Taxi Driver Online

Vandals force Tunbridge Wells taxi driver off the road



A TUNBRIDGE Wells taxi driver says he has been forced off the road at the busiest time of year, after his cab was attacked by vandals. Paul Garty says it will cost him thousands of pounds in lost business while his cab is being repaired after having paint stripper thrown over it.

The 42-year-old parked his hackney carriage close to his boss's house in Woodbury Park Road overnight and was shocked to find the damage in the morning. He said: "I went to the taxi rank on the Monday morning and I didn't notice it because it was on the passenger side.

"When I got there the other cabbies looked at me and said 'have you seen your cab?' and told me it was damaged. I thought they were taking the Michael. "I had a look at it and I can't tell you what I was thinking. I had to take it off the road straight away because it wasn't fit. "It has made what was going to be a decent Christmas and New Year into a bad one. That is five to six weeks' earnings from a personal point of view."

His boss Paul Maynard, owner of Maynard Taxis, lives on Woodbury Park Road and was furious he had been left with the repair bill, which he thinks could top £1,000. "This person has put a cabbie off the road at Christmas," he said. "He can't drive that car and we don't have another one."

The London Hackney Carriage Act states it is illegal to use or hire a hackney carriage "whilst in a condition unfit for public use". The pair will be left without the taxi for up to six weeks during their busiest time of the year.

A Kent Police spokesman said: "We are currently investigating a report of criminal damage to a vehicle. The incident is reported to have taken place between December 9 and 10, whereby a corrosive substance was reported to have been thrown over a car that was parked in Woodbury Park Road in Tunbridge Wells.

"The damage is estimated to cost between £500 and £600 to repair. Anyone with any information should call 101, quoting crime reference YY/23115/12."

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IDFIMH

And that bugger applies in Kent does it?

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IDFIMH

Same up here stripper on bonnet, passenger side and boot on a Superb. They also "knifed" the tyres on the passenger side. Difference being our LA gave him a 4 week red plate, usually reserved for replacement vehicles or if cosmetic repairs needed to pass hackney test. So the driver can earn through the festive period and get it repaired and hackneyed in Jan.

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My heart is heavy, but my consience clear,
I voted Yes, without any fear.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2006-SKODA-SU ... 564f45552e
2 doors £160 and say £40 for the wing then put a sticker over rear quarter panel and the jobs done. Cant really see the need to take the car of the road. and with most councils of till the 2nd of jan there will be little enforcement

that read like punter who says it only cost £1 in petrol £200 repair wil look like rubish that at least £600 to do properley paint alone cost a bomb an repair not just rub down and spray acid has efect on metal an it show again if not done properley i know i used to do paint

SIX WEEKS?

Its a 3 day job maximum, 1 day at some places I know

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

Im a bit confused....whose gotta pay? whose car is it?....

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

I would think this was not targeted at the specific driver but the company. The problem is that whilst the damage is only cosmetic if they are reported to the council and have not obtained permission to continue to use the car and believe you me there will be a queue of eager competitors waiting to phone the council on Wednesday morning if it is anything like round here then they could face sanctions by the council.

I doubt that is a 1 day job wannabe although there are places that advertise a one day accident repair service a proper job would take 3 days and £500 plus

The curious bit is if the vehicle is part of a fleet owned by the company why would the driver have no work for 6 weeks ?

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

a harsh steam jet pressure wash, a grafter in the workshop and a low bake respray, LA wouldnt need to be told

and it was Dec 9/10th, it wouldnt have missed any xmas/new years work, whereas a pickaxe through each panel would have written it off.... (start with the roof, then rear quarter panels)

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

the last few words of this quote makes me think that wannabeeahack needs to talk to someone while lying downg ha ha

the wife every night thanks

i have to wait till shes asleep to get a word in...

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

The shrink would end up needing a shrink.

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

No reason for that to be off the road until it's sorted.

A can of white spray should suffice until it gets into the body shop.

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IDFIMH

2 doors and a wing on ebay already painted white, so a good polish and put them on

and send his ex-wife or his lovers husband the bill

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most