Taxi Driver Online

Just heard that when York Royal Ascot is on any cab that does not have a permit is allowed to pick up in the GNER controlled station rank has been authorised by the Council and GNER to pick up in the rank without fear of prosecution for that week only.

In other words, both York council and GNER don't want to end up with egg on their face through lack of taxis at York Station. Perhaps the non permit holders should get together and think about advising GNER and the Council that they will not be plying for hire on York station and that any Royal York visitors wishing to avail themselves of a Taxicab, can do so at one of the regular Taxi ranks.

Perhaps the Non permit cabbies should also inform the Yorkshire post, the Racing Post and channel four Racing explaining their reasons for boycotting the Station.

Regards

JD

Perhaps all the racegoers should be directed 150 yards down the road to a Private Hire office.

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A member of the Hire or Reward Industry

Always a fan of the York HC trade is Tom.

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IDFIMH

From my limited experience the worse example of arrogant, greedy, lazy [edited by admin] in the trade.

And yes I do keep mentioning it.

A typical example of having life too easy. And the classic demonstration for de-restriction.

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A member of the Hire or Reward Industry

So the council are asking you to forget your regular customers, to help out the lads at the station. Who, when the meeting is over, we tell you to p*** off from their rank.

I know what I would do.

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IDFIMH

The non permit holders couldn't wish for a better opportunity to get their message across about exclusion. It probably won't acheive anything but for a couple of days it will at least highlight the situation at York station.

Just how many permits do GNER issue?

Regards

JD

permits are issued by bunch of w***ers, and yes men, sorry, taxi drivers, consisting of firm of 38 Taxi shareholders, on behalf of GNER. We have heard there is a restriction of permits somewhere in the region of around the 100 mark out of a total of 160 hacks. It is not known WHO places the restrictions on the amount issued, if you ask they say there are no permit restrictions in number, but we have a good idea who does. Office of Fair Trading was once involved to stop them restricting but think that went down the swannie. I do know the GNER invoice bill for the permits for this year = £50,000, so £500 x 100 =£50,000

If you are liable to speak up for yourself, or have crossed the path of a shareholder chances are very slim in getting one

I note that 6 drivers have been appointed with great power the rank of "Rank Marshall". [These rank marshalls remind me of my time in the army, the dreaded Regimental Police as each regiment had them who came under the command of the RSM and military discipline] they get a free £500 permit, they are responsible for inspecting drivers, vehicles, making sure your shoes and clothing is correct and clean, that you are not smoking etc etc, they also are responsible in controlling private cars that park up on double yellows in the portico and issue some kinda winscreen ticket if they park. also I think litter and cleaning comes into it as well.

It is also noted from some of my moles in the station rank, drivers are not happy chappies, a few are considering jacking the hacks and going to a PH firm 150 yards up the road

The night shift lot, [well a few of them] are not happy with the dress code so are avoiding ranking at the station in view of rank marshalls, have started working the street ranks but doing quick scoops in the station when there is a queue of passengers, so its in and out so no one will see what the driver is wearing

I don't work the station, but the other night it made me laugh, first hack got offered a Norwich, he turned it down and passed it to the second hack in the rank, the second hack went straight to a street rank with the fare and gave it to a non permit holder hack who took the job, they wern't happy bunnies down at the station

Yes as soon as Ascot is over, thanks very much, now clear off you non permit holders.

down here two drivers control the station for the others that have permits.
they asked the rail compaqny to keep the number of permits down because its only a little rank.
tell that to the large ques of people.
as for the two blokes. Both union men both [edited by admin].

oh yeah one other thing.
if york get short of drivers there a driver in Halifax that will help you out.
he picks up anywhere.

We have a rank at the station that holds no more than 40 cabs but none of the 854 cabs are excluded from working the station. There is no excuse for permits being restricted anywhere in the country. The practice should be stopped immediately.

Regards

JD

oh no JD.

I want my bread buttered both sides.

The railway here actually sells the rights, not issues permits.

I see no difference in buying the station forceourt than paying Medigen for the freephone at Tesco.

Now if you are outside the rank you would perceive it differently.

We agreed to pay a substantial sum per year and offer guaranteed service levels in a seven year agreement.

Why should I give that advantage away to others who want to walk into town.

Stations are private property, the owner can do as he pleases.

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A member of the Hire or Reward Industry

I don't know much about the activities of York station but like every other station administrator throughout the country they have the right to state which hackney carriages can ply for hire on their land. Note that I mentioned Hackney carriages and not any other vehicle. How they go about selling the parking space is entirely up to them. I merely stated that every licensed Hackney carriage should have the same opportunity to ply for hire on every station throughout the country.

The Taxi drivers at York wouldn't have to pay any permit fee if they all got together and refused to rank up at the station. The fact of the matter is that there will always be those who wish to exclude others on the basis of greed.

I know nothing of Medigan only what I have seen mentioned on here. However if you are suggesting that installing a free phone in a Supermarket is the same as buying station parking rights then I would have to agree that there is a similarity albeit a small one.

From what I understand Station Taxis administer the permits, I don't know what the contract details are between station Taxis and GNER but I do know the permits are limited and cost 470 pounds. I also understand that when the council administered the permits anyone could have one.

Station Taxis as I understand it, was formed by a group of Hackney carriage drivers specifically to administer the permits and exclude others from obtaining these permits. You can correct me if I'm wrong but it would seem that station Taxis was set up for the sole purpose of excluding other hackney carriage drivers.

If that weren't the case there would be no need for exclusion, would they?

It reminds me of Manchester Airport back in the early nineties when permits were first introduced, many of those at the Airport wanted the sole right to ply for hire and exclude the majority of the cab trade from doing the same. There were also those on Pic Station who had the same desire.

Station Taxis is a body that excludes for the purpose of greed and I'm afraid I'm against any practice that excludes others from having the same opportunity. If there are any non permit York drivers who wish to contact me about boycotting the Station I will be more than happy to make sure the right people get to know about it but there must be at least two drivers prepared to state they will boycott the station.

Regards

JD

This article was taken from Inside Track GNER 2003. It gives an indication how GNER planned to make a template of the way they did things at Peterborough Station. Some might be concerned at the involvement of the Licensing department in policing GNER code of conduct in particular the driver's dress code and not charging extras. For those who have short memories many York station permit Drivers were in direct confrontation with GNER over a similar dress code.

East of England

GNER is working with Peterborough City Council to find ways of redeveloping the station and its surroundings as part of a city centre regeneration ‘master plan’. Liz Wade, head of economic regeneration at the council, said she thought plans to redevelop the rail station were still possible, despite the SRA’s funding problems. Use of the station has increased dramatically. The station serves as a rail hub connecting the East Coast Main Line with routes to East Anglia, Essex and the North West. Taxi service standards have been improved under a partnership with Peterborough City Council, GNER and local taxi firms.

The new arrangements require all taxi drivers operating from the station taxi rank to wear smart dress, operate clean hackney cabs licensed by the council, and "not make extra charges for luggage or additional people" being conveyed in the same taxi.

The Standards will be enforced by a taxi enforcement officer provided by the council but part funded by GNER. The council will also collect the permit revenue. GNER has written to other local authorities on the route in the hope that the ‘template’ can be rolled out at other stations.

Regards

JD

Another element of the GNER saga and permit charging along the East Coast line. As reported by Taxi talk magazine.

East coast Taxi association meeting 17th March 2003.

David Byrne the GNER manager now in charge of Taxi matters on the East Coast Main Line running from King Cross to Aberdeen issued an invitation to drivers representatives from the nine stations between Peterborough and Newcastle (plus Wakefield) who were under threat from a takeover by PH predator Taxi Bank during 2002 to attend a meeting at York to set up an Association of all the stations so they could agree some common policies and practices. T&G reps Dave Chambers from Newcastle and Eddie Lambert, Peterborough and London were also invited.

The meeting lasted approx 3 hours including a buffet and made some progress with a sub committee been formed from Peterborough, York & Newcastle to discuss some items in more detail but the main topic all the stations wanted to get their teeth into Rail Replacement services was not really discussed enough for the drivers liking.

What is really getting up the drivers nose is that they are expected to provide a 1st class service for the travelling public at the stations (which they do) in some cases fully wheelchair accessible, full compliance with the dress code which consists of white or blue shirt tie, black trousers, and shoes and pay £428.19 for the privilege only to see drivers and vehicles (including Private Hire) that do not comply with their standards swoop in to cover Rail Replacement work. Naturally enough the drivers are not happy about this.

We appreciate Mr Byrne cannot change everything overnight and drivers are still a bit weary of accepting everything they are told at face value after having had to deal with Mr Byrnes predecessor for so long but if he can sort out the Rail Replacement situation to the drivers advantage he will find that most of his other problems will disappear. If not he may well face the situation that is slowly creeping along the tracks, that drivers are refusing to pay for the permits and are just continuing to work the rank anyway as Southend, Watford, and Loughborough to name just a few have done.

Regards

JD