Taxi Driver Online

Police chief raises concerns about up-front taxi fares

Plans by Dundee taxi drivers to charge passengers for their journey in advance ''may create additional confrontation,'' according to the police.




Members of the city's taxi industry have been considering the move in a bid to stop ''runners'' from leaving cars without paying.

However, a letter from Chief Superintendent Gavin Robertson to Dundee City Council's licensing committee has suggested that charging passengers up front may be counter-productive.

He also states the number of drivers reporting passengers who do not pay dropped from 62 in 2010 to 45 in 2011.

''This analysis tends to indicate a decrease in this type of crime and does not indicate any particular increase during the festive season,'' said Mr Robertson in his letter.

''I would suggest that advance payment may create additional confrontation between taxi drivers and customers — however, I have no research available to support this stance.''

The proposals, backed by some sections of the city's taxi driving community, have been put forward as drivers look to protect their income in the face of high fuel and vehicle maintenance costs.

Chris Elder, Unite union taxi branch secretary, has previously told The Courier that he believes most passengers would be understanding if asked to pay up front.

The proposal is set to be discussed at a meeting of Dundee City Council's licensing committee later this week.

http://www.thecourier.co.uk/News/Dundee ... fares.html

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

Typical plod thinking.
If it's anything like here, the vast majority don't get reported because it's a wasted effort.

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

Disagree ! It's discrimination and, a hazard of the job ! Out of area yes..Local...an arguement before you engage the meter and, the topic of conversation for the said journey ! Gotta agree with the police on this one..after all..his few members have CCTV installed.

To my mind, the real reason for the fall in Complaints is the Law's, almost, complete inability to deal with the situation in a speedy and equitable manner.

If you take the miscreant to the Police Station; your Cab has probably been vandalised on the way; you are off the Road for about an hour, or more frequently90 mins. If the Case eventually goes to Court, 6+ months later, you loose another Day as a Witness and are likely to see about £5 a month, in reparation, which costs more to Bank than it is worth.

No wonder the reporting of Failure to Pay is falling!

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Don't dream it ~ Be it.

I would rather have a discussion about this before the start of the journey that during or after the journey.

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Grandad,

There’s been occassions, (very few) when I’ve asked for money upfront. Sometimes yer’ gut instinct just tells you, and it’s better to lose the fare at the start of the journey than the end, ie unpaid. Having said that, done this 14 years now, (Nightshift) and been bumped, 5 times max. Most people are good.... As they should be.

I drive continuous back-shift. OK there are a few people that don't get asked for a suitable Deposit when taking a journey of over £10.00, after midnight, but they're few and far between.

On journeys of less than £10.00, I would normally expect to have 2 attempts, each and every Friday and Saturday Night, as the Clubs close. That's approximately 5% of all short runs. Of course, most of them manage to pay when they find that they cannot get out with out the offer of sufficient cash, but reckon that I loose about 1 fare each month.

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Don't dream it ~ Be it.

Wee Eddie, if what you say is indicitive of what happens where you are, then am’ sorry mate but Edinburgh is different (Thank goodness) Aye, you might get the occassional horror stories that have appeared recently, but in my experience, customers, including the drunks, are pretty good.

And possibly facing a kidnapping/false imprisonment charge, or whatever.

Five nightshift runners in a big city over 14 years??

Edinburgh must be full of saints.

Well it would be a problem at first, but after a while it would just become accepted practice.

Remember when people used to smoke in pubs or when you went to a filling station and someone came out and refuelled your car for you?

Things change. It's not always easy, but a couple of years later and you wonder what all the fuss was about.

Having said all that, I can't see this happening in the taxi trade. And if it did it should really be a national thing rather than local.

I don't think the local attempts in England to do as what's proposed in Dundee have come to much.

Of course, to a large extent people are used to paying up front for longer trips, and this may gradually extent to shorter ones as well, particularly in local areas where there's a big problem with runners.

But if things do change it's more likely to be down to thousands of drivers each gradually changing their way of doing things rather than something coming from on high from clueless policemen driving a desk and councillors with their heads up their backsides.

Balderdash. They don't wanna pay up front then you don't take them. End of.

The reason no one reports runners now is that the cops are not interested. A guy walks out of a shop without paying it's shoplifting. leavce a taxi without paying, whatever the
reason may be, it's coinsidered a civil matter.

Go away, we're not interested say the cops and the PF.

Perhaps the reason why an Edinburgh cabbie drove at a refusnik and ended up in jail?

Edinburgh council's answer?

Take a deposit

Why don't you tight tvvats spend some money and invest in Debit and Credit Card facilities, oh sorry I forgot it's Scotland.

Why don't you go and take your meds?

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

How would that stop a runner?

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Grandad,