Man left stranded after taxi quoted 'double' fare after working shift during World CupA young man with learning disabilities from Dinas Powys says he was left walking the streets of Cardiff until 3am when he was quoted more than double the price by a taxi driver to take him home.
Andrew John says he had finished working a shift at the New Zealand v France World Cup quarter-finals at the Millennium Stadium when he tried to flag a cab to get home.
After giving up queuing in one of the only patrolled taxi ranks on Cardiff's St. Mary Street and claiming some failed to stop for him at another rank, Andrew says he was forced to call his mother to collect him at 3:20am.
He says the only taxi that agreed to take him quoted him a fare of £40, but he only had £16 on him - the normal cost for him to get back to Dinas Powys.
"I heard some people being quoted £80-£90 to be taken to the Rhondda", Andrew told ITV News.
"They should've given us a fair price. I was working for the World Cup - I wasn't a tourist. I felt really annoyed and stressed out. I just wanted to get home."
Andrew's story is the latest in a string of complaints about the conduct of black and white taxi cabs operating in the capital, particularly during the World Cup tournament.
Concerns were raised last month following three sexual assaults in the city centre by women claiming they were being refused fares in Cardiff that were deemed too short.
Cardiff Council says the driver did not break the rules because the journey was outside the local authority boundary.
If you want to leave the Cardiff boundary then it is up to the person getting the taxi to negotiate the price with the driver. A black and white cab can refuse it if it is outside the Cardiff boundary. In this instance a meter doesn’t have to be used"
– Councillor Jacqueline Parry, Chairperson of the Licensing Committee The chairman of the Cardiff Taxi Association Mathab Khan says many of these claims are unfounded and like all other businesses, everyone has the right to make a profit during high demand, such as the Rugby World Cup.
Mr Khan says he hasn't seen any evidence of malpractice from his members
They may ask for a little bit more than usual because of the traffic but I find it hard to believe the taxi drivers are asking twice as much."
I've spoken to a lot of the drivers and they would not want to risk their license for one night's income. Obviously we know that there is a certain amount of money you can charge but we don't go over the top"
– Mathab Khan, Cardiff Taxi Association Cardiff Council said it received nine complaints over the weekend that are being investigated.
It is asking the public to report any issues, and send the driver/cab number, where and when it happened and email -
licensing@cardiff.gov.uk. It asks if possible, to take a picture of the drivers identification displayed in the taxi window.
source:
http://www.itv.com/news/wales/2015-10-2 ... world-cup/
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