Taxi Drivers aren't trying hard enough

Spook_ie

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/regulator-tells-taxi-drivers-to-try-harder-1356861.html

Thursday April 24 2008

TAXI regulator Kathleen Doyle has rejected claims there are too many taxis on Irish streets, saying drivers are not being kept busy because they are not looking for work.

There were plenty of business opportunities out there, she said -- and despatch companies were telling her office they could not get drivers.

She added that people with disabilities had "serious difficulties" in getting service. New regulations coming into force would oblige wheelchair-accessible vehicle owners to register with her office so priority could be given to them.

Ms Doyle was addressing the joint Oireachtas committee on transport yesterday which heard from taxi drivers from Waterford, Dublin and Galway.

They said there were too many taxis on the roads, inadequate space at taxi ranks and drivers were forced to work up to 14 hours a day just to make ends meet.

Swelled

In 2000, when the industry was deregulated, there were 39 taxis licensed in Waterford, John Tebay said.

Since then the numbers have swelled to 307, with just 39 spaces at ranks.

"We are working longer to make a living", he said. "If a taxi cannot get on to a rank it cannot operate efficiently."

But Miss Doyle rejected these claims, saying there was plenty of work available.

Asked if there was too many taxis on the roads, she said: "There has been significant increase in the number of licences, but despatch operators say they can't meet all the bookings, they're continuously looking for drivers.

Opportunities

"It's quite clear there are customers ringing for taxis but despatch operators cannot guarantee them a taxi in 20 or 30 minutes. Some drivers are not availing of business opportunities."

There was also claims made that some drivers were providing a poor service because they did not know the geography of the area they were working. A more stringent test needed to be introduced to ensure a high quality service was provided to the public, drivers added.

Ms Doyle said a new skills programme was being introduced to improve standards.

She said a national review on the availability of taxi ranks would be undertaken before the end of the year with a separate economic review on the effect of liberalisation of the industry.

- Paul Melia


Well I have news for taxi regulator Kathleen Doyle, I am trying very hard to keep myself going. I am with a large taxi company and I would have classified myself as a moderate, however this is now adding insult to injury and I ask ALL taxi drivers who read boards.ie to read this thread

http://z3.invisionfree.com/Irish_Taxis/index.php?showtopic=462

Regards

one mightily pi**ed of Spook_ie

PRND

I think I have proven I am not an expert on the matter but...

There is little reason to phone a taxi to a pub, theatre, restaurant or anywhere else these days. The only place to phone a taxi to is if you live out of the way. It is so easy just to walk out to the road and hail one.

I'd say that taxi companies are on their way out in this city so how come they are looking for more drivers? To charge them more for their services. And this article only serves as an advert as drivers will start signing up as they think there guys have loads of work on.

lost marbles

Spook_ie wrote: »

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/regulator-tells-taxi-drivers-to-try-harder-1356861.html

Thursday April 24 2008

TAXI regulator Kathleen Doyle has rejected claims there are too many taxis on Irish streets, saying drivers are not being kept busy because they are not looking for work.

There were plenty of business opportunities out there, she said -- and despatch companies were telling her office they could not get drivers.

She added that people with disabilities had "serious difficulties" in getting service. New regulations coming into force would oblige wheelchair-accessible vehicle owners to register with her office so priority could be given to them.

Ms Doyle was addressing the joint Oireachtas committee on transport yesterday which heard from taxi drivers from Waterford, Dublin and Galway.

They said there were too many taxis on the roads, inadequate space at taxi ranks and drivers were forced to work up to 14 hours a day just to make ends meet.

Swelled

In 2000, when the industry was deregulated, there were 39 taxis licensed in Waterford, John Tebay said.

Since then the numbers have swelled to 307, with just 39 spaces at ranks.

"We are working longer to make a living", he said. "If a taxi cannot get on to a rank it cannot operate efficiently."

But Miss Doyle rejected these claims, saying there was plenty of work available.

Asked if there was too many taxis on the roads, she said: "There has been significant increase in the number of licences, but despatch operators say they can't meet all the bookings, they're continuously looking for drivers.

Opportunities

"It's quite clear there are customers ringing for taxis but despatch operators cannot guarantee them a taxi in 20 or 30 minutes. Some drivers are not availing of business opportunities."

There was also claims made that some drivers were providing a poor service because they did not know the geography of the area they were working. A more stringent test needed to be introduced to ensure a high quality service was provided to the public, drivers added.

Ms Doyle said a new skills programme was being introduced to improve standards.

She said a national review on the availability of taxi ranks would be undertaken before the end of the year with a separate economic review on the effect of liberalisation of the industry.

- Paul Melia


Well I have news for taxi regulator Kathleen Doyle, I am trying very hard to keep myself going. I am with a large taxi company and I would have classified myself as a moderate, however this is now adding insult to injury and I ask ALL taxi drivers who read boards.ie to read this thread

http://z3.invisionfree.com/Irish_Taxis/index.php?showtopic=462

Regards

one mightily pi**ed of Spook_ie

and why would,nt these companies tell ms doyle that business is booming .its what a business does to generate revenue. ive yet to hear of any taxi company tell drivers that they ar,nt busy its only after they get their greedy mits on your money that you find out for yourself how busy they actually are .two guesses whos behind the drip feeding of this info

HydeRoad

I started working for a taxi company.

On Tuesday, a quiet day, I worked 2pm to 1:30am. Eleven and a half hours.

First fare 15:44, last fare 00:09, including one dinner break at about 18:00 and one gap later where I got fed up and went to give my mother a lift home, to break the monotony.

I earned €47.60. I have the receipt roll, showing all the gaps between fares.

I am paying €80 a week for the privilege.

That's why despatch companies cannot get drivers.

End of argument.

Ham'nd'egger

I'd love to know where to look for this work that Miss Doyle exists. I have a radio and while I find it has more than enough work to justify it's rent, it still doesn't give me this glut of work she claims there is; most of my work tends to have been picked from the street so I reckon I'd be no worse off without it.

Maybe I should knock door to door on houses. Block off bus routes so they can't operate and I'll cream off their passengers. Call into random pubs at closing time and kidnap a fee fares. Pay people to travel in my cab would work as well. Put an ad in the paper saying "Use my Cab".

I'd love to hear what radio companies she is hearing from that are stuck for guys; most of them spend as much of their time taking out radios from guys unhappy with them as with putting them in. Once they get their €80 a week, they don't care as it's earned cash for them; the likes of NRC and Citycabs gets about 700 €80's a week from it's drivers, the commission on jobs is pocket money in comparison.

Spook_ie

Well lets put it this way then

If we assume there are 14000 Taxis in Dublin ( A very Low Estimate in my opinion, but no one seems to actualy know ) and 2 out of 3 signed up with a company(ies) under the TCOA at €90 a week then they would be generating a revenue stream ( to the Cab Company(ies) ) of €65,520,000 per annum No wonder the Taxi Company Owners Association ( TCOA ) representations to the TR are "we need more cabs to sign up with us, we've plenty of work"

There were plenty of business opportunities out there, she said -- and despatch companies were telling her office they could not get drivers.

Maybe someone could pop into the companies office and check out who is on the TCOA and in particular which companies Mr Derek McGovern, the TCOAs representative on the TRs Advisory Council has a stake in......

HydeRoad

Population of Greater Dublin - 1,600,000 (Wikipedia)

Number of taxis in Dublin - stated to be 16,000, give or take a thousand.

That's 1 x taxi for every 100 x people.

Now each taxi driver needs, say, 10 x €10 fares a day to break even, excluding pocket money.

Five days a week, thats 50 x fares a week, = €500 (excluding fuel, and VERY underestimated)

That means EVERY single citizen of Dublin City, man, woman, child, toddler, baby, elderly, infirm, sick or healthy, rich or poor, in school or in creche or in hospital, would have to flag or book, and pay for, one €10 taxi fare each, every fortnight, in order for every taxi driver in Dublin to earn just €500 a week. A family of five would have to book FIVE taxis.

They would have to pay for one €10 taxi fare each every week for every taxi driver to pay their mortgage, upgrade to a newer more suitable car, and have a few bob to live on, given the cost of living in this country.

Ain't gonna happen...

the boss of me

I think the regulators statements show a basic lack of understanding of the taxi business. There are drivers queuing up to join the good radio companies.
To say there is loads of work out there if drivers look for it, is ridiculous.

look at the taxi ranks and they are bursting with cars, convoys of taxis cruise the streets of the towns and cities looking for a fare.

This regulator is clearly not fit for the job she has been given. Every time she tries to speak about the issues she puts her foot in her mouth. She may be a very capable administrator but she is useless when it comes to policy making.
The sooner she is kicked out of the job the better, but when is any public service employee sacked ?

Decent taxidrivers are leaving the game in droves and what will be left ? The scammers , criminals , unemployable and undesirables thats who will be left.