Chris the Fish wrote:
1. I do not “Slate” my own Trade, I do what I can to improve it.
2. You are right, every trade gets complaints, but with the Taxi Trade the way to make a complaint is with the Local Authority. A complaint in the 5 Star Hotel is resolved by the Manager. Police complaints can go via the Police, the Police Commissioner or the IPCC.
3. I am sure that Cardiff is as good as anywhere, but as you rightly say it is likely to be as bad. If enforcement is not being done, you need to kick the “Lazy Sods” into action. If you think banding together to protect the guilty is a good way to raise the status of the Trade, your wrong, but you should band together to protect the innocent. In Plymouth the Association does not defend the indefensible.
4. Anyone with an unregulated business can charge what they like, it is usual for Hotels to raise prices at times of peak demand. That is the nature of supply and demand. If there is a glut of Strawbwerries, Strawberries are cheap, unless you sell them at Wimbledon, you would not believe the price of Strawberries there. In the Hackney Trade prices are regulated or if you prefer fixed by the Local Authority, if you want to alter the Tariff you apply to do so. You argue your case and if you do not get what you want you go through the process again. It is difficult in areas with too many Taxis but it is achievable.
5. If you are getting the 5hitty end of the stick in the local press, what reply in the press are you making? Taking a stance on being against “Cherry Picking” and supporting the provision of “Information to Authorities” where possible on the problem of the sex attacks will help. Your potential customers want to know that the majority of the Taxi Drivers in Cardiff are on their side, silence from the Trade will maybe make them think the Trade are protecting the Guilty.
6. It matters not a jot what your Tariff says, if you are asked to go outside your Licensing District you may negotiate the fare. If you do not like the low offer made by the intending passenger, don’t go, simple.
7. If you are a Taxi Driver it is going to include dealing with the Riffraff and the intoxicated, it comes with the job.
Finally let me return to the second part of the first sentence in this post, "I do what I can to improve it".
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"I do what I can to improve it"
That is naive to say the least. If your hands are tied and the LA set the tariff along with a PH company, then you can in effect do sod all.
I do not fall into bed with those who choose to make my life hard and to then say....okay I will KowTow to your rules.
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2. You are right, every trade gets complaints, but with the Taxi Trade the way to make a complaint is with the Local Authority. A complaint in the 5 Star Hotel is resolved by the Manager. Police complaints can go via the Police, the Police Commissioner or the IPCC.
I feel that you might have missed the point I was making! The point was that we are not alone with complaints, in reality ours pale into very small figures when you take into account the amount of journeys throughout the year and we are all aware as to how our complaints might be resolved. The point with both of the above is; I. Is blatant extortion (hidden under the capitalistic mantra of supply and demand) so I guess that it makes it alright, so hardly a titter on that as the press look after big business. 2. Is on the rise despite falling numbers of police officers, again almost a passing comment in the papers 3. Taxi drivers (apparently) get out of line..........and set the world on fire via the press and internet!!!!
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3. I am sure that Cardiff is as good as anywhere, but as you rightly say it is likely to be as bad. If enforcement is not being done, you need to kick the “Lazy Sods” into action. If you think banding together to protect the guilty is a good way to raise the status of the Trade, your wrong, but you should band together to protect the innocent. In Plymouth the Association does not defend the indefensible.
You say "kick the lazy sods into action". It is the lazy sods who are now kicking off, blaming everyone else because no doubt someone else further up the line has had his/her feathers ruffled. I do not band together protecting the bad, but neither am I going to take a Tar all with the same brush" scenario or do their job for them. We as drivers have gone to our LA over the years with a number of complaints.......they generally get passed around and then into the bin.
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4. Anyone with an unregulated business can charge what they like, it is usual for Hotels to raise prices at times of peak demand. That is the nature of supply and demand. If there is a glut of Strawbwerries, Strawberries are cheap, unless you sell them at Wimbledon, you would not believe the price of Strawberries there. In the Hackney Trade prices are regulated or if you prefer fixed by the Local Authority, if you want to alter the Tariff you apply to do so. You argue your case and if you do not get what you want you go through the process again. It is difficult in areas with too many Taxis but it is achievable.
Hidden underneath all of that I feel is probably part of the problem; drivers are probably quoting high prices - people do not want to pay them, and are then claiming they cannot get home i.e we were refused (what we wanted to pay).
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5. If you are getting the 5hitty end of the stick in the local press, what reply in the press are you making? Taking a stance on being against “Cherry Picking” and supporting the provision of “Information to Authorities” where possible on the problem of the sex attacks will help. Your potential customers want to know that the majority of the Taxi Drivers in Cardiff are on their side, silence from the Trade will maybe make them think the Trade are protecting the Guilty.
You mention the press - the Great British Press, democracy ha! Our local rag is firmly in the corner of business, the council etc etc, make no mistake you/I can only send into the letters page something like 200 words and then they edit you/I. On the other hand if you have a business or council background you may very well get half a page, as such I do not trust our local paper.
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6. It matters not a jot what your Tariff says, if you are asked to go outside your Licensing District you may negotiate the fare. If you do not like the low offer made by the intending passenger, don’t go, simple.
That is what is happening, as it does in other areas. Unfortunately there have been sex attacks and others are using it to say they cannot get home. If you read the internet postings most are full of holes.
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7. If you are a Taxi Driver it is going to include dealing with the Riffraff and the intoxicated, it comes with the job.
Fully aware of the above, I just fail to see the significance.
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Finally let me return to the second part of the first sentence in this post, "I do what I can to improve it"
Finally let me say this; It is not within my remit to improve the trade, I can only as one, do my best, and on that I do. However, I would also say for any man/woman to do a job properly - then give me the tools to do the job properly. If you keep on putting obstacles in the way.....what is going to happen?
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