Rainbow Taxis In Talks With Other Airport Operator

Cybro · **Posted:** Mon Feb 25, 2008 9:47 pm

25 Feb 2008

Airport's Cabbies In Talks

Drivers from a North-east taxi firm were today meeting to discuss their
future at Aberdeen Airport.

Rainbow Taxis resigned from its contract with airport owners BAA last
week after falling out over the introduction of new barrier charges.

But drivers from the firm were meeting with ComCabs, the other airport
operator, to see if a deal could be reached to continue at the airport.

They were to meet with the firm at 2.30pm today to discuss where
Rainbow airport drivers could go once their contract ends on March 31.

Alan Norval, a taxi driver for Rainbow, said: "We'll be meeting ComCabs
to speak about facts and figures.

"There is no deal on the table yet and we will see what they have to say.

"We're not in favour of the barrier charges so that's still an issue."

Rainbow Taxi bosses announced they would end their contract covering
Dyce terminal after being told drivers would be charged £1 per hire at the
airport. City-based drivers who pick passengers up at busy times will be
subject to a charge of £2. The new measures are to be introduced from August 1.

BAA claims the charges are necessary to step up security in the wake of
the terrorist attack at Glasgow Airport.

Rainbow Taxis wanted Aberdeen City Council to add the charge to the
metered fare. The firm only recently agreed a new contract with BAA to be
the main taxi supplier for the airport until January 2010.

ComCabs, the only other firm which provides taxis to the airport, has
been in discussions with BAA about the changes.

Source: This is Aberdeen

Related TDO Topic: Aberdeens rainbow taxis pull from airport
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skippy41 · **Posted:** Mon Feb 25, 2008 10:36 pm

Quote:

BAA claims the charges are necessary to step up security in the wake of
the terrorist attack at Glasgow Airport.

At the expense of a taxi owner or driver, what right have BAA to charge any of us for picking up at an airport, all they have to do is charge 20p per ticket per passenger and that would pay for it :evil:

gusmac · **Posted:** Tue Feb 26, 2008 2:03 am

Most of the airport drivers walked out of the meeting in disgust.
Airport drivers stopped picking up at the main terminal at 8pm tonight in a strike action. It appears to have been fairly solid with only 2 or 3 airport cars still working. They were supported by most (but not all) Aberdeen cabs.
Still trying to get details. I will post more when I find out.

skippy41 · **Posted:** Tue Feb 26, 2008 1:38 pm

Quote:

AIRPORT 'CHAOS' AS TAXI DRIVERS TAKE STRIKE ACTION OVER CHARGES PLAN

08:50 - 26 February 2008

Press & Journal

Aberdeen Airport taxi drivers went on strike last night in a protest over planned new charges.

Long queues built up outside the airport as passengers waited their turn for a depleted taxi fleet to pick them up.

Drivers walked off the ranks at 8pm and said they would not resume service until 6am today.

They threatened to do the same thing every night until airport chiefs listened to their concerns over new charges.

Airport taxi drivers' committee member Alan Norval said about 90% of Rainbow Airport Taxi drivers chose not to work, leaving only four or five serving the airport last night.

But extra drivers from ComCabs and Rainbow City cabs were helping to make up the shortfall.

The action came just days after Rainbow Taxis announced its fleet of 140 cabs would stop serving the Dyce terminal on March 31 after it was revealed drivers were likely to face a £1 charge every time they entered the airport.

City-based drivers who pick up passengers at busy times will be subject to a charge of £2.

Mr Norval said last night: "We had a fleet meeting at 5pm. It was the overall feeling of all drivers, because BAA are so determined to introduce the barrier fee to be picked up by all airport drivers, that they have left us with no other alternative but to withdraw our services on a lightning-strike basis."

He said the proposed £1 charge would add up to £100 a week on top of the £114 weekly charge they already pay to pick up at the airport.

"It was chaos at the airport," he said later. "It was a very cold night and there were long queues. I felt really sorry for people but we have to make a stand."

An airport spokesman confirmed that a number of drivers had decided not to operate last night.

"A number of extra drivers came in and the disruption was not too bad. There were queues but passengers were not stranded. Several took the bus home," he said.

The management of Rainbow Taxis was not available for comment last night.

JD · **Joined:** Thu Nov 04, 2004 5:53 pm **Posts:** 10381

Well done to these guys for taking this strike action and sacrificing a nights pay at the Airport. I don't know what good it will do them in the end if any but at least it shows the Airport Authorities that they mean business.

It's a everyone isn't united over the situation.

Regards

JD

gusmac · **Posted:** Tue Feb 26, 2008 6:54 pm

Quote:

Airport taxi drivers' committee member Alan Norval said about 90% of Rainbow Airport Taxi drivers chose not to work, leaving only four or five serving the airport last night.

I heard 3

Quote:

But extra drivers from ComCabs and Rainbow City cabs were helping to make up the shortfall.

Few if any Rainbow cars picked up from the rank. Some picked up prebooked hires. Many comcab drivers also refused to pick up.

Quote:

An airport spokesman ..."A number of extra drivers came in and the disruption was not too bad. There were queues but passengers were not stranded. Several took the bus home," he said.

BAA spin. I doubt that the passengers affected would agree. After a long wait they got the bus into Aberdeen and then had to get taxis home from there.

Quote:

The management of Rainbow Taxis was not available for comment last night.

They would have got a comment if they had tried to phone them. My information is nobody from the press contacted Rainbow last night.

gusmac · **Posted:** Thu Feb 28, 2008 5:39 pm

Latest

Strike planned for 4pm today until 6am tomorrow has been called off.
BAA have abandoned plans for barrier charges. This is unconfirmed as yet and I will post again when I hear something official.

Cybro · **Posted:** Thu Feb 28, 2008 6:58 pm

So, they plan to introduce these charges at other national airports?
http://www.thisisaberdeen.co.uk/fight_over_airport_charges

JD · **Joined:** Thu Nov 04, 2004 5:53 pm **Posts:** 10381

gusmac wrote:

Latest

Strike planned for 4pm today until 6am tomorrow has been called off.
BAA have abandoned plans for barrier charges. This is unconfirmed as yet and I will post again when I hear something official.

I hope you're right.

Regards

JD

gusmac · **Posted:** Tue Mar 04, 2008 1:17 pm

TAXI DRIVERS TO HOLD TALKS OVER CHARGE

08:50 - 04 March 2008

Press and Journal

Taxi drivers were due to hold talks today about new charges agreed between Aberdeen Airport and new taxi management bosses.

They threatened to strike again if the £60 weekly airport charge, offered by ComCab after talks with Aberdeen Airport last week, was put in place.

A spokesman for Aberdeen Airport said the majority of drivers had appeared content with the new offer and several had already signed up to work for ComCab, the firm taking over airport taxi management from Rainbow Taxis on April 1.

The renewed threats came just days after the proposed £1 barrier charge on taxi drivers picking people up from the airport was dropped.

Drivers went on strike over the charge on Monday night last week but the plans were dropped by Friday.

Alan Norval, a representative of the airport taxi drivers, said they had been paying operator Rainbow Taxis £34 for their permit a week but the new agreement would mean £60 a week.

They also paid £82.50 to rent the radio used by the firm to contact them.

Mr Norval said they would discuss the new charge at a meeting today.

He said: "The airport wants to charge £60 per driver every week.

"To go up that much is just ridiculous.

"We don't have a barrier charge but we have an airport charge now."

He added that if drivers were not happy with the airport's conditions, they were free to move and work in the city.

"There are some leaving because of the charges already," he said.

"We will have a meeting about the charge and then probably go back to the airport. We may have to take further strike action."

The airport spokesman said that several airport taxi drivers had already said they would move across to ComCab and that the company was running an incentive scheme to encourage drivers to transfer to them.

If taxi drivers were unhappy with the offer they should approach ComCab, he said.

No one from ComCab was available for comment yesterday.

gusmac · **Posted:** Tue Mar 04, 2008 1:19 pm

I would add that the airport permit was £18 a week until last month

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