Taxi Driver Online

Taxi drivers threaten to strike over parking ticket



CHILTERN taxi drivers have threatened to strike over an "unfair" parking ticket given to a driver parked in a taxi rank.

250 taxi drivers working in Amersham, Chesham and the Chalfont’s have warned they will strike if a parking penalty issued to Munir Ahmed is not cancelled.

Mr Ahmed from High Wycombe said he was stood just metres from the taxi rank at Amersham train station where his Volks Wagon Passat was parked, when he was issued a £35.00 penalty.

NSL Ltd took over on-street parking enforcement from Chiltern District and Bucks County Councils on February 1.

The shocked drivers of the district believe the private company are just looking to make money by issuing "unfair" tickets.

A spokesman for the Chiltern Taxi Drivers Association (CTDA) said: "This parking issue is becoming a major controversy. This company seem hell bent on making money since they bought the contract from the council and this unfair ticket is an example of this."

NSL have refused to refund Mr Ahmed because only taxis that are plying for trade should be in the rank.

Anne James, Network Resilience Manager for Transport for Buckinghamshire said: "The taxi driver had left his vehicle unattended in a taxi rank; the rules state that taxis must always be occupied by a driver and be ready for hire when in a taxi rank."

But Mr Ahmed argues his taxi’s light was left on and he was stood close by, available for hire. CTDA have also raised concerns that the ticket suggests drivers doing an eight to ten hour shift are expected to sit in their car without a break.

250 of the 300 drivers operating in the area have signed a petition asking the Chiltern District and Bucks County Councils to support an appeal, with the threat of a strike if not.

CTDA said: "They (Chiltern District and Bucks County Councils) have closed the door on our face and the drivers feel like there is no other option but to strike.

"Now innocent people are going to suffer. All those people getting off the trains in Amersham won’t be able to get a taxi home."

source: http://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/news/97 ... ng_ticket/

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

Isn't this the same lot who issue tickets through the post to motorists who use supermarket car parks, if so all everyone has to do is bin them, make no reply to any correspondence from them.

So he was just meters from his cab parked on a rank yet didn't see the warden.....laughable.

perhaps, but as skippy says, that company could have been camouflaged

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

Er, isn't the idea of a break to be away from the taxi rank?

It is possible that you/I could sit in a taxi waiting for a fare that has been known to be up to two hours! My own views are that it is reasonable to be out of your car during that period of time for health reasons - I would also argue that you are in a queue system that restricts the movement of vehicles and that there was no obstruction or denial of a space for another driver. It is also democratic and helps to maintain peace, by doing so you are not prohibiting other drivers the right to earn their living - therefore acting lawfully. Having said that, I tend to think that "Health" is the best way forward.

This nonsense that you must not be out of your car is antiquated.

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if you cannot be yourself, then who can you be.

That's what I thought, the warden has to observe the vehicle before issuing a ticket. To say he didn't see the warden is like you say, "laughable".

Where does it say that the ticket was issued by a warden? Could it have been "observed" using CCTV?

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Grandad,

yep......and nidge should know!

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

A point: If you are sitting in a Rank, only the first Cab is available for Hire.

The moment he is Hired, he is no longer the first Cab on the Rank and the one that was behind him becomes available for Hire.

This is, of course, a quibble over the wording of the various Regulations.

In the meantime I would suggest a policy of, what teachers used to call, Dumb Insolence. In the classroom, that was the old Humming lark. Not much use in the Street but if every Warden was met by a continuous whistle, from all Drivers, when the approached the Rank. That might produce a result, after all they can't make you all stay in after work!

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Don't dream it ~ Be it.

All cabs on a rank are available for hire. Joe Public is not obliged to take the first one.

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

I'm inclined to agree, but the nonsense in the article was the suggestion that drivers have to be in their cars for ten hours without a break. So even if they weren't allowed out of the car while on the rank, they still wouldn't be stuck in the car for ten hours.

As is usual in cases like this I suspect there's more to it than what's been said in the article. I don't think there's any problem with drivers getting out of their cab, but if it's 'unattended' - as is claimed - then that's a different story.

I suppose the word unattended would have to be defined i.e I suppose one could be 20/30 yards away talking to a fellow driver, at the same time keeping an eye on the cab - that would still in essence be attended! the trouble is if the rank is not moving then there is no real reason to do so. Unfortunately a lot of them do not help themselves by sitting in the car/cab of another mate to have a natter, having said that, if there is no complaint by the other drivers of someone taking the p!$$, then so long as they are nose to tail then what is the problem.

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if you cannot be yourself, then who can you be.

Im pretty sure if your in sight of your taxi its attended

The original meaning of "Attended" was so that horse didn't wander off......

Or so I believe.

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Chris The Fish

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gdlyi5mc ... re=related