An idea for taxis...

Syth

Here's an idea I had to try to get the price of taxis down. The main problem is that you can't really shop around and compare prices, so we don't we pass a law that saya that taxis have to display their price per minute on the side of the taxi and then when you're at a taxi rank, you can find the cheapest. That would encourage competition. What does anyone else think?

MadsL

Err...anyone want to tell him.

dmeehan

someone should:D

Syth

I rarely get taxis. In fact on Wednesday I got my first taxi. Put me out of my misery.

dudara

taxi fares are standard. They are set by the city council or something.

ozmo

Originally posted by dudara
taxi fares are standard. They are set by the city council or something.

except for the unmetered areas - eg. a trip from dub city to parts of lucan could cost anything depending on the mood of the driver/how good you are at bargaining.

Same with Hakneys - why do we still have hakneys anyways? Its not as if they cannot get a plate - then they could do all kinds of 'cool' stuff like picking people up, using the taxi lane or ranks.

Syth

Taxi fares are standarised?! What's the point of that?! Why don't we deregulate the taxi industry! Open it up. How can we shop around if they're all the same price!

star gazer

Syth
Taxi fares are standarised?! What's the point of that?! Why don't we deregulate the taxi industry! Open it up. How can we shop around if they're all the same price!

They 'deregulated' the taxis a couple of years ago.
They'll hardly do it again, it wouldn't be fare on the taxi drivers :rolleyes:

Protocol

Entry into the taxi business was de-regulated.

Fares stayed regulated.

-Wheeler-

Fares are standardised and the drivers don't have any control over them. (Except the clever/dishonest ones )

Their meters are set, checked and sealed by the Carriage Office to prevent tampering.

Wheeler_1028.

Syth

What is the point of controlling the fares?! If you were to display the prices (as I suggested) then that'd make it hard for dishonest drivers to rip us off. I really can't see the point of controlling the prices.

MadsL

They tried deregulating fares a few years ago in Prague. Prague taxi drivers were bandits BEFORE they deregulated. Getting a cab was like buying a carpet in the Bazaar. You negotiated a fare, then talked about it on the way, then argued about it once you got there. Nightmare. Especially as the taxi drivers then pointed out that under the law they could charge what they liked (and they carry guns).

Think about it. After a few pints, are you really in a condition to 'negotiate' with a taxi driver about the fare?

ArphaRima

This is just a crap idea.

A free market works by supply and demand.
Right now there is a low supply of taxis(judging by my 3 hour walks home from town periodically) and high demand; which would equal huge price increases for consumers if they were allowed to set their own rates.

As long as taxi unions demand no new taxi licences there should be no new increase in fares. The number of taxis on the roads for peak usage has to increase threefold at least before fares should budge.