In message , Helen Deborah
Vecht writes
Mike Hughes typed


Taxicard business is a *very* low profit item for drivers. The 'run-ins'
are lower with little waiting charges and many represent a higher degree
of 'hassle' than just picking up off the street.

Wot, seldom drunk or abusive, £4 run-ins, usually ready to travel. Yeah,
right!

Getting out in the cold and rain to set up the ramp for wheelchair users
(many taxicard users), going into some very dodgy estates in some parts
of London and not knowing if your cab will come out in one piece. These
are all 'reasons' put forward by some drivers why they don't do Taxicard
work.

Of course the system is different in Central London to that in the
suburbs. In my experience the suburban taxicards seem to be given out to
those who are in genuine need while those in some central parts *appear*
to be quite able bodied.

Since it has been taken over by a
company who's prime objective is to make money for themselves there is
less incentive for drivers to do radio work in preference to street
work.

Drivers are all independent businessmen and not employees. What would
you do?

There aren't black cabs on the street much, here in the outer suburbs
and some of the cabbies seem to prefer radio work.

Quite. The outer suburbs used to be better served at night by ComCab
when they had the London Transport contract. This meant that there taxis
in all the outer areas where there are tube stations. Drivers do not
know beforehand what type of job it is and taxicard jobs were then
getting covered better. No one is going to wait in an outer area unless
there is a likelihood of getting a job.

Black cab ranks have been left deserted in some areas.

In central London, I can see the streets offer a better option.

I should have clarified my original posting which does of course refer
mainly to the central areas.

--
Mike Hughes
A Taxi driver licensed for London and Brighton
at home in Tarring, West Sussex, England

In message .com,
writes

Helen Deborah Vecht wrote:

The Taxicard scheme does cover minicabs in some boroughs, such as
Hillingdon, AFAIK.

Sensible.


I bear no malice to anybody but if I ring a minicab firm, they can tell
me if they have cabs free in the area. If they have none, I can (& do)
phone another firm. ComCab can't do that (and their control centre is in
Aberdeen, giving them no local knowledge...)

Aah yes, the Scottish call centre. At one point (and I don't know if
this is still true), they were unable to process a call if you did not
have the *Post Code* of your destination. Unfortunately, (a) not all
destinations have post codes, even in London and (b) the chances of
knowing the post code of your destination are low if it is seldom used.
Post codes are difficult to look up when you are out and about. The
lack of local knowledge also tells.

Oh dear. you've got me started. Going up to a ComCab in a rank doesn't
work either, as many drivers claim their equipment is broken, or they
are driving the cab for a 'friend'. At least they now have the
'targets' on them so they can be identified from the front when being
hailed in the street.

This is NOT a rant about black cab drivers in general, just the
Taxicard scheme.

You have hit the nail on the head with this one. Both the Scottish call
centre and the lower 'run-ins' for taxicards makes it less economical
for drivers to do the job. Let me give you an example of sheer
inefficiency

Last Saturday night I got a job to Harrow from the street. No problem. I
notice that there is a job in the area. Don't go for it as I'm over 30
mins away. Get to within 10 mins from dropping off and ComCab put out a
message asking if anyone can cover the job which it is then revealed is
going to SW6 (Fulham). Perfect job to get me back to the central area. I
'bid' for the job but nothing comes to me. No being one who gives up
easily I phone the CC office (in Shepherds Bush) answered by someone who
gives the impression that he doesn't really care that much about the job
(I may be wrong but that is the impression I got). "Job not in system"
is the answer.

I drop off. Job still apparently in system, but I assume that it may be
a 'false' reading (something that happens quite often) so don't ring
again. Get back to Hanger Lane 20 mins drive from drop off point when
job is put out again (20 bloody minutes!!!) This time I am given the
job. There is no accurate pick up point but I eventually get there to
find it is a wheelchair job (not given on my details). No problems. Get
ramp out, put wheelchair in. Speak to customers who tell me that they
have been waiting since midnight. It is now nearly 2.30 a.m. What's more
I could have been there 45 minutes earlier as my original drop was less
than 5 mins from the pick up point.

I am now quietly seething. What a waste of my time and fuel. What a
waste of the customers time. I contact CC and tell them that the
customer is very upset (they weren't but the operator wasn't to know
that - in fact they were lovely people!). Suggest that as the customer
is upset and that they have been kept waiting so long they (CC) should
pay the extra over and above the normal Taxicard rates out of the 'PR'
account. Customer now happy at not having top pay about £30 above the
normal.

What really annoyed me is that CC ask us drivers why we don't cover
taxicard work, at night, or weekends. It's not the that the drivers are
unwilling to do the jobs it's just that you can rarely get through and
on the odd occasion that you do the inefficiency and lack of 'driver
practical knowledge' really makes it uneconomical when there is plenty
of street work.

A properly designed scheme that incentivised drivers
properly

The company has become so greedy that there is less and less incentive
to cover Taxicard work. What would you do given the knowledge that some
city businesses will allow up to £5.80 run in which Taxicard allows only
£2.40 in the suburbs or £3.40 in the central area? Taxi drivers are all
self employed businessmen and as such are out to make as much money as
they can in the shortest time possible.

would have them queuing up for Taxicard business. E.g. making
the money earned from Taxicard tax-free, or requireing a certain
percentage of all journeys to be Taxicard journeys, on pain of paying a
fee if the percentage is not achieved.

CC tried something along those lines - trying to force drivers to take
at least 75% of all radio work offered with payment of penalties if you
didn't. Result - drivers either completely switched off or let the
system 'time out' instead of at least looking to see if they were close
to a pick up point. Less work covered!

If there is an annual fee to be
paid to the local authority and/or PCO, that could be reduced if the
percentage were reached, for example.

Cheers.

Sid


--
Mike Hughes
A Taxi driver licensed for London and Brighton
at home in Tarring, West Sussex, England

In message , Helen Deborah
Vecht writes




Helen Deborah Vecht wrote:

The Taxicard scheme does cover minicabs in some boroughs, such as
Hillingdon, AFAIK.

Sensible.


I bear no malice to anybody but if I ring a minicab firm, they can tell
me if they have cabs free in the area. If they have none, I can (& do)
phone another firm. ComCab can't do that (and their control centre is in
Aberdeen, giving them no local knowledge...)

Aah yes, the Scottish call centre. At one point (and I don't know if
this is still true), they were unable to process a call if you did not
have the *Post Code* of your destination. Unfortunately, (a) not all
destinations have post codes, even in London and (b) the chances of
knowing the post code of your destination are low if it is seldom used.
Post codes are difficult to look up when you are out and about. The
lack of local knowledge also tells.

I had that, at least for a pick-up, a while ago.

I was outside Chix Chox restaurant, in North Finchley, unsure of the
street name (Ballards Lane or High Road, North Finchley...) and said I
was 'just north of the apex of Tally-Ho Corner, opposite McDonalds'.
Such information was of no use to them, but would have surely helped any
punter on the ground...

Had a similar story from another customer who said that the call centre
wanted to know the exact post code for Trafalgar Square!! As he said
"Every London taxi driver knows where that is", but the call centre
wouldn't have it.

Once again I have to say that it's not the drivers that the weak link,
it is the call centres / driver query operators who do not answer the
radio or phones quickly. No driver is going to wait indefinitely unless
he can keep his meter running.

Of course to do this requires more operators, preferably with some sort
of knowledge of the job but this costs money and reduces the company's
profits. Not so much of a problem when the company was owned by the
drivers and was set up for their benefit, but now...

--
Mike Hughes
A Taxi driver licensed for London and Brighton
at home in Tarring, West Sussex, England

Mike Hughes wrote:

Once again I have to say that it's not the drivers that the weak link,
it is the call centres / driver query operators who do not answer the
radio or phones quickly. No driver is going to wait indefinitely unless
he can keep his meter running.

Of course to do this requires more operators, preferably with some sort
of knowledge of the job but this costs money and reduces the company's
profits. Not so much of a problem when the company was owned by the
drivers and was set up for their benefit, but now...

--
Mike Hughes
A Taxi driver licensed for London and Brighton
at home in Tarring, West Sussex, England

Thanks for that, Mike. With unhappy customers and unhappy drivers, the
system doesn't look too hot. The reality of the situation is that
unless the driver makes as much as, or more than what he/she would make
simply picking up from the street in the same time period, the scheme
simply is not going to fly.

Regards,

Sid

Mike Hughes typed

The company has become so greedy that there is less and less incentive
to cover Taxicard work. What would you do given the knowledge that some
city businesses will allow up to £5.80 run in which Taxicard allows only
£2.40 in the suburbs or £3.40 in the central area? Taxi drivers are all
self employed businessmen and as such are out to make as much money as
they can in the shortest time possible.

Really?
I'm sure I have run-ins of up to £4!

I agree £2.40 is grossly inadequate, but I get anxious when the meter
reads £10 and I've hardly covered a couple of miles.

I am not unreasonable, use a folding wheelchair sometimes and am always
ready to travel when the cab arrives.

--
Helen D. Vecht:
Edgware.

Mike Hughes typed

Had a similar story from another customer who said that the call centre
wanted to know the exact post code for Trafalgar Square!! As he said
"Every London taxi driver knows where that is", but the call centre
wouldn't have it.

That story needs to be told far and wide. It certainly made me chuckle!

I reckon more useful would have been specific information as to
*exactly* where on Trafalgar Square the caller meant...

Once again I have to say that it's not the drivers that the weak link,
it is the call centres / driver query operators who do not answer the
radio or phones quickly. No driver is going to wait indefinitely unless
he can keep his meter running.

Fair enough. It's a shame a driver can't stop the meter sometimes.

I called one once and a cab came quickly. The driver needed the loo & I
told him I didn't mind his popping off to a nearby gents. He couldn't
stop the meter though...

Of course to do this requires more operators, preferably with some sort
of knowledge of the job but this costs money and reduces the company's
profits. Not so much of a problem when the company was owned by the
drivers and was set up for their benefit, but now...

Agreed. I really wish the call centre were in London though.

--
Helen D. Vecht:
Edgware.

"Mike Hughes" wrote in message
...

The outer suburbs used to be better served at night by
ComCab when they had the London Transport contract.
This meant that there taxis in all the outer areas where
there are tube stations. Drivers do not know beforehand
what type of job it is and taxicard jobs were then getting covered better.
No one is going to wait in an
outer area unless there is a likelihood of getting a job.

So when TfL/LU transferred the Underground contract away from Comcab, they
shafted all the disabled people in outer London? There must be an Evening
Standard headline in there somewhere.

"John Rowland" typed


"Mike Hughes" wrote in message
...

The outer suburbs used to be better served at night by
ComCab when they had the London Transport contract.
This meant that there taxis in all the outer areas where
there are tube stations. Drivers do not know beforehand
what type of job it is and taxicard jobs were then getting covered
better.
No one is going to wait in an
outer area unless there is a likelihood of getting a job.

So when TfL/LU transferred the Underground contract away from Comcab, they
shafted all the disabled people in outer London? There must be an Evening
Standard headline in there somewhere.


I think I'm a fairly typical Taxicard user, though possibly younger,
louder and more computer literate than many.

I have been effectively stranded by the scheme about once per month.[1]
I am more than happy to help with any article in the making.

I know of people who have missed hospital appointments because of it (I
have only made time-critical appointments by bailing out into a
mini-cab.)

[1] Waiting over 45 minutes for an immediate cab or no-show within 15
minutes of pre-booked ride.

--
Helen D. Vecht:
Edgware.

In message , Helen Deborah
Vecht writes
Mike Hughes typed

The company has become so greedy that there is less and less incentive
to cover Taxicard work. What would you do given the knowledge that some
city businesses will allow up to £5.80 run in which Taxicard allows only
£2.40 in the suburbs or £3.40 in the central area? Taxi drivers are all
self employed businessmen and as such are out to make as much money as
they can in the shortest time possible.

Really?
I'm sure I have run-ins of up to £4!

The run-in is at the time of arrival. By the time you get to the taxi it
could easily be £4 or more.

I agree £2.40 is grossly inadequate, but I get anxious when the meter
reads £10 and I've hardly covered a couple of miles.

I am not unreasonable, use a folding wheelchair sometimes and am always
ready to travel when the cab arrives.


--
Mike Hughes
A Taxi driver licensed for London and Brighton
at home in Tarring, West Sussex, England

Mike Hughes typed

The run-in is at the time of arrival. By the time you get to the taxi it
could easily be £4 or more.

Yeah, when I've been hanging by my glass front door, looking for the
cab. Right.

--
Helen D. Vecht:
Edgware.