road, and I just think charging people doing this sort of journey £3.80 is exactly fair.

“The amount of diesel for half a mile is next to nothing. We felt it would generate work for the drivers.”

A Swindon Borough Council spokesman said: “The limit on the numbers of Hackney Carriage vehicles in Swindon was lifted in 2006 in line with Government guidance.

“As a result, we no longer have the power to limit the number of Hackney Carriage vehicle licences issued.

“The council has no legal authority to refuse to issue licences to Private Hire drivers and Private Hire vehicles, providing the council’s licensing criteria is met.

“We were invited to today’s meeting with the drivers, but we declined because we are meeting the Private Hire Association and Hackney Carriage Association, both of which are recognised groups, on Friday.”

http://www.thisiswiltshire.co.uk/news/h ... i_drivers/

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

a radio circuit can only exsist provided drivers pay the radio rent.

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 really dislike the idea of lowering fares without consultation with the drivers.

However they have a choice as to leave or to stay, and maybe, just maybe, they might have more money in their pockets at the end of the week.

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IDFIMH

I don't buy the idea that the drivers will have more money in their pockets. Even if they do have more money it will probably mean less profit. So they will be having to work more for less money. They should all just leave en-masse on the busiest day of the week, if there is one.

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Grandad,

I agree, I'd love to see the owners face if they did.

It gets my back up when operators dictate the prices to drivers when the drivers pay them each week.

It all goes back to the two £6 job or the three £5 job scenario.

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IDFIMH

That theory is just that, a theory. In practice would a driver actually get 3 £5.00 jobs for every 2 £6.00 jobs. I doubt it.

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Grandad,

Indeed it is theory.

But how many 50p tins of beans do Tescos sell compared with the 80p tins at Waitrose?

Or how many bog standard tyres does your local tyre specialist sell compared to Michelins?

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IDFIMH

All depends on where you live and what the competition is

In your scenario the checkout staff and shelf stackers and tyre fitters are paid a wage. They do not get paid by the quantity of cheap beans or tyres that are sold.

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Grandad,

Best leave the discussion there then.

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IDFIMH

I'd have thought £3.80p for half a mile was a bit much anyway.

CC

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

So you're alluding that if you doubled fares in your area then drivers would be earning twice as much?

How do you conclude that? I'm saying that by cutting fares drivers may not make more profit.

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Grandad,

What I'm alluding to is that fare levels have little more to do with what drivers earn than the price of tin of beans has to do with what shelf stackers earn.