Taxi Driver Online

New thread on this, because last one side-tracked by someone's literal interpretation of an obviously-exaggerated point I made *months* ago about sheep


Councillors in Inverness put brakes on bid to hike taxi fares in the Highlands

https://www.inverness-courier.co.uk/new ... es-187408/


Taxi operators gathered public support against a move to increase the prices of fares. (Image: Gary Anthony/Inverness Courier)

One of Inverness’s taxi companies was pitted against all the others over a proposed increase in taxi fares at a heated debate earlier today.

And members of Highland Council’s licensing committee have recommended prices stay as they are ahead of a public consultation.

The committee heard arguments from both sides before choosing the status quo, with the only suggested change to charges being a rise from £100 for soiling a taxi to £120.

Prior to the meeting, representatives of various organisations including City Taxis, Inverness Taxis and Capital Taxis with a petition from drivers calling on the council not to increase charges.

Standing against them was Sneckie Taxis manager Raymond Munro who called for an increase in the taxi fares.

Les Steven from Inverness Taxis said there was broad agreement across the region and across firms that a hike in prices would be bad for business.

City Taxis’ Nigel Nicholson said: “There is one company that thinks an increase of 20-plus per cent should be considered by the council. That is ridiculous. If any retailer put up prices like that people would say we are not going to use them again.”

Mr Munro argued that by comparison Highland taxis were under-charging and that a rise in fares would help to maintain quality of service and drivers' pay.

"The amounts we seek to increase are not unreasonable at all when we look at comparisons elsewhere in the trade," he said.

“Number one in Scotland is East Lothian with £7 for a two-mile fare, with Fife at £6.70, and Glasgow, Moray and even the Shetland Isles are all at £6.60 for a two-mile fare.

“Highland at this time is 15th in Scotland at £5.80 and our running costs are the same as elsewhere so we want the cost for a two-mile fare to be £6.60. All these other areas got rises in 2019 except Moray which got one in 2018.

“If it went to £2.20 per mile – which is what we are asking for – we would still be 27 per cent cheaper than Moray for a running mile or 40 per cent cheaper than Moray if we don’t get any increase.

“It would be outrageous in any other walk of life, if someone suggested that council employees are paid 27-40 per cent less for the same job here as their Moray counterparts.”

Inverness Taxi Alliance chairman Andrew MacDonald said: “Any business can only survive what the market will bare and the market for taxis has fallen away dramatically because the slice of the cake available to the independent operator has narrowed so much.

“The council's first responsibility is to the public, not the trade.”

The public consultation will start either this month or in January.

Councils often increase license fees by 20% or more.

Thank f*** for the Butcher, the Baker, the Candlestick Maker.

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IDFIMH

Just love that when a rep of the Taxi Trade says things like that.

It may or may not be true, but we don't need one of our own to say it.

Defo will come back and bite his arse in years to come.

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IDFIMH

It gets worse

A different take on this from another newspaper. Don't think some on here will be too happy with some of this

Councillors recommend no increase in Highland taxi tariffs

https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/ne ... i-tariffs/

In an early Christmas present for consumers, Highland taxi fares will be pegged at the current tariffs, at least over the festive period.

Councillors at the Highland licensing committee agreed that for this statutory fare review, they would recommend that the status quo should remain across all five tariffs.

Their recommendation will now go forward for public consultation and be finalised by the licensing committee in February.

The only change proposed to the status quo is that the ‘soiling charge’ should be raised from £100 to £120, with drivers able to charge up to that price according to the damage caused.

Around 16 taxi drivers from across the trade attended yesterday’s meeting, with most in favour of pegging the tariffs.

Resolutely against the status quo, and pitching for a 20% increase was Sneckie Taxis, led by director Raymond Munro.

Unlike other taxi firms, Mr Munro employs his 40 drivers on contracts.

Mr Munro told the meeting the amount his firm is seeking is not unreasonable compared to other regions.

He drew comparisons with Moray, East Lothian, Fife, Glasgow and Aberdeen citing Highland as having the lowest rates.

He said: “In Moray they charge £30 for a ten mile fare, we currently get £20.20.

“We want to go up to £24.20.

“It’s not greed, it’s asking to be paid the going rate and the same prices as elsewhere.”

Inverness Taxi Alliance chairman Andrew MacDonald said the real problem was the ever-increasing number of licences being handed out by the council.

He said: “The public interest will not be served by an increase in fares at this time.

“The trade is being brought to its knees by the number of cars that are running around and the proliferation of private hire companies, but the willingness to discuss the number of licenses is not there.”

Mr MacDonald said his company, Black Mercedes, and another firm, Caley Taxis, did not trust that the tariffs would remain pegged after the public consultation, so had already put a game plan into action.

They have invited their own customers and people who use taxis as a lifeline to phone in and receive a free journey.

The idea is that during the journey, customers would discuss their best route and times and agree a fare with the operators guaranteed until the next tariff review in roughly 18 month’s time.

Mr MacDonald said: “It’s to establish a fair scale. We made the offer before the review and it stands irrespective.”

Certainly a bit more accurate than the earlier report, which simply said that that was the soiling charge. But this is more consistent with the actual wording on the tariff card:




Where to start with this. Actually, don't think it's worth bothering


Forgot that Sneckie actually employed drivers under PAYE. Or at least it sounds like that, but what's the betting the true picture is a bit different.

On the other hand, on the 'Join our team' part of their website, it says:



So they're actually a private hire operation?

To be fair, though, probable that they do at least run a few taxis, and they may have meters fitted in their PHVs, which then becomes the regulated fare.

On the other hand, according to the prices they quote for 20+ miles fares, they look like they're charging maybe 10% more than clock anyway.

I give up

Is it a licensing requirement up there to have absolutely no business sense?

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IDFIMH

Well it's certainly a licensing *department* and licensing *councillor* requirement to have absolutely no business sense

Nah they'll want the meter rate to increase so they can increase their base rates while still being cheaper than a HC.

Sounds about right.

A bit like the HC offices here who badger the council for rises year after year, yet are offering heavily discounted fares.

Inverness taxi firm 'could be forced out of business if fares do not rise'

https://www.inverness-courier.co.uk/new ... se-191739/

Highland Council’s licensing committee is set to decide new taxi rates tomorrow.

Current prices were set in November 2018 and new rates are proposed to take effect from April 30, subject to any appeals being lodged.

Up to three per cent could be added to fares.

During the consultation period, Sneckie Taxis called for prices to go up by more than 20 per cent to help cover costs.

However the majority of operators were against any rise, with more than 200 drivers signing a petition calling for the status quo.

In his latest letter of representation to the council Raymond Munro, the managing director of Sneckie Taxis, expressed fears that he would be forced to close down if no rise was imposed.

In his submission he said: “Failure by the committee to increase taxi tariffs in 2020 will become the straw that breaks the camel’s back and will force our company out of business as taxi operators with the loss of around 40 full-time jobs.”

However a second submission, from someone known only as J Lee, claimed taxi fares in the Highlands were already too high, adding: “At least Dick Turpin had the decency to wear a mask.”

If I was a licensing councillor I'd be tempted to call his bluff to demonstrate he's grossly exaggerating


Presumably a submission from a punter? I mean, only punters would use the Dick Turpin line, surely?

Oh, well, looks like we'll soon see whether Sneckie Taxis scaremongering or not


Highland taxi tariffs frozen as the trade is divided over raising fare prices

https://www.inverness-courier.co.uk/new ... es-191791/

Highland Council has agreed to freeze taxi tariffs at their current rates over the objections of one Inverness firm which warned about the impact on wages and viability.

The proposals were agreed at a previous meeting in December and then put out to public consultation.

Sneckie Taxis argued that aspirations to pay a living wage to drivers as well as maintaining its Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle (WAV) service meant raising tariffs.

Without the rise, proprietor Raymond Munro said it will be difficult to sustain both his business and fleet of WAVs.

Despite this, councillors on the licensing committee agreed to keep the fares as they were with the exception of the soiling charge which went up to £120, from £100.

Taxi operators will be notified of the tariff decision and will then have the option to appeal to the Traffic Commissioner within 14 days.

I hope they are going to freeze license fees as well.

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IDFIMH