Taxi Driver Online

Birmingham Evening Mail

January 19, 2008, Saturday

Staffordshire Edition

Green light given for taxi fares rise;

Black cab drivers set to charge late night revellers more

BLACK cab drivers have been given the go ahead to increase fares for late night revellers.

City licensing chiefs have agreed a new set of charges to encourage more hackney carriage drivers to work unsociable hours.

They include a 20 per cent surchage on the standard day rate for week nights and 30 per cent surcharge for Friday and Saturdays after 11pm.

It follows complaints that there are not enough cabs on the city's streets after midnight, particularly at kicking out time for pubs and clubs.

Until now cabs have only charged a 50p add on for late nights, Sundays and most Bank Holidays, plus a special extra charge for Christmas Day or New Year's night.

Now four tariffs have been adopted.

One is the standard day rate, the second includes weekday nights between 11pm and 7am and all day Bank Holidays, a third covers weekend nights and finally a special charge for Christmas and New Year. The maximum amount drivers can charge passengers for "soiling" the car also rises from pounds 30 to pounds 40.

Licensing committee vicechairman Coun Bruce Lines (Con, Bartley Green) said: "The charges are to encourage more black cab drivers to work evenings and weekends.

"Apparently there is a major shortage. Many visitors complain that they can't get a black cab when they need them the most."

He added that without black cabs on the streets some revellers are sometimes turning to unlicensed cars in desperation, putting themselves at risk.
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£40 for soiling the car!! I would be seriously pi55ed off if I was off the road for the night and could only charge £40.

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Grandad,

Does it matter what the soiling charge is?

What are your chances of getting the "soiler" to pay up?

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Former taxi driver

Is this a council that restricts numbers

why do you ask?

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Former taxi driver

No.

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IDFIMH

The small claims court will happily get the money out of the mush.

And the soiling charge is only there to cover the cost of cleaning, loss of earnings can easily be added.

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IDFIMH

Sounds like you have been there and done that, Sussex.

I never have had the need to claim. Better class of customer, I suppose?

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Former taxi driver

Oh no, not I.

It's just that I'm very clever and know all the answers to all the trade's woes.

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IDFIMH

criminal damage?

CC

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin