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T'S THE END OF THE ROAD FOR PINK LADIES
WILLIAM TELFORD INVESTIGATIONS EDITOR

11:50 - 11 January 2007
Controversial women- only 'taxi' firm Pink Ladies has ceased trading in Plymouth with the loss of a dozen jobs - seven months after it started.The Plymouth franchise, famous for running seven bright pink Renault Kangoos around the city, said it would return fare money, paid in advance under a swipe card scheme, to all 1,800 of its 'member' customers.

Bosses are also trying to help its drivers find other work.

Exact details of why the Plymouth franchise has ceased operating from this week are unclear, but its demise follows the closure of other franchises in London and Carlisle.

Pink Ladies' Warrington head office said it was restructuring and a 'new way of trading' was being trialled.

A spokeswoman also said it was in negotiations with another Plymouth company about starting up a new franchise in the city.

Pink Ladies is now only operating in Warrington and St Helen's on Merseyside, but says it plans to open franchises in Edinburgh and Manchester.

Jacky Carter, who ran the Plymouth Pink Ladies franchise, said staff were devastated.

"They loved working for us; we were good employers," she said. "I'm desperately trying to get my girls jobs."

She added: "We had a good relationship with our customers.

"All members who are in credit will get their money."

Pink Ladies, which uses only women drivers to ferry female passengers and their children, caused controversy in Plymouth and across the country when it began operating by insisting it was not a taxi business.

It maintained it was neither a hackney carriage outfit nor a private hire company, claiming to exist as a members-only 'travel club' using an exemption under Section 75 of the Local Government Miscellaneous Provisions Act 1976.

It meant that, alongside for-hire limos and airport transfer firms, it fell into a grey area where it is unclear whether vehicles have to be licensed by councils, the Government - or at all.

When the Plymouth franchise was opened, city private hire firms were furious and claimed the new company was avoiding licensing charges and operating beyond council regulations.

It is understood talks are under way between Pink Ladies' head office and the Government about the position.

A spokeswoman at the Warrington head office said: "It's very sad that Pink Ladies Plymouth has ceased trading, and there are negotiations in progress with a local businessperson to take over the area, so giving minimal disruption to members, and any staff who wish to continue working in the business.

"The whole model for the company is changing, and a new way of trading is being trialled in Warrington and Edinburgh," she said.

"When the trials are complete new areas will be launched to continue to satisfy the demands for the service around the country."

John Preece, boss of city private hire firm Taxifast, said it was sad that the Pink Ladies franchise had ceased trading, but added: "From a transport operators' point of view the concept will never work."

one more down two to go

Just a thought could they be charged with sexual discrimination against males???? it works both ways dont it????

The only problem they have, is having licenced vehicles and drivers. The vehicles are new so that isnt a problem.
All drivers in Taxi and PH be MUSTBE LICENCED so all its down to is money.
If they're profit margin is so tight they.

a: cant afford to plate the vehicles.
and
b: cant pay a licenced driver enough to want to work for them.
Leaving them no option but to employ women without enough knowledge of their own town that they cant obtain a badge and not paying enough to tempt women who presently work in PH in these areas to work for them instead, then they really do deserve to go to the wall.

If they think that by forming a limited company to buy the present company off them, meaning they'll avoid losing their houses (which they re morgaged to finance the start up) when they do finally close, then they need to read up on company law as well.

I personally dont want anyone to lose their house, but when they started this whole fiasco they were badly advised and went into it with rose tinted glasses.

We see this sort of enterprise/wild idea happen every day in our industry, with drivers spending a fortune on new vehicles hoping to find a niche in an already exhausted market only to realise when then money doesnt come flooding in that they made a huge mistake.

If they had got their way then many of us would be in danger of losing our houses, so I say tough luck.

_________________
IDFIMH

Still saw a pinky driving around yesterday, maybe it was just the franchise owner using it for personal use.

Anyway, good riddance I say.