Taxi Driver Online

over to you MCF

Manchester Airport are closing a loophole so that they can control all taxi pick ups - and it could cost passengers more.

Currently, hackney drivers picking up directly from the three terminals must pay for a £27.96 permit.

Along with drivers for the airport’s official Arrow Cars service, they wait for their fares in a ‘feeder car park’ managed by airport marshalls who direct them to where cabs are needed, where they pay £1.60 every time they leave.

But until now pick-ups directly outside the airport's railway station have been a ‘free for all’ for private hire cars and hackney drivers with or without permits.

But that’s set to change. From next week, a new lane will be installed outside the station - to be used only by hackney and Arrow drivers with permits - and the £1.60 pick-up charge is likely to be passed on to passengers.

All other drivers will be forced to use public car parks around the site.

It’s caused consternation among cabbies and passengers - with passengers likely to pick up the £1.60 bill.

Drivers, meanwhile, say they can be forced to queue for up to two hours to use the official ‘feeder lanes’ that lead to the terminals.

This, they argue, is worth it for a likely £50 fare for a passengers off a flight - but not for the shorter fares more common from the station.

One hackney driver who asked not to be named said: “Most railway passengers just want to head to a nearby hotel with an average fare of £8. That isn’t worth the two-hour wait we usually have when we’re queuing in the feeder lane.”

Airport bosses say the charged for permits and pick ups will be ploughed back into the feeder park, which includes a prayer room and toilets.

A Manchester Airport spokesman added the new system and controlled lane would make the station ‘consistent with the current operation of the three terminals’.

He added: “This lane is for Hackney Carriages with airport permits, and Arrow Cars – our onsite private hire provider.

“Hackney Carriages currently without an airport permit can apply for one, for a small one-off fee. This provides access to the dedicated Hackney Carriages facilities, and contributes to the costs of operating these. The current drop off arrangements at the station remain unaffected for all other users.

“As well as ensuring a consistent passenger experience, this will also improve congestion on the road network and make the site a safer, more secure place.”

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

So it's not about money then?? Lets wait what they come up with at East Midlands when the new Station opens round there.

A proper organised trade would just blank the station.

Which is why it wont happen and the trade will just pay up.

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IDFIMH

Are you sure that there is going to be a passenger hub at East Midlands Airport? I thought it was only a freight hub.

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Grandad,

correct BUT with east midlands parkway having been a bit of a flop they are looking at the possibility of building a station at Castle Donnington on the freight line that still sort of exists with a dedicated shuttle service to or from Derby and Nottingham or even extending the Nottingham tramlines all the way to EMA

assuming there is enough goverrnment funding available which I seriously doubt

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

Here is how it works at present....

Cabs arriving to work at the airport go to the ''feeder park'' which is a holding area which has room for about 80 cabs.
Marshals appointed by the airport send out cabs as they see fit.
On a daily basis work is waiting when drivers arrive at the ''ranks'' as they are otherwise held in the feeder park...This allows arrow cars...a ph ''partner'' operator to pick and choose the desirable jobs and leave with those jobs before the hackneys arrive.
The hackney drivers have no way of knowing what is happening on the ranks as all cctv screens have been removed from all areas where hackney drivers could previously view them for many years.
The licensing body has allowed the charge of £1-60 levied by the airport to be added to the taxi fares charged to the hackney users at the airport.
All in all...unfair competition !
The ''rank'' at rail-link (as the station is known as) has operated independently for at least 10 years...there have been no barriers and no charge is made for pick up at R/L.
Now, the airport want to include the R/L in the airport feeder park structure so they can easily charge the £1-60 to the drivers who use the rank.Drivers have been informed that All Hackneys will feed through the feeder park and R/L will be known as terminal 4.
The vast majority of work at the R/L is local...less than a 3 mile radius of the airport...80-90% of fares go to the local airport hotels.
Drivers working at the airport have refused to work in this manner and wish to keep R/L as a separate rank and have no connection with the feeder park.
The airport have installed a barrier at the R/L which has not yet come into operation as the drivers have refused to work it through the feeder park.
The airport management have threatened to ban for life any driver who refuses to go to the R/L as and when directed by the marshal at the airport.
Drivers have informed the airport that if a single driver is banned for refusing to go to the R/L rank...All drivers will refuse to leave the feeder park and will hand in their airport ''permits'' to the airport.
The matter is at a stalemate at the moment and the Licensing unit have been brought in to try to resolve the issue.
The airport have proposed to have a ''Rank'' for their partners ...arrow cars at the R/L as they have been ranking up at All the terminals for many years now.
Licensing have informed (finally!) the airport that any such ''rank'' is illegal and will Not be allowed.Furthermore, all arrow cars ph vehicles will be required to be out of the public view and should come to the arrival areas only once a ''job'' has been booked for that vehicle.
Last but not least...the bye laws are being changed to no longer allow ph firms to use the word ''Taxi'' in any of their adverts or displays either on their premises or vehicles.
This will come into effect in 3 months.

The problem with that as I see it is that the freight hub is on the wrong side of the runway. There is no direct link to the passenger terminal without spending a lot of money.

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Grandad,