Taxi Driver Online

Private hire vehicles accused of picking up passengers who flag them down

EAST Grinstead's cabbies have revealed the ongoing battle in the town between hackney carriages and private hire taxis.

Hackney carriage drivers say their competitors "loiter" around and pluck passengers from under their noses.

Legally, private hire vehicles must be pre-booked; they cannot be hailed in the street, whereas hackney carriages can.

Hackney carriage driver Mike Revely, secretary of the Mid Sussex Taxi Association, said: "The nightclub in East Grinstead is like a gold rush with law and order at its lowest depths.

"They [private hire cars] loiter and they form their own queue behind ours. Our guys park on the pavement opposite the Whitehall, whereas the others park behind or drive up and down and pick up people who flag them. The parasites loiter all over the place and they will rip people off if they get a chance. It's been a problem for years."

But Gerry O'Shea, from King Of The Road Cars, said private hire firms are just trying to earn a living.

"There was an incident a couple of years ago when I was parked opposite the Whitehall," he said.

"There were four hackneys in front of me and two girls were turned away by them because they had no money, so I took them home to Turners Hill free of charge and I got reported for it.

"I did my citizen's duty and that was frowned upon, but I'd rather they got home safe.

"We're out there to earn a living. We are only a small outfit and we are competing for work. As long as we can compete in an even battlefield, then fine."

source: http://www.thisissussex.co.uk/Private-h ... story.html

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

I bet he took them home for free???

And it's stories like these that will have an effect on the deliberations of the Law Commission.

The problem can be eradicated over night by allowing PH to pick up when flagged, or just have a one-tier of licensing.

But I'm not sure Mr Mid Sussex would approve.

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IDFIMH

I have taken passengers home for free in my Hackney on a few occasions. I also look upon it as my citizens duty. Others just call them runners!

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Grandad,

Real heroes are never appreciated

Yes, that's always a good way to get out of accusations of illegality.



Yes, that's why you're offering freebies when the drunks spend all their money in the pubs and clubs.



So in the context of the story what does this mean, precisely?

And perhaps his use of the word 'battlefield' is revealing?

The trouble with doing freebies is that people often get the wrong idea we have one out at Barnack that never pays for any taxi ever ! If you know the customer and are sure they will pay you back OK but there are no end of freeloaders out there it is never a wise move you can bet your bottom dollar that they have spent every penny on booze and not kept enough back for the cab fare home !

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