Taxi Driver Online

This is Lancashire

May 28, 2007 Monday

HEADLINE: Taxi firms to raise charges

The Bolton News

SEVEN private hire taxi firms are increasing their prices due to rising costs.

The companies, which are based mainly in Little Lever and Great Lever, say that the rising price of fuel, insurance and the fees they pay to Bolton Council have forced their hand.

From June 1, the firms will increase the price of the first mile of a journey from £2 to £2.30, and every following mile from £1.40 to £1.50.

The firms are: A1, ABA, Ace Cars, Derby/United, Haslam Cars/Minibuses, Lever Cars and Orlando.

Sajid Khan, chairman of the private hire association, said: "We have had to do it due to the increases in petrol and diesel, vehicle insurance and the fees that are being put on us by Bolton Council."

Cllr Colin Shaw, chairman of Bolton Council's licensing committee, said: "They have not put these concerns to us yet or it would have been on the briefing for the next meeting, but we will look at them when we next meet.

"As far as fees are concerned, we are not the cheapest authority but neither are we the dearest."
___________________________

If they are taxis then so be it, but if they are PH then isn't that a cartel?

_________________
IDFIMH

No it's a small step up from slavery to serfdom for the drivers!

£3.8 for 2 miles, wow they're really abusing their dominant market position.

_________________
Our safety is Paramount

The amount is not the issue, it's PH firms getting together to fix fares.

_________________
IDFIMH

As long as drivers income increase they can get married for all I care!!!!!!!!

_________________
Our safety is Paramount

BOOOOLTOOOOONNN!!!

My home town. isn't it awful about Sam Aladyce. Still Chairman brought it on himself. i know we will go down now and Newcastle will regain its former glory. Miss him but at least he didn't go to Man City. That is a Dump to go to.

Hackney fares in Hastings start at a 2.70 pull off. 3-4 miles will cost you £6+. Carmiles bring in the £1per mile but pulloff and first mile £3.00. Customer arguements start from not knwoing that fares vary and PH can charge what they like even for teh same journey. Hence complaints of £5.50 there and £11.00 back before niht-time rate. Also can not understand how a usual £15 trip from an outside village and a few drop offs came to £50 for another firm. Mind you. Should have stuck to the our firm and the one you know.

I have heard of Cheeky but that takes the biscuit

But some drivers would rather rip off a fare for a quick extra and lose them than build up a regular customer who could be your bread and butter during the drought season.

Junie

_________________
Safety In Taxis. Website and survey.Raising awareness of safety in taxis for driver and passenger.

I can see your point, but we can't really have a pop at LOs and the police for not enforcing the law if we turn a blind eye to other laws.

Firms getting together maybe a good idea if they agree to blank an iffy pub or address, but when they get together sometimes they ban a driver from the circuits for next to nothing.

Maybe a member of the GMB could give his views.

_________________
IDFIMH

Firms getting together maybe a good idea if they agree to blank an iffy pub or address, but when they get together sometimes they ban a driver from the circuits for next to nothing.


I tend to work well with the pubs. Even the one's which have rough customers. They call me and tell the guy to behave in June's cab or they will not only be sent home but be banned if i report different. Also tell me of iffy ones who have been ejected from the pub for aggression and violence and tell me what they look like so i don't pick them up flagging me down. Know the guy who set up Pub Watch in Hastings. Ex-fireman. Pub won best pub for two years. Good Proper pub. Beat all the swanky bars which keep changing their name and decor every 6 months. Good Grub too. His innovation reduced crime in town by 1500+ incidents in a year. Again he got a lot of flack and negativity and theats when he started but he has done well. Talked to him about officially working together with cabs and police and he was well up for it.

Only council and licencing have no interest as there is no problem with abuse in cabs.

Junie

_________________
Safety In Taxis. Website and survey.Raising awareness of safety in taxis for driver and passenger.

I can definitely Remember a number of private hire firms being prosecuted by Tradeing Standards a number of years ago..

_________________
Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

I'm not sure if trading standards would have any power in that regard, but in 2001 the OFT did warn some firms in Bury that they could be breaching competition law:

OFT warns cab firms against price-fixing

PN 01/01 10 January 2001

Private hire taxi companies must not get together to set prices, the Office of Fair Trading warned today.

The move comes as the competition watchdog sent warning letters to members of the Bury Private Hire Association. It was reported that the members agreed to raise their fares to £1.60 for the first mile and £1.50 for each subsequent mile.

The OFT became aware of the alleged price-fixing from local newspaper stories and from a complaint. The Association is reported to have nine members.

John Vickers, Director General of Fair Trading, said:

'Small businesses like private cab firms are not excluded from the 1998 Competition Act. The Act outlaws anti-competitive behaviour such as price-fixing by all businesses whether large or small in most sectors of the economy. All allegations of this type will be investigated by the OFT.

'No assumption should be made at this stage that there has been an infringement of competition law in the Bury case. We will not be in a position to decide that until we have all the facts'.

_________________
Taxi Driver Online
www.taxi-driver.co.uk

Crawley's Business Watch which includes shop watch and pub watch is planning to expand into Travel Watch which is planned to include buses and cabs.
Outline plan is PH/Taxi offices would have a radio linking them directly to Police(not a Police radio) and would get a much quicker response for any driver in trouble plus more things which aren't decided yet.

We might have some issues with our council but they are definitely one of the better ones for cabbies.

_________________
Our safety is Paramount

Link to local police.

I bounced that idea. The police control van is near the taxi rank in the middle of town. Plenty of times we have pulled off gone round a corner and someone is having seven bells knocked out of him. Can't stop because of fare but even if I did 999 goes to main switch board and you may get someone half an hour later. Suggested direct link to central conrol van so the bobbies can get round the corner,

Told they wouldn't entertain anything not going through the switchboard. Now you say otherwise may again suggest it.

One town says "YES" another town says "NO" have to cut this crap down. Get everyone working he same.

Junie

_________________
Safety In Taxis. Website and survey.Raising awareness of safety in taxis for driver and passenger.