Taxi Driver Online

Ross the guy I worked for sold out terrified he would lose the opportunity to cash in the plate. When the plate was sold he couldn’t believe anyone was prepared to pay £40,000 for something he’d been losing money on for at least the last 3 years. When I say ‘losing money’ I mean earning less and less or having to work a lot more hours to stand still. It’s fast getting to the point where working extra hours is not an option. It’s patently obvious to anyone out there when ranks are full of taxis at 3am and 4am in the morning, there’s a problem that’s just not going away.

How many tariff rises and for how much has the trade had in the last 5 year? How many less fares is each taxi doing? How much should you be earning for the same hours worked 5 years ago? Where is all the work going? Who’s the competition?

It just goes on and on but not for your Ross you are doing better than ever, making a fortune and all that.

You and Stu should be locked up for your own safety.

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

Yes Skull, there were end of terms in all those previous years, but since Edinburgh University switched to semesters it seems to have changed things somehow, for one thing they finish earlier? than they previously did, the 26 of may this year, but I was being told by some of the students that they were finished long before the end of the second semester.

Also there has been a loss of venues over the last couple of years, Eros elite,The Revolution, The Establishment and the latest one is The Venue, The Infirmary being shifted out of the town centre, The smoking Ban?
Of course some of these closures may be offset by the newer establishments such as Cargo and Le Monde, but these things seem to have had a cumulative effect on the levels of activity at certain times of the week.


I am not backtracking because of ross or anyone else,infact this weekend was quite good

Stu Wrote:



So your working week is now based on what you can do at the weekends?

What about the rest of the week you know the other 5 days/nights?

Stu tell me do you know how to boil a frog without it jumping out of the pot because of the heat?

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

It could be argued that on a Friday and Saturday night the trade is holding it's own (I doubt it) but the rest of the week is becoming a disaster. That is not to say every night your takings are down but more often than not they are especially if you draw a comparison with what you were earning 3-5 years ago. Oh and don't forget the increase in tariffs and the rise in the cost of living. The trade has lost a lot of custom in the last few years.

Just remember it all comes down to bums on seats.

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

skull wrote



Back in 1983 when I first started we where all sitting on the ranks at 3am and 4am. And there where only 540 taxis then. So what's changed ?

According to DfT stats the taxi/PH market (punters) has more than doubled in the last 20 years.

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IDFIMH

Your right Ross nothing has changed it's just me scaremongering the trade has never been healthier.

It's just the Skull up to his tricks.

Tell me Ross how much was a bail of hay in those days and did your horse like being out at 4 o'clock in the morning?

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

and by the sounds of it all the extra has been taken by the PH

Aye and more than just the extra

You don't have to convince me but try telling that to Ross. In Edinburgh Ross is not the exception but the rule.

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

"there are none so blind as those who will not see"

Ross isn't the exception, he is closer to reality than you "Skull", things aint as bad as you say and if the Hack trade just stepped up a gear (and by this I dont mean cheap suits and greased hair, which might be fine for pimping ) we could squeeze the phc into a very hard place We have all been here before,"service" I repeat "service" is what makes the game, and frankly in the quiet times phc suffer more than we do and in busy times cant remotely deliver the service we do. I maybe in a minority here saying that the market deserves an alternative, competition even but nothing you have ever said here or on any other forums "skull" comes close to being an answer to anything other than self indulgance.

Jack.

what service, the only advantage you have is being able to pick up from the street, perhaps you should talk to my customers about service, they use PH because they get better service, (their words not mine)they prefer to ride in cars too, as hacks are uncomfortable, and often the step is too high, for the infirm, ok for short city hops they are fine, but any longer and they are uncomfy.

I think the whole industry needs a shakeup, punters don't see a distinction, they just want to get home, in fact if you asked the public, they would wish the PH to be able to pick up from the street too, there should only be one taxi service like most other big cities overseas, perhaps with knowledge test and the like for all, that would keep the riff raf out, and enable the Powers that be to eliminate any rouge cabbies much easier.

It's the Hackney trade trying to hold onto their monoploy that got us into this situation, if there was no demand for taxis, then why have the PH grown so fast over the years, the LA's are playing both sides off each other, and whilst we fight and moan amongst our selves, they are not getting any heat, it's an old mangement technique, divide and conquer, togther we are powerful, but whilst we fight over this (when really not any difference between a taxi driver and a PH one, as far as public goes, only difference is what yor prepared to spend to get on the road it seems) but then a lot seem too parochial to see the bigger picture, so no doubt the status quo will remain, and all that will suffer will be the drivers. (we are all drivers aren't we? is that not a common enough ground for us to try and get together?)

Most of what you have said there makes some kind of sense, but ultimately you are asking the Hacks to lower their standards, the answer is simple, phc pass the knowledge then we are on a level footing?, What you are failing to realise is that the cab trade in general and I am including the phc is lowering long acheived standards, make no mistake you guys will be the next victims like has been seen in London, unlicenced phc, now how long before they say they are cabs just like you and why cant they do the same work as you?.

Jack

I agree with you, my point was not to lower standards, but raise them for everyone, allow those who have passed the test (ala London) to get a plate, they shouldn't be selling plates, thats one of the reasons for falling standards, it's not how good is your knowlegde but how much your willing to pay, de regulate and allow cabbies a badge on merit, then get rid of PH, it's the two tier system that is the problem, neither the market, nor the majority of the drivers want it, in fact I bet it's only those with current plates at artificial prices, and those that profit from the trade of these, that are happy with the status quo, we have lots of regular trade, and they all see us as offering a better service, (the regulars care little for the knowlegde, sso that only leaves tourists, and given the sophistication of satnav nowadays this is becoming less of a problem, so now the service is seen as providing, clean safe realible comfortable transport, in a friendly manner, our LA ensures this happens, others could too, but a one tier system would make more sense) they also don't care wether we PH or Hack, on a wet saturday night, they just want home, level the playing field (even if the LA's had to compensate those whom they allowed to transfer plates where they knew there was cost involved)it works in other major cities, why not major cities in the UK.

But bickering between ourselves will only keep the real culprits out of the limelight.

This is from the other thread but it fit's here.

It just shows how much you listen Jack we want quality controls just like in London. Other than that I can see no good reason why any driver who earns his living driving someone else's taxi should be denied the opportunity of driving his own.

No qualified driver should be forced to pay rentals or plate premiums to prop up a restrictive practice especially when all the work is going to the competition.

The trade wouldn't know how to step up a gear. The trade as a whole has done nothing other than focus on plate values. Quite honestly Jack I think he Ph deserve the work. It is they who have shown us over the years Private companines and not committees that's the difference.

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