Taxi Driver Online

2 bob miniscab driver

eh

Really?

We do a PCO check that costs us a fraction of the black cab version.

We are going to get proper signage.

We are going to get access to the bus lanes.

All of that in a few years of licensing.

Just imagine the power we will have in, say, 10 years time.

Best you go and try and earn your two grand.

Ollie

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Happy to be legit.

Quite correct, thats why your always in the news for all the wrong reasons.

Was this as a result of the 'foregone' conclusion consultation back in February? We're still waiting, just as well I gave up holding my breath.

Oh, that'll be a task now won't it?

Since you've decided to surface again Ollie, what do you think of Matrix bringing in another few hundred East Europeans who will be working 24/7 for £40 a day and some 'seegarettes'?

At this rate you'd best take up serb as a second language.

If I were you, I'd get yourself down to the old bike shop, get the Blue Book and hit the road.

Don't know what the PH are like in London GBC but up here they have come a long way in a few short years.

You can bang on about PCO checks and "the knowledge" but at the end of the day it's bums on seats that count.

Up here they seem to have forgot this little piece of the equation. I hope it's not the same in London?

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All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.
George Orwell, "Animal Farm"

No doubt the licensing process has made the Minicab industry more acceptable to people looking for contract cars, but its also pushed the Minicab operators costs through the roof, so now instead of employing people on a decent wage, they pay peanuts, and you know what happens when you pay peanuts?

Yep, you get monkeys in the form of Croations, Bosnians, Africans, all of whom pour in working for a pitance, but more worrying than that, these individuals may have a list of convictions the length of your arm which are unknown to British authorities.

You say your PH have come a long way, well since licensing ours has improved, given that about 10'000 did'nt get licensed, but this does'nt seem to stop them touting on an epidemic scale most weekends.

Minicabs have been around since the early 1960's, every year I hear the likes of John Griffen (addison lee) telling us our days are numbered, it gets a bit repetative after 20 years, and still i'm busy every time I work, so if they are 'taking over', a bit like the signage, I'm still waiting.

Operators costs have inevitably gone up - as for the decent wage the majority of Private Hire drivers are self employed - like yourself.



We are all seeing the effects of government policy in letting all and sundry into the country. With the event of Topographical Knowledge Testing starting for new applicants from the 1st April 2006 they will have to prove basic map reading skills and the ability to read and write English. Governments and their departments have the final say on the the rules on CRB checks etc for asylum seekers - the LPHCA and the Private Hire Board were both against these individuals being allowed to become drivers during the original consultation process - but their concerns were ignored.



Supply and demand old chum - Black Cabs and Private Hire cannot meet the demand so the touts and opportunists move in to meet the demand.



Trust me he is no fool and he is taking over.

Someone asked me the other day whether I though things had improved in the "minicab" industry. I would say that due to poor legislation and a lot of silly interpretation of the legislation by Licencing Enforcement Officers the public are more likely to get touted now than they were prior to legislation.

Having TOCU entrapment sessions in Clapham,Croydon and Central London may be catching the odd tout or licenced Private Hire Driver acting illegally, but its not actually getting the clubbers (drunk or otherwise) and general public safetly home at night.

Inevitably the "knowledge" will be watered down to allow the demand for taxis to be met - increased numbers will mean more drivers who will have to work longer hours to earn their money - resulting in the work getting covered. Not a nice solution for the existing drivers, but inevitable if demand is not met.

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"Where to, Guv'?. Na sorry not going my way"

Thats great, but what about the 30'000 current drivers who can't?

I think we all know the topography is being done in the main by accredited Minicab operators who are desperate for more drivers to replace the ones that leave, I can't see a high failure rate, can you?



If there was a Taxi rank with 10 Taxis on it, and a Minicab office with 10 Minicabs sitting outside it on every street in London, the touts would still be there tooting their little horns, flashing their headlights, shouting 'taxee boss ?' at anyone who even looks like they're about to put their hand up, there are thousands of Taxis working nights nowadays, but still the touts are there, and as i've said before, the majority of them are now 'licensed' touts.



He makes a lot of noise, as does his brother, but the fleet today is only about 200 cars more than it was in 1997, so its hardly 'taking over' as you say.

I've never claimed him to be a fool, Stupid for fighting in the street perhaps, but not a fool.

Griffens outbursts seem to have left him somewhat isolated within the Minicab industry, it would seem no one wants to team up with them as everyone else seems to be doing so.



Or you could say, by being 'licensed' by the PCO its easier to convince potential customers to get in your car even though the rules are clear that that practise is Illegal, which takes me back to my poor pay point, if its that busy in the minicab industry, why so many incidents of touting?



Its catching hundreds actualy.
Then they have the wrath of the PCO discipline hearing to deal with (if they are licensed minicab drivers) which usualy amounts to a whopping formal warning.



. . . and i've heard that one more times than the 'we're taking over' line

Well one would assume that they will be binned, and the good folks will be left to enjoy the spoils.

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IDFIMH

Didn't know you were missing me.

As for the Eastern Europeans, as I've seen far worse over the years then if they complete the courses and get licensed then there's not too much I can do about it.

I try to fight battles I can win.

Ollie

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Happy to be legit.

Same old same old.

Taxi's vs phv's.

There is room for both.

The londan taxi trade has been calling for licensing for years, now it's arrived, guess what? taxi's don't like it
How about working together for a change?

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stressed controller!!!

Don't tell Dusty that.




This particular Taxi does'nt have a view either way.

As for the second bit, ask Matrix and Radio Taxis about working together, apparantly they know a bit about that subject.