Taxi Driver Online

It's Mr GBC to you.

Thank you.

This would be in effect another form of restriction then with only difference being the intellectual ability of the drivers. How do you go on to square the circle of oversupply for a given market. Would it not be simpler to say "no" when no more cabs are needed? How come we can be for one form of restriction and not the other?

Well not really as you can have 2/3/4/5 drivers per car.

Which of course the owners in a restricted area love.

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IDFIMH

The difference is one isn't a restriction, it's a standard.

Anyone who wants to meet a standard can, if they really want to.

No matter how determined a person is, a restriction will always remain a restriction.

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IDFIMH

That would be the case if the work was there and more cabs were needed, and restriction was to cause an unfair obstruction, but what is your solution when supply overstrips demand?


No doubt it is a standard and maybe in your manor that is an obstruction but despite a difficult test many are making the grade. I don't consider the taxi trade a class war of owners v drivers (I have been owner driver for many years without exploiting others or being exploited, and feel you lads are letting your personal experiences getting in the way of common sense) but rather a supply and demand market and where supply of a service to the public needs to be controlled by the public servants i.e. the LA's for efficiency and safety. The wellbeing of the workforce and their ability to earn enough to afford to update and maintain their vehicles has to be a consideration of the LA's. Personal vendetta culture should have no room in the trade. If there is a requirement for more vehicles of course more licenses be issued, but only IF. So question still stands as to what is your solution in case of supply over stripping demand or do you contend that can never be a possibility?
And please avoid reference to the London model if at all possible
.

Your supply over demand equation could mean that the demand has shrunk i.e. punters not wanting you.

The only way to keep supply under control, in a fair way, is to have higher entry criteria i.e. DSA taxi test, stiffer knowledge and literacy tests.

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IDFIMH

It could indeed, but it in this case it clearly doesn't.
The only way?
Fair?
As a taxi driver my bias is indeed towards the working taxi drivers, and it's hardly fair to them to keep flooding the market with more cabs, and reducing their regular income. It may not be fair to the new graduates waiting in the wings but that's life, they'll have to go find another job till such time as more cabs are needed.

Well I'm as big a fan of working taxi/PH drivers as there is.

But I can't see how having a limited amount of cars, but not drivers, is a good thing.

Whereas having an unlimited amount served by well trained drivers is.

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IDFIMH

Good thing or bad but simple answer to that is, without a car, the driver would have to provide the service carrying punters on his back. It's the sheer number of cars overwhelming the market and not the number of qualified drivers. The situation can be monitored and in time more plates released if required but as is now, the free for all is not working. No room at the inn
As for adding in stipulations like, "only double marathon runners" will be allowed there are only so many hurdles that can be placed in getting a drivers licence. Most of the suggestions have been along the lines of language, counting and communication skills, and routes in a place like Sheffield are not too diverse, so I find it puzzling why you think that may be a hinderence for someone determined.

So what's the difference between 1000 drivers driving 500 cabs doubled shifted, and 1000 drivers driving 1000 cabs single shifted?

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IDFIMH

I wonder how many drivers in Shefield actually know or even understand all the local bylaws, without having to refer to a manual, which from my experiance very few drivers carry with them?

Perhaps most drivers might not think that a reasonable quality control but I'm sure the travelling public would.

Regards

JD

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Double shifted? My my you do live in idealistic world. Restrictions on numbers are a reality in many places and in my experience all of the cabs are seldom bouble shifted. I'd rather be 499th than 999th wouldn't you?
Here in Sheffield we have many single drivers working the double shift to earn a living, so my contention that variations around the country exist and "one size fits all" is not the way to judge our trade.

Reality in our trade never ceases to disappoint me and Sheffield contingent has it's fare share of let downs as does every licensing area. Would you suggest supending all licenses pending passing the new test? It may be one solution but within a short time we will be back to the same situation. So how is making the test more stringent going to solve the problem?

I agree a 'one size fit's all' isn't always the right way forward.

But IMO it's best in the taxi game.

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IDFIMH

Absolutely Sussex, that was my sentiment till the balance swung the other way. I was all for delimitation but seeing effects of detrement I have to accept otherwise. My view is not to subjugate drivers but give working taxi drivers a chance to earn a decent living working decent hours. Maybe where there is artificial limit and more cabs are needed then delimit till paraty is reached, but have some controls rather than a free for all.