Taxi Driver Online

I smell a rat about some of the stuff in here


Unlicensed taxi drivers offering cheap trips in Southend

https://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/194999 ... -southend/

DANGEROUS “cowboy” taxi drivers are taking advantage of long queues of revellers who are left stranded after a night out due to a “driver shortage”.

AC Taxis in Southend are struggling to keep up at peak times every weekend, caused by drivers quitting due to Covid fears, its bosses have revealed.

Party-goers have now spoken of hour-long queues in the town centre at taxi ranks.

As a result, cowboy taxi drivers are offering lifts for as little as £10, swooping in when they see there is a lengthy wait.

A 60-year-old from Southend, who wants to remain anonymous, explained how he and a group of friends used one of the fake drivers.

He said: “It’s not safe, and it’s dangerous.

“I was with a group of people at the time, but if I was on my own it would have been a different story.

“He came to the taxi rank in the town centre and asked if we wanted a lift for £10.

“We’d been waiting for 45 minutes, and were told a few times to wait there for a few minutes and a taxi would turn up.

“We weren’t the only ones waiting for a long time and I’m not the only one to have used these cowboy taxis recently.”

Across the country, taxi firms are struggling with a driver shortage.

Stephen Noakes, general manager at AC Taxis, said: “In the last few weeks, we’ve had to let people down at peak times at the weekend, which we never want to do.

“We’ve had a number of older drivers not come back to work because they don’t want to put themselves at risk of Covid.

“We’ve got a shortage at the moment, it takes us nine months to get a new driver walking through the door, to being licensed by Southend Council.

“The council needs to come up with a solution to the cowboy taxis.

“It’s not safe to get into a cowboy taxi, you don’t know who’s driving the vehicle, they won’t have any of the right checks.”

Martin Terry, councillor in charge of community safety, said: “This is a serious problem, and is really dangerous.

“By using one of these (cowboy taxis), you’re putting yourself in danger. You don’t know who’s driving them.”

As 'little' as £10? I suspect the £10 figure was intended by the complainant to be an accusation of overcharging, but whoever wrote the article has taken it the wrong way round, and has thus portrayed it as a cheap run


Apologies for the lengthy quote, but something just doesn't feel right about it. I suspect there's a reason he wants to remain anonymous


Thanks for that devastating insight

Certainly helps the operator make his case, though

Initially thought the 'cowboy taxis' were unplated vehicles and unbadged drivers, but I'm wondering if it's meant to mean PHVs plying for hire

Someone who obviously knows the trade has also offered this alternative explanation

Sounds like another plate baron who's as thick as two short planks your drivers are your bread and butter look after them and they look after you shaft them and they'll shaft you simples

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

Suspect a large dose of politicking going on here - the vehemently anti-Uber councillor who was *accused* of being bribed by the Southend LTDA (allegedly) was arguably one of the most prominent and vocal opponents of Uber in the UK, having been quoted in the likes of the Daily Mail and by the BBC etc.

So I suspect there's an element here of the councillor using the current situation to have a dig at Tony Cox. Particularly since it won't happen anyway - if Uber wanted to start again in Southend they would, and any decision to return their would be based on commercial considerations rather than what local councillors desire.

So the councillor here is either being a tad disingenuous, or simply hasn't a clue


Plea to bring Uber to Southend to tackle cowboy taxis

https://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/195112 ... boy-taxis/

UBER should be introduced in Southend to tackle cowboy taxi drivers and combat a shortage of local cabbies, senior councillors believe.

Taxi firm AC Taxis is struggling to keep up with demand at peak times as Covid restrictions ease, allowing “fake drivers” to pick up party-goers for a cheaper fare.

The struggles stem from a shortage in taxi drivers in the wake of the pandemic, with older drivers unwilling to “put themselves at risk.”

Now, Martin Terry, councillor in charge of community safety, is touting the prospect of bringing Uber to Southend.

He said: “There are difficulties at the moment with AC Taxis, they’ve admitted that themselves.

“They’ve got a shortage of drivers. Those issues need to be resolved.

“This isn’t about booting AC Taxis out of Southend, it’s about having a rival to bring competition.

“Uber will be able to help out where there is a shortage.”

The idea of bringing Uber to Southend was rejected by Southend Council in 2018, with fears over the safety of the operation in the town.

Earlier this week, the Echo reported how cowboy taxi drivers have been waiting in Southend hotspots to pick up passengers who are struggling to book a ride with AC Taxis.

A taxi driver, from AC Taxis, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “We have no issues with Uber here, as long as they’re properly licensed.

“If they’re not licensed, it would damage the reputation of the taxi trade in Southend.

“Uber won’t help resolve the shortage, it’s a national problem.

“Uber have a shortage too.”

Uber was involved in a legal dispute with Transport for London in 2018 over safety fears for passengers.

The taxi firm won the right to a license in London at the time, after it made “serious changes”.

Mr Terry believes Southend Council should have an open mind about bringing Uber to the town.

He added: “The legal issues have all been resolved now.

“It’s a different playing field now. We can’t be closed off to the idea.

“Taxis are a form of public transport, and a lot of the cars are green.

“If we want a green way of getting around by car, this is something that should be considered.”

well they've changed their tune by the sounds of it

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

I suspect at some time they will via the Autocab tie up.

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IDFIMH