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I see your point about the barons, but it's out of hand when fares are driven low and the only drivers who will work for that are then forced to drive like a racing driver and complete 15 hour shifts just to pay in, a compromise might be a limit that allows for more than one plate but not more than say 10 unless you are a PH firm owner and can justify the need for company cars, that should keep the speculators out as it won't pay enough for the risk, I wouldn't mind if they could prove the work is there for the cab head numbers, but what happens is they keep putting on cars, going to Eastern Europe to mug drivers with earnings lies and then the driver then thinks it's his right to use a PHC as a Hack, in the days of 99% British drivers you had a % that would still flag, but now it's out of hand and the migrant driver plays the me no understand card when caught out, plus it's not the same for someone who has a morale allegiance to a country to one who thinks oh well if I get caught I'll just go back home.
Locally it's a sham, you have PH on a fare scale without a meter, and that fare scale is about 12 years out of date, yet to work for the PH firm it's 2011 money, have to buy uniforms, lose discount on accounts and do set rates that barely cover the running costs, and all the while someone else sits there pulling in £50k pw, if you are going to provide a cheap service then surely that should extend to the drivers as well, you can't charge for a Ferrari and supply a Mondeo it's just not right.
I'd like to have this conversation again in 6 years time, by then you will be relatively aware of what goes on and you will also have other opinions also, right now you are still in what is known as keen mode, the punters,operators and costs haven't had time to ruffle you up yet, but they will, and please don't see that as a criticism on you, it's just how it ends up, shelf life of a non natural born cabby is 3 years, you may or may not be a NBC, too early to tell yet
You are bang on again there Doom, but I wonder if we can only blame ourselves? There are many instances in our history where we as a nation have decided at certain times certain jobs are not for us to do and we then allow "guest" workers to fill the void. The guest workers graft and improve their lot and the next thing we know they are vacating the void in the labour force they once filled, move up the occupational ladder and the next lot come in.
In Stoke Poges Lane and Spackmans Way, Slough, you will find a plethora of PH drivers of Pakistani origin. Now, they could be driving a Tuk Tuk in Islamabad or an 05 Plate E Class Merc to and from Heathrow.
You may recall in the '50's and '60's London Transport brought in ship loads of people from the West Indies to crew the buses because they couldn't get Londoners to do the job because of low pay. Now the reason the pay was low was because LT weren't allowed to charge fares that could in turn generate a reasonable income for their staff. I fear as a nation we always want the cheapest, not neccessarily the best value for money. Give a Brit £50 to spend on clothes and he'll go to Primark and buy 6 pairs of trackies. Give £50 to his French/German/Italian equivilant, he'll buy a nice tie.
I do agree I am still very much a novice in terms of personal experiences as a driver. I think I am lucky however in that having dealt with the trade over so many years I have a better understanding that most who are getting a badge for the first time. Being in insurance I have had to deal with the most awful accident cirmstances, family issues etc. I have heard so many stories of people having hard times in the business. But it is fair to say so far it has been at arms length.
More later on WAV's. My Sunday morning church ladies hate them! Much prefer a nice comfortable car.