There are those that think the streets are paved with gold. How many after losing their job have had that Eureka moment and said to the wife ” I know al gan on the Taxis pet,me mate reckons ya can mek a Thoosand a week”
Applications for badges will be on the rise during these Credit Crunched times.The following post is a rambling snapshot of the Taxi & Private Hire trade a bit of a whinge maybe as that is what everyone thinks we do best.Actually what we do best is transport people from door to door every day & night of the week. We’re also good at getting taken for granted. The Taxi trade is not all it’s cracked up to be though and it’s not quite so simple as getting a car and putting fancy stickers all over it,driving off into the night and coming back loaded!
The costs involved in keeping a Taxi/Private Hire on the road are something that no-one but a ‘Taxi Driver’ would give a second thought to. Every taxi driver,at some point,must have had that punter,who,at the end of the journey will proclaim loudly ” Hooowww much! it doesn’t cost that much in petrol to here! you’re takin the piss mate!” Like we just work to keep the tank full,never mind the insurance,tyres,road tax,repairs,test fees,badge fees,crb checks,office rent,income tax,national insurance,accountancy fees. Oh! and maybe a wage after all that. Unfortunately some people do think we should only charge enough to put fuel in the tank.Others understand that we do this for a living but still don’t realise that our turnover has to cover all of the above plus a wage and money set aside for days off sick, holidays etc. and maybe even a bit of a pension fund.There’s no sick pay,no holiday pay,a taxi drivers earnings need to be larger than average so as to be in a position to put money aside for all of these things. It’s not taken at source like a salaried worker in fact these things are taken for granted by a salaried worker including those that licence us,the policy makers,councillors and licensing officers,trafic wardens and police. I’ve been trying to get in touch with my Licensing officer this week but he’s having a few days off and his sidekick is off on the sick hence I can only speak to the answering machine,whilst being a good listener the machine does not solve my immediate problem! I don’t begrudge anyone having time off or being ill, but I do think that those that grant us the right to ply for hire should at the very least learn a bit more about the self employed that they licence. It would seem that there is an NVQ for almost anything now. So maybe there should be an NVQ in Taxi licensing and it’s far reaching implications,a suitable and fitting course for those that aspire to be jobsworths and apply best practice policy to all and sundry within the circles of Taxidom.I know there probably is but does it teach them that Driving a Taxi is not as simple as putting thousands of them out there and there will be punters grabbing their coats and saying to themselves “Look! there’s some Taxis out there,let’s go and get one” A few years ago when everybody was falling over themselves to double fleets by issuing Wheelchair accessible plate a licensing officer said to me ” Actually you will find that you are busier because the Disability Discrimination act is creating a whole new market for Taxis! People who couldn’t get out before this act,due to being wheelchair bound will now be able to come out and they will be using Taxis” I stared blankly back at this misguided gentleman and thought to myself ‘we’re all doomed,things are never going to be the same’ I am actually more of a positive thinker than that and I have survived the DDA but things are not the same and the new market for Taxis did not really come to fruition. A Taxi driver is expected to carry out his/her job to the best of their ability hence locality tests,vehicle checks,crb checks,NVQ’s & BTEC’s. Each and every test,check,hurdle and relevant fees are in place in an effort to provide the men or women to transport the public about in Taxis.
The Local Authorities may think that they are full of ‘best practice’ and all the rest of that malarky but it’s all a front and they don’t even realise it themselves,they actually think that they are doing a grand job and anyone that doesn’t agree is just a moaning minnie,as Maggie Thatcher put it once when referring to those of us that reside in the great north.
Local authorities do have a responsibility to one of the biggest revenue makers that they have,The Taxi Trade! Namely: Enough workable Ranks, close to places of entertainment and other public places, for at least 75% of the Taxi licences that they issue and rigorous non pussy footing enforcement. If the Bus companies,who are heavily subsidised (John Harrison:Mayor of North Tyneside has recently set aside £320,000 to improve the bus network) Mr.Harrison said:” People have told me they have difficulties getting from A to B and as a bus user myself, I understand the importance of a Transport system that is responsive to changing transport needs” That’s it all we need to do is vote a Taxi user in as Mayor! Problem solved. Anyway as I was saying if the bus companies were not provided with bus stops and viable routes I’m sure they would do a bit moaning themselves.
Unlike other forms of public transport there are no subsidies for the Taxi/Private hire trade.Our costs and wages are drawn entirely from the money we get from picking up our passengers. With so many Taxis waiting times between fares are longer and it’s not like the Movies, with someone hailing a Taxi on every street corner, I can’t actually remember the last time I was hailed on the street. For a Hack almost every fare comes after a long wait in a long queue. The fare could be £2 or £15 it’s the luck of the draw. Of late it’s a similar story for Private Hire,they are slightly busier than the Hacks but they have to pay rent so it still feels quiet for them……
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
Well I think you’ve hit the nail on the head. Nobody seems to realise what overheads taxi/private hire drivers have and to be honest I don’t think many people care.
You mentioned the bus company’s and the fact that Mr Harrison has set aside £320,000 to improve the service as people have said they find it difficult to get from A to B, but I’ve never got a bus that travels from A to B. You have to walk to your nearest bus stop that isn’t always near to your home, you then get taking all over the north east when really you only want to go up the road and then you get dropped off no where near were you actualy want to be. Now is that really responding to the publics needs???. And like the Blue line advert says it’s cheeper to get a taxi if you are traveling in a group. you’ll be pick up were you want (with in reason) and dropped off as close as possible to your destination.
I would like to ask Mr Harrison how many bus drivers he knows that can change a destination on request half way threw a journey or just stop off at a cash machine or shop?. How many bus drivers he knows that will go into the shops for the punter because he/she has requested them to because they are old or have a disablity? Because I the low life ph driver has. As a matter of fact at my last ph office there is a punter that gets a taxi every week and she only leaves the car to go into the bank the rest of her weekly shop is done by the driver and she’s done the same journey for years.
£320,000 could have paid for a sign and bit of paint on the road saying TAXI RANK it could have been spent on training and employing more enforcement officers and actualy put them on the streets. They could have spent some of the money on a public safty campayne explaining the dangers of getting into a illegal taxi or unbooked Ph vehicle. But why would they bother because were just Taxi/ph drivers we make thousands of pounds an hour and our cars last for ever they never need repaired/ replaced/ taxed/ tested/ cleaned of filled up with fuel and the credit crunch wont affect us because everone wants taxis.
This is why I’ve said in the past and I’ll say again we need to STAND UNITED if we want to be heard. This is why the hackney Loophole needs to be closed before the number of taxis increase anymore.
If the bus drivers were going to have their jobs affected they would all stand together and would be striking and involving the unions. Us on the other hand we do nowt, and then we do nowt, we have a moan and then we do nowt.
Is it any wonder people walk all over us.
Good Article Admin!
But a question to you all, who are these Pricks that are going around telling people (Especially the unemployed or Low pay sector) that Taxi/PH Drivers earn nearly a £1000 per week, I am sure these Donkeys are worse than any Berwick Driver or Flimpers is!, lately I have had four Customers in my Car, that have have told me they are applying for a Taxi Badge due to the high earnings, ie £1000 per week!!!!, I have stressed to them that this is not possible, certainly at the moment, but they still appeared to be hell bent on going for it!.
One Lad on Friday afternoon from my Estate who I picked up stated that when he gets his Badge he is purchasing a R reg Mondeo of his mate for £350!, and he will use that as his Vehicle, I informed him he can forget about Eastcoast, BLT and Central as they all have age limits on their Vehicles, he replied….”You can make good money anywhere”, who told you that?, my Father, he used to be a Driver 18 years ago!!, he said, also his mate had told him this who works at ……wait for it chaps….wait…..”High View” he replied!!.
All I can say this high unemployment and recession is bringing some much needed humour into the Job, because we are picking up halfwits like that.
Regards
Stephen
@Stephen (FKA Central Enth.),
Good money can still be made at the smaller offices provided you are prepared to put the time in. I would agree too many people will see the taxi trade as an easy way of making some cash but how many will be prepared to stick it out when times are quiet?
@Stephen (FKA Central Enth.), Good money can be made at the smaller offices, but how many of these new to the trade will stick it out on the quieter shifts?
@John Smith,
Good point John and Joe!, these idiots think they will be going up and down from the Coast to Town on a Saturday night with four fit Lasses in their Car + get a Tip as well!!!, but the grim reality is mostly £2.00 door to door work, runners, penny pinchers, little smack heads going to buy Gear, other Drivers giving you a dirty look because you are new, the list of bad points is endless!!
And Monday to Thursdays looking at blank Dataheads all night!!
As were on the subject of pricks can I please name and shame one of our out of town frends.
Berwick plated Blue line driver with Reg number CU52 CUO couldn’t get his plate number as he spun off to quick.
On the 1/3/09 at around 22:20 he has picking up at the county thistle hotel. When he pulled up he was on his his phone not hands free. Four lads were standing at hotel they asked him if he was for them he just nodded and carryed on his conversation. The lads all had big sports bags for the boot so the helpful driver pushed his boot release from inside of his car and carryed on his converstion. He didn’t have to that he could have let them do it themselves. The lads then got into the car and the driver sped off and yes you geust it carried on with his conversation. That must be the moving the Taxi/ph industry into the 21st centery that I keep hearing about.
And can I remind berwick drivers that their top signs are compulsery not a choice! Please use them so people know were they are plated incase they have any issues because the drivers of the legitamate plates can spot you a mile off so you cann’t blend in or hide.
Cheers MB 27
See loads of the pricks with no top signs on and a plate hiddin in the corner of the tinted rear screen really p**s’s me off as i had to permenantly affix my plate with screw to my car !!!!
Why hide the fact your a effing taxi unless your up to no good , are the average punters psycic ?
I thought a hackney carrige was a hackney carrige full stop. Not a car when your off work and taxi when your at work ! So shouldnt all the door crests, top signs and plates be permanantly affixed to the vehicle ?
Maybe Berwick should introduce door crests that had to be permenant
make the fu**ers easy to spot when they are flimping !
What ever happened to the Berwick enforcement officer based down here in his little Vauxhall astra ?
Whole things a farce !!!
John Harrison the Muppet Mayor of North Tyneside ain’t as daft as he looks in the free Papers you get through the Door in North Tyneside (ie The Whitley Bay News Guardian), you see all those cheesy Pics of him opening new facilities in Sh*tty areas and Schools.
Quoted in Part one “Streets of Gold Article”, John Harrison has set aside £320,000 to improve the Bus Network!, I wonder why eh???
Well first of all New Labour are F*%ked now and where else to find some support, but the Union orientated employment, ie the Buses, many Bus Drivers in the North East are Labour supporters, because they still think wor Maggie is still in charge!, So Harrison has cashed in on this, by showing support to Bus Drivers, he and his cronnies Lefty labour may still get a few Votes at the next local or General Election for this!.
But what do you expect from a Mayor that thinks Whitley Bay is thriving????, the Man, sorry Muppet needs a check up from the Neck up!
Anyway a quick reference to Part two of your Article!
Dave Wilson may get promotion for what he has done???? Hmmmm!
The Man has run a Business that should have been called “Anyone or thing can get a Plate.com “, sorry for the “.com”, lets be honest he has attracted folk from all over the Third world, so it could’nt be “.co.uk”, from a little Shop in Wallace Green, Berwick, if he gets promotion it should be within another Council that produces Wally’s like Harringate Council!!!!
Regards
Stephen
@ stephen
Well, I think you’ve probably hit on something there when you mentioned Local or general elections stephen.
Which party would be the best for the Taxi trade?????Hmmmmm
Is that a bit of leaverage that the Taxi trade can use?????Hmmmmm
The mention of opposition partys being in power could and probably would make the LA’s firstly shit in their pants because they know our huge and ever growing numbers could swing an election and secondly I think they may then want to talk to the taxi trade offer us coffee from explensive cups. Allow us to fart in their office with the windows shut and last but not least they would probably then realise that we are not the small un-intelligent mutants that they think we are. We are infact a huge ever bickering sociaty that want support from our LA’s inorder for us to do our jobs.
Then lets see Cheesy pics of Harrison !!!!!!!!!!
Whitley Bay Town Centre and South Parade Rank.
To avoid adding passenger congestion problems at the already wider part of the pavement outside Aruba apparently, the Rank at the bottom of South Parade is under reconstruction with a double railing system of hemming in the public between the barriers, looking to be the new idea and therefore reducing the width of the road at the bottom of South Parade outside Aruba to the Rex Hotel(Deep and Jimmy`s) therefore probably resulting in it being impossible to turnaround at the junction when the work is complete, because from the looks of things after the Rank Parking is repainted on the road, the road will only be 1 vehicle wide in both directions.
When complete this change should be interesting to say the least, when we see how the orderly public form an orderly queue within the penned railing area (I think they will still spill on to the road myself, but this is only my belief and time will tell)
Now when one of those very long stretch limo`s tries to turn left off the seafront it will be impossible for the limo to turn left at the Rex, on to South Parade when heading from the Cullercoats to Whitley Bay direction. (should be fun to watch the wedged limo`s in the future months ahead unless they put up a “NO LEFT TURN” sign for long vehicles) unless of course the idea is to make South Parade “ONE WAY” from the Oxford Street end to the Seafront end, as the North Tyneside Hackney Carriage Association (NTHCA) has been saying should have happened years ago with “NO ENTRY” signs on Esplanade Place opposite the Avalon Hotel and “ONE WAY” signs on Esplande Place at the Junction on The Esplande with Esplanade Place to South Parade, as this would allow a “ONE WAY” system to flow up The Esplande up to the Whitley Road junction and over on to Station Road where there is alread a “ONE WAY” system in place if “NO ENTRY” signs were put at the top of The Esplande beside STATION PUB on Whitley Road.
Now I turn my attentions to the sorry looking entrance roads into Whitley Bay, firstly if you enter Whitley Bay from Marden Road any visitor having to sit at the lights must think when they look at the old co-op building what an eyesore and it does not get much better if you enter from Norham Road as the old Bathroom shop you look at when stuck at junction, then as you go past The Bedroom Pub and look at the old T&G Allens all boarded up, then Woolworths and Cartridge World all closed down not to mention the other shops on Whiley Road as you head towards Cullercoats, but the best of the sorry Whitley Bay Town Centre is the NEW SHOPPING CENTRE with the Marks and Spencers Food Court closed down at the Entrance Point to the flagship of the town.
So lets reflect on what is on offer to attract tourist to Whitley Bay on there sight seeing tour that will make then want to come back, Banks, Building Society`s, the odd private shop, Charity Shops and of course Travel Agents, but maybe the Travel Agents will be used by the tourist as a way to get out of this sad, derelict Town that has finally died and is beyond repair it would seem as we have no inferstructure worth redeveloping left and any visitors will just say lets get out of here!!!!
@thelighthousekeeper, Apparently the plan is to make South Parade One Way,from the top down and / or pedestrianize allowing access for Taxis and access only.