[Article] Taxi drivers to hold stoppage on 4 September

Victor · 25-08-2006 12:25am #1

http://www.rte.ie/news/2006/0824/taxi.html

Taxi drivers to hold stoppage on 4 September
24 August 2006 20:21

A meeting of the main taxi drivers' unions has decided to withdraw services from 6am to 1pm on Monday 4 September, as part of the dispute with the Commission for Taxi Regulation over changes to fare structures.

During the stoppage, taxis will be driven to the taxi regulator's office.

Earlier, the Commission for Taxi Regulation turned down an invitation from taxi unions to attend a 'mass meeting' of taxi drivers.

In a statement, the commission said it did not regard a mass meeting as the right format for a constructive exchange of information.

It said its priority was to provide information directly to drivers and the commissioner was available to meet representatives of the taxi drivers at any time for discussions.

The statement said that any strike action, particularly during a period of high tourist activity, would only harm the perception of the industry and Ireland as a whole.

\m/_(>_<)_\m/ · 25-08-2006 9:10am

delighted for them.... hope they have a nice day off.
f#'king thieves.

L5 · 25-08-2006 9:13am

How convenient of them to choose probably the quietest time of the week for their "strike", a time when 95% of them would probably be at home in bed anyway. Does anyone actually give a f*ck about taximen? Let them strike 365 days a year for all I care. They're thieving scum anyway.

Noelie · 25-08-2006 9:20am

L5 wrote:

How convenient of them to choose probably the quietest time of the week for their "strike", a time when 95% of them would probably be at home in bed anyway. Does anyone actually give a f*ck about taximen? Let them strike 365 days a year for all I care. They're thieving scum anyway.

Thieving Scum is a bit harsh, but i do agree with you, let them strike all year long, would be great if we could organise a boycott of them for a week (would never happen), would be great to see what the do when they're getting fcuk all business.

\m/_(>_<)_\m/ · 25-08-2006 9:44am

Noelie wrote:

Thieving Scum is a bit harsh, but i do agree with you, let them strike all year long, would be great if we could organise a boycott of them for a week (would never happen), would be great to see what the do when they're getting fcuk all business.

i don't agree...thieving scum is been nice.

but ya that would be great to organise a boycott...great idea

Kashkai · 25-08-2006 10:07am

While the law of probabilities would state that there has to be a few decent taximen out there, I've never come accross any.

Shower of ****es are lousy drivers who will cut you up as they believe they own the road. Never forgot how they blocked the quays in Dublin a couple of years ago and it took me two hours to get home.

Let the bastards piss off and strike for ever. Hackney's are the way to go, the drivers are usually human, they turn up on time and don't expect a tip.

Chris_533976 · 25-08-2006 11:01am

Taxi drivers dont earn money if they strike. No customers.

Let them strike till they get poor.

Victor · 26-08-2006 12:12am

Take it easy guys.

Wishbone Ash · 26-08-2006 4:14pm

L5 wrote:

How convenient of them to choose probably the quietest time of the week for their "strike", a time when 95% of them would probably be at home in bed anyway.

Early on a Monday morning is probably their busiest time. I suspect you have never tried to book a taxi at 6am on a Monday morning or visited Dublin Airport at the same time on a Monday!

frankdrebin · 03-09-2006 9:08pm

Hilarious that everybody is debating about whether taxi drivers are thieving scum. The topic of the thread should be changed to one of the vote things.

Thieving scum gets my vote

Stark · 03-09-2006 10:32pm

Prosperous Dave wrote:

While the law of probabilities would state that there has to be a few decent taximen out there, I've never come accross any.

It's like every profession, there are a few decent eggs. Plenty of thieving scum as well though. This whole strike business does no favours for the profession's image.

Red Alert · 04-09-2006 8:10am

to say they're thieving scum is idiotic. this is a political democracy, and most of them are sole businessmen. they are entitled not to be open for business if they so choose.

obviously the issue of licence compliance comes in, but i'm sure one day is allowed for.

El Stuntman · 04-09-2006 9:07am

on a serious note, are they off today or what?

Wishbone Ash · 04-09-2006 9:11am

El Stuntman wrote:

on a serious note, are they off today or what?

Until 1pm. (They are up in the Phoenix Park).

ciaran76 · 04-09-2006 9:12am

I seen a picket up at the airport today but also seen a good few dropping people off at the airport too !

godtabh · 04-09-2006 10:11am

Wishbone Ash wrote:

Until 1pm. (They are up in the Phoenix Park).

I saw 2 drunk Oz lads and a Oz lady in a coma get into a taxi at 7:30 this morning. There are plenty off taxis around.

Davidth88 · 04-09-2006 12:35pm

I would have more sympathy with the taxi drivers if they didn't bring this upon themselves.

The prices they charge to places just outside the metered zone are frankly
crazy.

Haow can anyone justify 73 euro from DUB Airport to Celbridge, when I know that if you get a taxi to Lucan from the airport costs about 35 euro , then a taxi from Lucan to Celbridge cost 12 euro.

If such a thing as a boycott was workable I would say go for it , however with the poor state of public transport .........

mikemac · 04-09-2006 1:05pm

Davidth88 wrote:

I would have more sympathy with the taxi drivers if they didn't bring this upon themselves.

The prices they charge to places just outside the metered zone are frankly
crazy.

I've seen this a lot lately when getting taxi's home from work.
If we work past 8pm, the company pays for our taxi home. Once the taxi driver knows the company is paying, the price always goes up.

For instance, a taxi from work to my house is about €8. But on account, there are extra charges added to the meter and it usually costs €12. The last guy addded two baggage charges.
When I questioned this he replied "Ah sure banks are awash with money".(I work for a bank)

Now I know my employer can well afford it and they’ll never notice.
Also, they never put the fare on the docket I sign until I’ve left the cab. In effect, I’m signing a blank cheque so anything can be charged.

There’s two girls here, one lives in Portlaoise and the other is Portarlington.
I know that the taxi fare for both towns is €120.

Usually they share the cab home but I was told the drivers charge €240 anyway so the company saves nothing by asking them to share.

Alas, I’m not HR Manager so nothing I can do. I’m sure it goes on in most companies who use a taxi for their staff.

Stark · 04-09-2006 1:52pm

I often find there's whatever stupid charge when you get into the cab (usually around €3.50). Then you stop and just before charging you whatever is shown on the meter, you get charged another €3.50!

Cantab. · 04-09-2006 2:15pm

I'm a taxi driver, and I challenge anyone on here to call me 'thieving scum'. I take great offence at being labelled as such.

I wasn't on strike today because I have a 9-5 job. I'm not one of the militant 'old-school' drivers with the signs on the back of their cars 'my old number was 101', I have a new plate that is in the low 30,000s.

As was said above, I'm a business man, so I work when I feel like it. I will support the union though, because it's my take-home pay that will suffer if the taxi regulator gets their way. People have a choice - if you don't like taxis, don't take them anymore. It's the regulator's job to provide a taxi service, not individual taxi drivers - so if you can't get a taxi to the airport at 6 a.m. in the morning, call the Taxi Regulators (if they're open at this time) - don't expect me to get up out of bed at 6 a.m. for E25.

I'm in SIPTU for my regular 9-5 private sector job. I see no difference between a normal worker being entitled to protest against working conditions and a taxi driver (and I do support the taxi unions when I can - i would never pass a picket, I pay my subs and I go to meetings). People just pick on taxi drivers because it's populist pub-chat - they enjoy looking down on taxi men, because it makes them feel somehow superior to them. The kind of abuse I get from drunks at weekends is awful, but I just charge 'em and drop them off on the middle of nowhere if they get too rowdy.

Colonel Sanders · 04-09-2006 2:24pm

A friend of mine is a taxi driver and says all the fuss is being kicked up by airport taxi men to whom he referred to as 'robbing b astards'. The fares to get a taxi from the airport is ludicrous. Unions serve a purpose in that they prevent workers from being exploited but on the other side of the foot many unions (especially in the public sector) use their weight in order to hold employers/regulators/the government to ransom. I think thats what taximen are doing. Hopefully this nation will take a stand MArgaret Thatcher would be proud of and not cave in. Let the taximen crawl back to work on their hands and knees when their children are going hungry.

Cantab. · 04-09-2006 2:25pm

Davidth88 wrote:

I would have more sympathy with the taxi drivers if they didn't bring this upon themselves.

The prices they charge to places just outside the metered zone are frankly
crazy.

Haow can anyone justify 73 euro from DUB Airport to Celbridge, when I know that if you get a taxi to Lucan from the airport costs about 35 euro , then a taxi from Lucan to Celbridge cost 12 euro.

Sigh. Taxi drivers don't set the fare structure, the Taxi Regulator does. You should address your concerns to the regulator.

The fare increases in September are justified - fuel is now a huge part of a driver's expenditure. Couple this with inflation and PPF national wage agreements and you'll find that the consumer is actually getting greater value for money.

Taxis aren't cheap, and you should consider getting the bus. If there's no bus, it's not my fault. I'm a sole trader, yes, I serve the public, yes, but the fact that there's no alternatives to taxis is a matter for the Department of Transport and not individual drivers.

Colonel Sanders · 04-09-2006 2:33pm

is the restructuring of airport fares not one of the major gripes that the taxi drivers union has and as such is one of the major causes of the strike?

Davidth88 · 04-09-2006 2:55pm

Cantab,

Actually the fare to Celbridge that I was refering to is the one written in the
' Suggested Fares ' sheet that nearly every taxi driver seems to pull out when I say Celbridge .. and that is written by the union ( it says so on the top ) . Until the new fare structure anything outside the metered area was
' up for negotiation ' however if you have just got off a flight you don't feel like argueing.

In 2003 this fare was ' set ' at about 45 euro if I remember rightly , then it shot up to 73 almost overnight , now I don't pay it ( my company does ) but it riles me everytime. If I was paying I would order a local cab from Celbridge and pay the 35 euro they charge.

Of course the fares should go up with inflation , and I think we all accept that petrol/fuel has gone through the roof.

Wishbone Ash · 04-09-2006 3:11pm

Cantab. wrote:

I'm a taxi driver, and I challenge anyone on here to call me 'thieving scum'. I take great offence at being labelled as such.

I agree - a very offensive term.

Cantab. wrote:

People have a choice - if you don't like taxis, don't take them anymore.

I think that a lot of the drivers who operate out of Dublin Airport give others a bad name. There are still regular instances of drivers refusing to take fares on short distances e.g. Swords. They argue that they have been in the compound queue for 2 hours and are not going to waste that on a small fare. WTF? That's the luck of the draw. If they don't like it why don't they ply their trade elsewhere?

An American wanted to get a taxi to the Crowne Plaza the other day. The driver at the top of the queue kept insisting that there was a courtesy bus serving that hotel. The American said he wished to get a "Cab" instead and had no desire to go by minibus. He was perfectly entitled to get a taxi ito his hotel if he desired.

Late on weekend nights, I occasionally see drivers involved in fist fights caused by queue skipping. These same thugs are picking up unsuspecting passengers at the terminal.

Cantab. wrote:

The fare increases in September are justified - fuel is now a huge part of a driver's expenditure. Couple this with inflation and PPF national wage agreements and you'll find that the consumer is actually getting greater value for money.

Would you seek a fare reduction if there was negative inflation or if the price of fuel dropped?

Cantab. · 04-09-2006 3:13pm

Davidth88 wrote:

Cantab,

Actually the fare to Celbridge that I was refering to is the one written in the
' Suggested Fares ' sheet that nearly every taxi driver seems to pull out when I say Celbridge .. and that is written by the union ( it says so on the top ) . Until the new fare structure anything outside the metered area was
' up for negotiation ' however if you have just got off a flight you don't feel like argueing.

In 2003 this fare was ' set ' at about 45 euro if I remember rightly , then it shot up to 73 almost overnight , now I don't pay it ( my company does ) but it riles me everytime. If I was paying I would order a local cab from Celbridge and pay the 35 euro they charge.

Of course the fares should go up with inflation , and I think we all accept that petrol/fuel has gone through the roof.

Well at least in September, the journey to Celbridge will be metred all the way. So it will probably end up you costing about E80 for the 40km journey.

Davidth88 · 04-09-2006 3:23pm

40Km to Celbridge ... you are joking of course ! According to the AA it's 29.5 Km ... ( but then again they reckon it should only take 29mins ) :-)

I am not sure how much the fares are going up ( on the meter ) however the last time I had a metered ride from the airport it was just around 40Euro.... so are the fares going up by 100 % . If so then I really can't see why you drivers are complaining.

What this will do is clear up any ' mess ' , ie the fare will be structured.

I am not against people earning a decent wage , but where I see huge descrepancies then I get narked.

BTW , I also find the term theiving scum offensive.

The morale of the story is of course we should use local taxi firms and keep the money local.

Cantab. · 04-09-2006 3:33pm

Davidth88 wrote:

The morale of the story is of course we should use local taxi firms and keep the money local.

And that's just it - use the local company. They have to travel twice as far (i.e. from Celbridge to the airport and back again). The whole point of having a taxi plate is that customers pay a premium for the convenience of hailing a taxi off the street.

If a person chooses to phone for a taxi and wait, then that's what they'll have to do. A hackney driver will have to park their car and find the customer at the airport, so I don't know how it is feasible for a hackney driver to go to the airport, and find the customer who may or may not still be there.

Hobart · 04-09-2006 3:40pm

frankdrebin and Stark banned for 1 week. Calling anybody theiveing scum is unacceptable. Doing it, when a mod has warned you not to, is idiotic.

Wishbone Ash · 04-09-2006 3:44pm

Cantab. wrote:

A hackney driver will have to park their car and find the customer at the airport

Just as a matter of interest Cantab., when customers pre-book a taxi, (i.e. the one's which are queued up at the rear of the church), when does the meter begin running?

Is it:

1. when the drivers leaves to go to the airport?
2. when the driver arrives at the airport?
3. when he returns to his car having located the customer?
4. none of the above?

I've always wondered! Apologies for going off-topic.

Wishbone Ash · 04-09-2006 3:45pm

Hobart wrote:

frankdrebin and Stark banned for 1 week. Calling anybody theiveing scum is unacceptable. Doing it, when a mod has warned you not to, is idiotic.

Hear, hear!

Cantab. · 04-09-2006 3:47pm

Hobart wrote:

frankdrebin and Stark banned for 1 week. Calling anybody theiveing scum is unacceptable. Doing it, when a mod has warned you not to, is idiotic.

In fairness to both Stark and frankdrebin, I don't believe they were directing the term 'thieving scum' specifically in my direction. I joined this thread at a late stage, and prior to me joining, they were ranting and raving about taxi drivers in general.

Ham'nd'egger · 04-09-2006 5:44pm

Wishbone Ash wrote:

Just as a matter of interest Cantab., when customers pre-book a taxi, (i.e. the one's which are queued up at the rear of the church), when does the meter begin running?

Is it:

1. when the drivers leaves to go to the airport?
2. when the driver arrives at the airport?
3. when he returns to his car having located the customer?
4. none of the above?

I've always wondered! Apologies for going off-topic.

The answer is 2, or whatever time that the pick up is booked for.

One situation that people are not getting with the new regulations is that a Taxi Area that a driver can pick up from is now changing from that of his Plate aka Roofsign to that of his PSV Badge. Before, a roofsign stated what area it was licenced to so it was obvious where he was allowed serve. Now, a passenger will only know what area the taxi serves when they get into a car. Ok, there is onus on a driver to not pick them up if he is out of his "Area" but can anybody else see the logic in changing same? And for the cabbie picking up, say in Lucan and dropping off in Maynooth, he still won't be allowed to pick a fare up until he crosses the border. Fairer to the punter, true, but the service provided is losing out in this case.

Also, come September, a driver can refuse a fare if it will exceed 30Kmh. That will be fun at the airport explaining to somebody who doesn't speak English, won't it?

sharkman · 04-09-2006 5:56pm

The meter should be started at the time the car was booked for , assming that the driver is at the alocated pickup point .

LegacyUser · 05-09-2006 5:21pm

Im a part time taxi driver and I have to say to call us thieving scumbags is an insult to me personally. Im very surprised that the mods on this thread havent told some of you guys to cool it a bit with the insults.If I came on here and started a thread sating all individuals in the banking sector are homosexuals or all estate agents are Pedophiles how long would it take for me to get a ban and the thread to be pulled ??....so guys show a little respect please.

Im no union member and I think the Unions are bang out of order with thier scaremongering tactics...and I really hope that the mojority of dublins taxi drivers work during the Ryder Cup and make a success of Irelands hosting of the tournament.

My opinion of the regulators changes will be for the good of the business...it will improve the image of the business.

Now as far as the poster who told the story about taxi driver who seems to charge what ever he likes for the account work...ask him for a printed reciept every time you make a journey in his cab.....its required that all taxis issue a printed reciept stating the cabs reg,lincence number,pick up time,drop off ,distance,extras,total charge....and if you or your employers feel they are getting a bum deal from this taxi driver take your reciepts to the Garda carrages office in Dublin Castle. The Guards always look into complaints.

But guys please dont refere to me or anybody else as scumbags....look we do what is now considered a very dangerous job.....tell me what nightlink will pick up up when you fall out Cafe en Seine at 3 am on Sat night and drop you to your front door safe and sound??

sharkman · 05-09-2006 5:46pm

kaiser1 wrote:

Im a part time taxi driver and I have to say to call us thieving scumbags is an insult to me personally. Im very surprised that the mods on this thread havent told some of you guys to cool it a bit with the insults.If I came on here and started a thread sating all individuals in the banking sector are homosexuals or all estate agents are Pedophiles how long would it take for me to get a ban and the thread to be pulled ??....so guys show a little respect please.

Im no union member and I think the Unions are bang out of order with thier scaremongering tactics...and I really hope that the mojority of dublins taxi drivers work during the Ryder Cup and make a success of Irelands hosting of the tournament.

My opinion of the regulators changes will be for the good of the business...it will improve the image of the business.

Now as far as the poster who told the story about taxi driver who seems to charge what ever he likes for the account work...ask him for a printed reciept every time you make a journey in his cab.....its required that all taxis issue a printed reciept stating the cabs reg,lincence number,pick up time,drop off ,distance,extras,total charge....and if you or your employers feel they are getting a bum deal from this taxi driver take your reciepts to the Garda carrages office in Dublin Castle. The Guards always look into complaints.

But guys please dont refere to me or anybody else as scumbags....look we do what is now considered a very dangerous job.....tell me what nightlink will pick up up when you fall out Cafe en Seine at 3 am on Sat night and drop you to your front door safe and sound??

Here Here ! Totally agree and as a taxi driver myself I find the fact that posters are allowed to continue with these insults amazing .

Ham'nd'egger · 05-09-2006 6:21pm

sharkman wrote:

Here Here ! Totally agree and as a taxi driver myself I find the fact that posters are allowed to continue with these insults amazing .

Welcome to this forum lads, bitterness is the norm here so get used to it.

Hobbes · 05-09-2006 6:37pm

Cantab. wrote:

Sigh. Taxi drivers don't set the fare structure, the Taxi Regulator does. You should address your concerns to the regulator.

Travelling to outside of Dublin the fares are not regulated or wheren't when I was taking taxis (2 daily for 4 years). There was a guy in the airport selling a laminated price list of areas which had hugely inflated prices in comparison to your average taxi driver.

While taxi drivers can vouch for themselves I can say based on the numerous taxis I got that the number of asshole rip-off merchants is a tiny percentage (1% or less).

Also you are more likely to get ripped off by airport taxis if you are or act anyway foreign. The amount of people we have had in our work from abroad quoting off what they paid is just unreal.

You should look at this from another angle.
First up everyone calling you "scum", "ripoffs", etc. This is due to bad customer service by probably 1-2 taxi drivers.

No one remembers the good rides home but they do remember when a taxi driver has tried to charge them x3 the price.

So you should be addressing what the customers have as an issue. To that effect (IMPO).

1. Better vetting of drivers by the police. This means criminal record = no taxi license.

2. Proper certification. This means proper exams from dealing with customers to knowing the roads inside out. Most of the current taxi drivers would breeze through this and it would help vet newer drivers so we have a higher standard of customer service.

3. Loose the part timers. What I mean is if you work 9-5 in a normal day job you shouldn't be allowed to work as a taxi driver. Lorry Drivers have limits on the time they can work and how long for before they are allowed rest. This should apply to taxi drivers and someone whos come out of a fulls day work to work the nights is a danger to everyone.

4. Don't piss and whine about the little things, investigate instead. I heard on the radio a taxi driver going on how he had to pay for this and that but the truth of it is I have met quite a few taxi drivers that got themselves accountants and are able to claim back off a lot of it. Helps migate the costs.

5. The single contention with the customer is price increases. If you ask for money tbh it is justified as the gas prices alone means your taking a hit. However to your average Joe they see more money just being taken from them. A better system for the regulator would be to instead lower the fares slightly but then have a system whereby say for example you don't pay tax on gas as your a public vehicle. This would make the customer happy and you get to rake back some cash. Its open to abuse so as I said there would have to be some kind of serious vetting system.

So next time someone is calling you names, rather then telling them to go fuk themselves try to understand why it is they are this way.

Hobbes · 05-09-2006 6:47pm

Hamndegger wrote:

Also, come September, a driver can refuse a fare if it will exceed 30Kmh. That will be fun at the airport explaining to somebody who doesn't speak English, won't it?

I dont see how this will change anything. I've had taxi drivers whine at me because I'd ask to go to Santry from the airport. Got to a point where I'd just get a taxi from the departures area that was dropping off rather then listen to anyone whine.

Also quite a few taxi drivers in the airport would take the 30km and charge through the nose. If they don't take the fare there is always a taxi behind them that will.

Also quite a lot of taxi drivers already refuse fares (although they aren't supposed to). For example I recall a lot of Northside taxi drivers getting caught out by the carriage office after complaints they wouldn't drop people into town.

It goes on.

LegacyUser · 05-09-2006 8:58pm

Hobbes wrote:

Travelling to outside of Dublin the fares are not regulated or wheren't when I was taking taxis (2 daily for 4 years). There was a guy in the airport selling a laminated price list of areas which had hugely inflated prices in comparison to your average taxi driver.

While taxi drivers can vouch for themselves I can say based on the numerous taxis I got that the number of asshole rip-off merchants is a tiny percentage (1% or less).

Also you are more likely to get ripped off by airport taxis if you are or act anyway foreign. The amount of people we have had in our work from abroad quoting off what they paid is just unreal.

You should look at this from another angle.
First up everyone calling you "scum", "ripoffs", etc. This is due to bad customer service by probably 1-2 taxi drivers.

No one remembers the good rides home but they do remember when a taxi driver has tried to charge them x3 the price.

So you should be addressing what the customers have as an issue. To that effect (IMPO).

1. Better vetting of drivers by the police. This means criminal record = no taxi license.

2. Proper certification. This means proper exams from dealing with customers to knowing the roads inside out. Most of the current taxi drivers would breeze through this and it would help vet newer drivers so we have a higher standard of customer service.

3. Loose the part timers. What I mean is if you work 9-5 in a normal day job you shouldn't be allowed to work as a taxi driver. Lorry Drivers have limits on the time they can work and how long for before they are allowed rest. This should apply to taxi drivers and someone whos come out of a fulls day work to work the nights is a danger to everyone.

4. Don't piss and whine about the little things, investigate instead. I heard on the radio a taxi driver going on how he had to pay for this and that but the truth of it is I have met quite a few taxi drivers that got themselves accountants and are able to claim back off a lot of it. Helps migate the costs.

5. The single contention with the customer is price increases. If you ask for money tbh it is justified as the gas prices alone means your taking a hit. However to your average Joe they see more money just being taken from them. A better system for the regulator would be to instead lower the fares slightly but then have a system whereby say for example you don't pay tax on gas as your a public vehicle. This would make the customer happy and you get to rake back some cash. Its open to abuse so as I said there would have to be some kind of serious vetting system.

So next time someone is calling you names, rather then telling them to go fuk themselves try to understand why it is they are this way.

Just a quick reply to your points Hobbs

1) There is a new rule called section 36 in the new Regs goverening SPSV drivers that will not let a person convicted of any number of serious offences from holding a P.S.V lincence

2) From 2007 all new PSV drivers will be required to complete a standards training course on top of the PSV licence exam.

3) As far as the part timers go...well lets just see what happens every Fri and Sat nights eh??...Are you Hobbs willing to stand on the rank at Aston Quay for 2 hours waiting to get a taxi in the middle of November?? Without the Parttimers at least 5000 cabs would dissappear....it would be the same as when we used to try and get taxis home before deregulation.

4) as far as the pissing and whining goes....thats really a personal issue that cant really be dealt with.

As far as your other idea regarding the tax on fuel....I dont really understand what your plan means

Ham'nd'egger · 06-09-2006 1:52am

Hobbes wrote:

I dont see how this will change anything. I've had taxi drivers whine at me because I'd ask to go to Santry from the airport. Got to a point where I'd just get a taxi from the departures area that was dropping off rather then listen to anyone whine.

Also quite a few taxi drivers in the airport would take the 30km and charge through the nose. If they don't take the fare there is always a taxi behind them that will.

Also quite a lot of taxi drivers already refuse fares (although they aren't supposed to). For example I recall a lot of Northside taxi drivers getting caught out by the carriage office after complaints they wouldn't drop people into town.

It goes on.

Man, I'm not saying that most will or won't take a fare on this. What I am saying is that you try tell a Japanese tourist who speaks no english that you won't take him to the Stillorgan Raddison as it is over 30Km from the airport, as the new system now will legalise. Yes, this issue exists if the same Jap goes to a hotel outside of Dublin county but the new system only solves one issue (fares outside of old taxi areas) while failing to tackle anything else relevant to anybody. In the new system, a driver will now be obliged to drop off outside his PSV area yet he cannot pick up in the area he drops off. Effectively, his Public Service Vehicle badge is made serve out of his area yet he reaps no ability to utilise same and pick up from an outside area he drops in.

Ie, if his fare is to Bray, a Dublin Cabbie has to serve a punter to Bray's area on his meter yet he cannot pick up in Bray and use his meter (Unless it is pre arranged) unless he tells you to stuff it, your too far away for his liking.

As to turning a fare away from the airport rank, if a driver is sitting there for an hour, paying 70c to enter the holding area(Kesh) and waiting an hour+, you can see a frustration (If not an right) if a fare is for say, €10. Hardly what one calls a good income, but yes it can be luck of the draw, admittedly. Same way bars in Temple Bar hate Yanks sipping half Guinnesses over 3 hours, the resources can be used better!!

Hobbes · 06-09-2006 8:03am

Please don't quote my whole post. it makes it annoying to read your replies.

kaiser1 wrote:

3) As far as the part timers go...well lets just see what happens every Fri and Sat nights eh??...Are you Hobbs willing to stand on the rank at Aston Quay for 2 hours waiting to get a taxi in the middle of November?? Without the Parttimers at least 5000 cabs would dissappear....it would be the same as when we used to try and get taxis home before deregulation.

5,000 gone wouldn't have that huge change on the taxis now. What are we at now? 13,000 ? Nearly every taxi driver I speak too says there are too many on the roads it is (think the rant is "We have more taxi drivers then NYC").

Anyway I am not saying that part timers should be banned outright. What I am saying is if you are doing a full time job in the daytime you shouldn't be out driving in the evening time. They are dangerous and it would be better that taxi drivers who are more committed to safety get the fares.

As far as your other idea regarding the tax on fuel....I dont really understand what your plan means

What I mean is perception. You get a fare increase (warrented or not) it doesn't matter, your customers will still piss and moan that you are ripping them off. So rather then a fare increase which hits the customer find a way to get some of your tax back if you are a full time taxi driver. This way you get more money and the customer doesn't feel like they are getting screwed.

Hamndegger wrote:

What I am saying is that you try tell a Japanese tourist who speaks no english that you won't take him to the Stillorgan Raddison as it is over 30Km from the airport,

Easy. The guy arranging the taxis as they come onto the ranks, you call him over he sets the guy up with a taxi that will take him.

Ie, if his fare is to Bray, a Dublin Cabbie has to serve a punter to Bray's area on his meter yet he cannot pick up in Bray and use his meter (Unless it is pre arranged) unless he tells you to stuff it, your too far away for his liking.

Your telling me from the airport to bray is not worth the fare? o_O

If a driver is sitting there for an hour, paying 70c to enter the holding area(Kesh) and waiting an hour+, you can see a frustration (If not an right) if a fare is for say, €10.

The customer is already paying pickup fee of what 1.50 to you for the airport. So the 70c whine is nothing. Plus your nearly always going to get 2+ bags of luggage thats another 1 euro. 10 euro fare? Over 5 euros of that fare is before the person has even left the airport, so for the distance it is a reasonable fare and you are making a profit.

Secondly its not that its unluckly its the whole attitude of the pissing and moaning getting into a taxi when you give your destination. Remember who the customer is. Comments like "Bleedin' Santry! its fares like this that is killing me!".

If the airport is not profitable to pick up in taxi drivers just move to other areas.

Hobbes · 06-09-2006 8:14am

Incidently your saying that 10 euro for an hour is not worth it. How much exactly an hour do you make or would be considered worth it?

Hobart · 06-09-2006 9:16am

Hobbes wrote:

Incidently your saying that 10 euro for an hour is not worth it. How much exactly an hour do you make or would be considered worth it?

I suppose when you factor in Insurance, petrol, car tax, paye, prsi etc... €10 gross for an hours work is bordering or below the minimum wage.

Hobbes · 06-09-2006 9:29am

Hobart wrote:

I suppose when you factor in Insurance, petrol, car tax, paye, prsi etc... €10 gross for an hours work is bordering or below the minimum wage.

Not if your car is not doing anything for that hour and you just gotten a 10 minute drive fare for 10 euros.

Also bare in mind that taxi drivers can already claim a lot of thier stuff back on tax.

So I am curious what an average hourly rate is for a taxi driver.

Cantab. · 06-09-2006 4:08pm

Hobbes wrote:

Not if your car is not doing anything for that hour and you just gotten a 10 minute drive fare for 10 euros.

Also bare in mind that taxi drivers can already claim a lot of thier stuff back on tax.

So I am curious what an average hourly rate is for a taxi driver.

I would say E30 at weekends.

20-25 during the weekday.

El Stuntman · 06-09-2006 4:19pm

€1,000 for a 40 hour week then

not bad at all

Hobbes · 06-09-2006 4:22pm

Cantab. wrote:

I would say E30 at weekends.

20-25 during the weekday.

So lets say 22.50 for average and the taxi driver works 39 hours in the working week. (normal hours for everyone else).

877.50 a week. 52 weeks in a year making it 45,630 before Tax. if it was 20 euro an hour (pick the lowest average) then thats around 40k a year.

That's a **** lot more then other services get and a taxi driver would be able to claim a lot back on tax.

For example starting wage for Developer (graduate) is 25k to 28k. Thats a good few years of university to even start on that wage. Taxi Driver doesn't require even a fraction of that time to start up.

And you wonder why people think taxi drivers are rip-offs?

LegacyUser · 06-09-2006 5:05pm

Thats grand when you wanna look at it like that...but when does a newly qualified developer have to deal with drunks,junkies and your average scumbag eh??....how many fri and sat nights does he have to work??....the answer to most of those question would be never...and sure it costs a minimum of about €15-20K to get any sort of Taxi up and running. And not anybody could pass the PSV exam...now Im noy trying to suggest its a massive academic achievement to pass....but it can be quite tricky....i.e would you know that there are over 30 hospitals in dublin,over 100 hotels,thousands of bars and clubs...most of which your average taxi driver should know of.

There are some dodgy shady characters out there alright and they deserve to be put off the road...

LegacyUser · 06-09-2006 5:15pm

Just to respond to your point about the differance reducing 5000 cabs would make....Im out on the streets of Dublin every friday and Saturday night. Ill take last saturday night as an example...I know alot of guys didnt work saturady night because the match was on and just took the night off....the result of it was Stephens Green at 2am was chaos...there was a 60-90 min wait on the Stephens green rank.....I didnt even make it back into town once.I picked up fares from Merrion Road who had walked from Grafton street because they couldnt get a taxi.

I dont mind people having a go at Taxi drivers....i used to do it myself.....all Id say would be that the majority of guys are honest hard working....during a 12 hour shift we'd eaisly drive about 300-400 miles....so just try and be a little open minded about what we have to put up with aswell.

garred · 06-09-2006 5:21pm

Hobbes wrote:

So lets say 22.50 for average and the taxi driver works 39 hours in the working week. (normal hours for everyone else).

877.50 a week. 52 weeks in a year making it 45,630 before Tax. if it was 20 euro an hour (pick the lowest average) then thats around 40k a year.

That's a **** lot more then other services get and a taxi driver would be able to claim a lot back on tax.

For example starting wage for Developer (graduate) is 25k to 28k. Thats a good few years of university to even start on that wage. Taxi Driver doesn't require even a fraction of that time to start up.

And you wonder why people think taxi drivers are rip-offs?

A very simplistic view. Using your figures knock 12-15k off that for insurance, diesel, maintenance, services, radio = 30k pre tax profit. Factor in sick days, holidays, pension, etc that other company employees would benefit from and a taxi driver would not.

So only people who go to college and study for at least 4 years are entitled to earn a large wage? My old man is a window cleaner and would take home 800-1000 a week so according to your reckoning he too should not be entitled to this.

Taxi drivers are not rip-off merchants, they charge exactly what they are told to by law. There is a meter on display with these charges that the passenger can view. Please try not to confuse you point with a percentage of drivers out there who are scammers, which you get in every industry and not just the service area.

Personally I enjoy doing it as you do meet some interesting and sound people and its up to you how much you want to earn.