A cyclist friend recommended I try using Zingo taxis.

I had a blank when I rang them.
The website does not load.

Have they disappeared?

--
Helen D. Vecht:
Edgware.

On Wed, 19 Apr 2006 11:16:16 +0100, Helen Deborah Vecht
wrote:

A cyclist friend recommended I try using Zingo taxis.

I had a blank when I rang them.
The website does not load.

Have they disappeared?

I wouldn't be surprised.

I tried the service once and got through to a driver almost
immediately. I wanted to go East from WC1 and he was trying to go West
towards Heathrow (apparently where he lived).

Being a fair person, I accepted his offer of being "put back into the
system" to await the next nearest driver. 15 mins later and I was
still waiting, so I went into the street and found a cab within
seconds.

RayB

In message , Helen Deborah
Vecht writes
A cyclist friend recommended I try using Zingo taxis.

I had a blank when I rang them.
The website does not load.

Have they disappeared?

The Zingo system was originally started by Managese Bronze, the owners
of London Taxis International (LTI) the makers of the London taxi. The
system works by locating the position of the customer, then locating the
nearest available Zingo equipped taxi and putting the two together.

The problem is that, although the customer is charged extra (was £1.60
but may have gone up) this money goes to Zingo and nothing to the
driver. That's OK if the customer is very close but who wants to travel
through traffic to get to someone when there are plenty of other
customers on the street?

Zingo was sold to the Delgro, the parent organisation of ComCab (and
others) for £1 (but they had to pay the debts!). Since then customers
phoning Zingo are offered the chance to go into the ComCab system if
there are no Zingo cabs available.

Most other circuits in central London charge a booking fee and a
'run-in' (meter on before pick up) is allowed. Otherwise drivers simply
vote with their feet and pick up off the street. The answer seems to be
that if you want the service you have to pay for it.

Before anyone argues about the run-ins and booking fees, have you found
out the minimum charges that 'mini-cabs' make for busy West End pickups?


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

Mike Hughes typed

The Zingo system was originally started by Managese Bronze, the owners
of London Taxis International (LTI) the makers of the London taxi. The
system works by locating the position of the customer, then locating the
nearest available Zingo equipped taxi and putting the two together.

There is still the link to Zingo's website from Manganese Bronze, but
then there's NOTHING.

The problem is that, although the customer is charged extra (was £1.60
but may have gone up) this money goes to Zingo and nothing to the
driver. That's OK if the customer is very close but who wants to travel
through traffic to get to someone when there are plenty of other
customers on the street?

There's £2 on Call-a-Cab; where does that go?

Zingo was sold to the Delgro, the parent organisation of ComCab (and
others) for £1 (but they had to pay the debts!). Since then customers
phoning Zingo are offered the chance to go into the ComCab system if
there are no Zingo cabs available.

Umm... are there any?
Silence after dialling a number and a web page that does not load do not
bode well.

Before anyone argues about the run-ins and booking fees, have you found
out the minimum charges that 'mini-cabs' make for busy West End pickups?

And do you know how often I call a minicab when I have waited over 45
minutes for ComCab to send me a taxi??? My Taxicard is not much use if I
can potentially miss vital appointments or get stranded in the cold and
rain...

--
Helen D. Vecht:
Edgware.

Helen Deborah Vecht wrote:
Mike Hughes typed

Before anyone argues about the run-ins and booking fees, have you found
out the minimum charges that 'mini-cabs' make for busy West End pickups?

And do you know how often I call a minicab when I have waited over 45
minutes for ComCab to send me a taxi??? My Taxicard is not much use if I
can potentially miss vital appointments or get stranded in the cold and
rain...

--
Helen D. Vecht:
Edgware.

Quite right, Helen. I know someone who quite simply cannot use the
Taxicard for which they qualify, as ComCabs do not frequent the area
they live in. Booking in advance doesn't help, as taxis are only
requested by the system a short time before the actual appointment
time, no matter how far in advance it is booked. A good idea, badly let
down by the implementation. If only taxicards could be used on the
local, reliable minicab services. Now these are covered by the PCO,
they should be properly insured, and the drivers registered (and
without criminal records, AFAIK). I have great respect for black cab
drivers in the main, and there are some real gems out there, but they
seem to be let down by the appallingly designed and run system.

Sid.

yped


Quite right, Helen. I know someone who quite simply cannot use the
Taxicard for which they qualify, as ComCabs do not frequent the area
they live in. Booking in advance doesn't help, as taxis are only
requested by the system a short time before the actual appointment
time, no matter how far in advance it is booked.

Been there, done that!


A good idea, badly let
down by the implementation. If only taxicards could be used on the
local, reliable minicab services. Now these are covered by the PCO,
they should be properly insured, and the drivers registered (and
without criminal records, AFAIK). I have great respect for black cab
drivers in the main, and there are some real gems out there, but they
seem to be let down by the appallingly designed and run system.

Sid.

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

I prefer to use a proper taxi, where possible: more space in the cab,
better standard of driver in terms of geograhical knowledge, road skills
and English language etc. Minicabs are rather more reliable in terms of
knowing how long I'm likely to wait and getting me there on time though.

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...)

--
Helen D. Vecht:
Edgware.

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. A properly designed scheme that incentivised drivers
properly 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. 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

In message , Helen Deborah
Vecht writes
Mike Hughes typed

The Zingo system was originally started by Managese Bronze, the owners
of London Taxis International (LTI) the makers of the London taxi. The
system works by locating the position of the customer, then locating the
nearest available Zingo equipped taxi and putting the two together.

There is still the link to Zingo's website from Manganese Bronze, but
then there's NOTHING.

The problem is that, although the customer is charged extra (was £1.60
but may have gone up) this money goes to Zingo and nothing to the
driver. That's OK if the customer is very close but who wants to travel
through traffic to get to someone when there are plenty of other
customers on the street?

There's £2 on Call-a-Cab; where does that go?
To the company NOT the driver!


Zingo was sold to the Delgro, the parent organisation of ComCab (and
others) for £1 (but they had to pay the debts!). Since then customers
phoning Zingo are offered the chance to go into the ComCab system if
there are no Zingo cabs available.

Umm... are there any?
Silence after dialling a number and a web page that does not load do not
bode well.

Before anyone argues about the run-ins and booking fees, have you found
out the minimum charges that 'mini-cabs' make for busy West End pickups?

And do you know how often I call a minicab when I have waited over 45
minutes for ComCab to send me a taxi??? My Taxicard is not much use if I
can potentially miss vital appointments or get stranded in the cold and
rain...

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.

When ComCab was originally started (as London Wide taxis well over 30
years ago) it was run more for the benefit of the drivers, and they
responded by covering the work more. 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?

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

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!

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.

Black cab ranks have been left deserted in some areas.

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

--
Helen D. Vecht:
Edgware.

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