Time to standardise Taxi's in Dublin?

micosoft

Nissan's new Taxi. Standard in Tokyo, New York and soon London. EV version available soon. Looks very suitable for Dublin... would take a lot of the rubbish of the roads. We could start by forcing all Airport Cabs to be this type before rolling it out.

MagicMarker

While I like the idea of 'uniformed' taxis, now probably isn't the best time to force thousands of people to buy new cars at considerable cost. And let's face it, it's not really such an important issue.

foggy_lad

MagicMarker wrote: »

While I like the idea of 'uniformed' taxis, now probably isn't the best time to force thousands of people to buy new cars at considerable cost. And let's face it, it's not really such an important issue.

It would of course be phased in so you only need buy the new vehicle when your other car/van is knackered. Also the costs would be less as whoever makes these is going to be guaranteed a yearly number of sales so less hassle for the.

Cookie_Monster

should have been done decades ago. standard car in a standard colour.

_Kaiser_

I'd have to agree.. the current free-for-all of taxis of all shapes, sizes and colours is ridiculous - especially given the unsuitability of a lot of these cars (small hatchbacks, jeeps etc)

And what's with this new door logo? Is that supposed to help matters? Nevermind that you can't see it until the car is beside you anyway, it has to be the worst idea for branding I've seen in a long time - who came up with the colour scheme for example?

Make all cars a single colour and preferably a single model, or at least a very short list of approved types.

Terrontress

You'd have to prove that one is better than the other. If the staneardised car is a Mondeo, who is to say that a Passat can't do the same job.

The authorities should concentrate on solving the very real issues with Dublin taxis and their drivers instead of creating arbitrary rules to enforce.

LordSutch

micosoft wrote: »

Time to standardise Taxi's in Dublin?

Yes indeedee, time to import the London Taxi (with a green paint job of course).

Very versatile vehicle, well designed as a TaXi, plus its built like a tank & it looks good.

_Kaiser_

LordSutch wrote: »

Yes indeedee, time to import the London Taxi (with a green paint job of course).

Very versatile vehicle, well designed as a Taxi, plus its built like a tank & it looks good.

Patriotism aside, I don't think green is a good choice as most "standard" cars have a green option. You either pick a non-standard car like the London Taxi or you go with a "rare" colour (eg: NY yellow) - or both

Spook_ie

And what happens when these vehicles reach the now arbitrary age of retirement at 9 years? For example the taxi in LordSuch's post is 1997 vintage, as it stands now, not suitable for use as a taxi because of age.

The problem is that instead of actually listening to people in the business they invited a concoction of representatives from all walks of life and now we have a horse designed by a committee otherwise known as a camel.

Terrontress

LordSutch wrote: »

Yes indeedee, time to import the London Taxi (with a green paint job of course).

Very versatile vehicle, well designed as a TaXi, plus its built like a tank & it looks good.

If you make such a vehicle compulsory and its manufacturers go bust, which I believe is imminent with LTI, then there will need to be a hasty rewriting of regs to allow different taxis on the road and those sitting in them might have trouble getting parts. What if in 2000 the standard taxi had been declared a Rover 75?

The TX4 is not the only cab in London. There have been Metrocabs for years, you still see the odd one, and there are lots of new Merc Vitos with rear wheel steering.

I'd argue for a Vito before the TX4 but who then is to say that a vw Trainspotter or Peugeot Partner is not up to the job?

mikemac1

During the daytime it's not possible to see if the taxi light is on so you hold out your arm and the taxi with a fare drives by.

Red & Green light in the front would be handy. I've seen some with it.
Until the journal.ie spun it as a racism issue. :rolleyes:
It's not, just something to help people on the street!

It'll help until standardized taxis arrive which is a long, long way off. Maybe a decade

bk

Actually London doesn't have a single standard taxi. Instead what it has is a set of very strict regulations on what a taxi should be and only two or three vehicles manage to meet that criteria.

Such regulations for Irish Taxis would certainly be very welcome and would help remove a lot of the unsuitable and frankly embarrassing rubbish out there.

micosoft

Spook_ie wrote: »

And what happens when these vehicles reach the now arbitrary age of retirement at 9 years? For example the taxi in LordSuch's post is 1997 vintage, as it stands now, not suitable for use as a taxi because of age.

The problem is that instead of actually listening to people in the business they invited a concoction of representatives from all walks of life and now we have a horse designed by a committee otherwise known as a camel.

Did any of you read the actual post? This is a new standard taxi that after enormous time and investment has been selected as a standard Taxi in Tokyo, New York and London. It's much cheaper then the London TX taxi or Merc, very economical and an electric one is due out. It is designed from the ground up as a commercial taxi and is built to suit the customer. Do you really think it's just some random vehicle? If it's good enough for NT, TY & LDN it's good enough for us.
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/nissan/59576/nissan-nv200-taxi

Nissan is not going anywhere and the reason for "arbitrary" retirement age is that Irish Taxi drivers use non-commercial vehicles - i.e. regular passenger cars which were NEVER designed for use as Taxis. If a commercial class vehicle was brought in such as the Nissan then it's about maintaining a commercial vehicle much like a bus and we can do away with that reg within reason.

Last but not least we need to listen to the customers which is what happens in every other business and pretty much ignore the people "in the business" as time and time again they have shown they don't care about the customer. In fact even when it's obvious it would benefit full time taxi drivers (hard to afford a custom taxi when you only work part time) you are still against. Is there anything the majority of taxi drivers are for??? (aside from changing the regs to suit themselves - e.g. clapped out bangers - and yes, any non-commercial passenger car is clapped out for taxi work after 9 years).

I also support requiring Taxi Drivers in Dublin doing "the knowledge" as part of a package to professionalise our Taxi fleet.

micosoft

bk wrote: »

Actually London doesn't have a single standard taxi. Instead what it has is a set of very strict regulations on what a taxi should be and only two or three vehicles manage to meet that criteria.

Such regulations for Irish Taxis would certainly be very welcome and would help remove a lot of the unsuitable and frankly embarrassing rubbish out there.

Indeed - Nissan had to change the front steering and widen the track a lot on their Taxi to make it turn as per regs.

Peugeot 206 anyone!

micosoft

Terrontress wrote: »

If you make such a vehicle compulsory and its manufacturers go bust, which I believe is imminent with LTI, then there will need to be a hasty rewriting of regs to allow different taxis on the road and those sitting in them might have trouble getting parts. What if in 2000 the standard taxi had been declared a Rover 75?

The TX4 is not the only cab in London. There have been Metrocabs for years, you still see the odd one, and there are lots of new Merc Vitos with rear wheel steering.

I'd argue for a Vito before the TX4 but who then is to say that a vw Trainspotter or Peugeot Partner is not up to the job?

It's called the Peugeot E7

Spook_ie

The time to standardise taxis was 10 years ago, when there was money around to do it, in the current climate to spend upwards of 30000-40000 euro on a vehicle for 9 years is akin to business suicide

murphaph

Spook_ie wrote: »

The time to standardise taxis was 10 years ago, when there was money around to do it, in the current climate to spend upwards of 30000-40000 euro on a vehicle for 9 years is akin to business suicide

If it was compulsory it would reduce the number of taxis in total, leaving more customers for those who survived. Irish taxis can be extremely hit and miss. Whilst I don't advocate a single model I do advocate strict rules that would stop people using crap cars that you see now.

Uriel.

murphaph wrote: »

If it was compulsory it would reduce the number of taxis in total, leaving more customers for those who survived. Irish taxis can be extremely hit and miss. Whilst I don't advocate a single model I do advocate strict rules that would stop people using crap cars that you see now.

I love the odd "words" I've had to have at ranks for not using the next car in the queue. Yeah if I am paying €30 or more for a trip I'm gonna take that trip in the nicest car available no matter how much of a moan there is

Spook_ie

murphaph wrote: »

If it was compulsory it would reduce the number of taxis in total, leaving more customers for those who survived. Irish taxis can be extremely hit and miss. Whilst I don't advocate a single model I do advocate strict rules that would stop people using crap cars that you see now.

If it were compulsary 10 years ago I could have thrown my hat in the ring with the best of them, the fact that only people who are working their taxis part time would be able to afford it now is a strange anomaly.

Maybe thats the way people want it to go, the taxis in corporate ownership and being driven by whoever is in need of a bit of pocket money, like asylum seekers/students/social welfare claimers etc.

Spook_ie

Uriel. wrote: »

I love the odd "words" I've had to have at ranks for not using the next car in the queue. Yeah if I am paying €30 or more for a trip I'm gonna take that trip in the nicest car available no matter how much of a moan there is

Woukd certainly be interesting to see which taxis in the Q you took if they were all identical except for the age and the driver?

belcampprisoner

Nissan don't do many miles per gallon


taxis need to be electric or hybred


I don't think you should be forced to use just one company


http://www.mnn.com/green-tech/transportation/blogs/i-left-my-hybrid-taxi-in-san-francisco

Uriel.

Spook_ie wrote: »

Woukd certainly be interesting to see which taxis in the Q you took if they were all identical except for the age and the driver?

The first most likely.
Thankfully the power to exercise choice still exists to some degree

Spook_ie

Uriel. wrote: »

The first most likely.
Thankfully the power to exercise choice still exists to some degree

Why the caveat "Most kikely" surely the idea of stanardisation would be to relieve the stigma of choice (assuming that the SGS weren't passing out dilapedated heaps with torn seats etc. which they aren't supposed to be doing now anyway! )

Uriel.

Spook_ie wrote: »

Why the caveat "Most kikely" surely the idea of stanardisation would be to relieve the stigma of choice (assuming that the SGS weren't passing out dilapedated heaps with torn seats etc. which they aren't supposed to be doing now anyway! )

Not because of the car but if the driver had a swastika tattooed on his face or had some sort of agenda advertisement on his dashboard I might be less inclined. Might. Thankfully we don't usually see such thngs

But i will also add that having a standardised car still doesn't lead to full uniformity of standards. I see a huge difference in the way some drivers maintain their car compared to others.

Doom

I kid you not, I seen a 1984 Lada taxi in Limerick last year!!

Spook_ie

Uriel. wrote: »

Not because of the car but if the driver had a swastika tattooed on his face or had some sort of agenda advertisement on his dashboard I might be less inclined. Might. Thankfully we don't usually see such thngs

But i will also add that having a standardised car still doesn't lead to full uniformity of standards. I see a huge difference in the way some drivers maintain their car compared to others.

So (to the op) why would anyone bother with standardising then?

Ben D Bus

Uriel. wrote: »

I see a huge difference in the way some drivers maintain their car compared to others.

And in how they maintain themselves sometimes

But I do think that tighter standards for taxi vehicles would be good for the industry as well as the consumer. We could take the regulations off-the-shelf from a similarly sized city with a well functioning system and adjust to taste.

But certainly not a single vehicle - that's an invitation to price gouging.

Uriel.

Spook_ie wrote: »

So (to the op) why would anyone bother with standardising then?

For many reasons. Just cos we can't get you guys (generally) to act 100% for the customer doesn't mean we shouldn't try to move things in the right direction. But i am sure you'll die hard defend practices within the industry that aren't in the best interest of the customer (save where that interest mutually benefits you)

macsauce

What a stupid, wasteful endeavour it would be to force standardisation. Who cares what cities have it. The issue with Dublin taxis is maintenance not appearance. Standardisation will do nothing in the long run to improve this.

Spook_ie

Uriel. wrote: »

For many reasons. Just cos we can't get you guys (generally) to act 100% for the customer doesn't mean we shouldn't try to move things in the right direction. But i am sure you'll die hard defend practices within the industry that aren't in the best interest of the customer (save where that interest mutually benefits you)

But is standardisation what you want? Do you want to travel in vehicle with high step if you are infirm, do you want to travel in an 8 seater taxi if you're on your own, do you want to travel in an interior that's related to Ryan Air

kingofslaves

Spook_ie wrote: »

driven by whoever is in need of a bit of pocket money, like asylum seekers/students/social welfare claimers etc.

So you have proof students and social welfare claimers drive taxis then ? I'd imagine most of them couldn't afford the car, tax, insurance, licence, fuel etc. Asylum seekers would probably have a hard job getting even a driving licence tbh.

Edit: If you sought asylum after 26 July 1999, you are not entitled to work - from the citizen's information website.

Spook_ie

kingofslaves wrote: »

So you have proof students and social welfare claimers drive taxis then ? I'd imagine most of them couldn't afford the car, tax, insurance, licence, fuel etc. Asylum seekers would probably have a hard job getting even a driving licence tbh.

Edit: If you sought asylum after 26 July 1999, you are not entitled to work - from the citizen's information website.

No that's what happens in places like NY where you rent a taxi for a shift for x amount of dollars, is that what people want here?

micosoft

Spook_ie wrote: »

But is standardisation what you want? Do you want to travel in vehicle with high step if you are infirm, do you want to travel in an 8 seater taxi if you're on your own, do you want to travel in an interior that's related to Ryan Air

Seriously?

- I count 4 Seats. Perfect for a cab. Also you showed a picture of the seats fully pushed back (they are on rails to allow you vary the luggage space at the back - normally the are closer to the front).
- Yes you do - if you are elderly or infirm you don't want to bend down to get into a passenger car. That's why Golf makes a Golf plus. You also omitted the pop out step as below.
- The bright colours on the grab rails and front of the seats are for the partially sighted. That said I'd rather fly Ryanair then a Dublin cab - their planes are modern and clean and the price is cheap - I can fly to London for less then the cost of Dublin Airport -> City Centre. Perhaps Michael should start Ryan Cabs....

As for your previous post - we should also have a standard large Taxi (an eight seater unlike this one).

It's a standard - not a make, so manufacturers can freely enter the market if they meet the regs just like London.

Losty Dublin

I wonder how many people that desire the likes of vehicle like the Londoncab et al as a standardised taxi have actually travelled in on a regular basis or owned/operated them before?

Many people find them uncomfortable to travel in for anything more than short trips due to the seating arrangements. A lot of people find them awkward to get in and out (I'm not just thinking wheelchars here but other mobility impairments) while they sometimes suffer from vibrations and hence motion sickness. These points alone make mini cabs the chosen cab of a lot of people in the UK.

From a drivers point of view, as a rule they are more costly to buy, maintain, fuel and run than most family cars given their size and builds. Being a niche vehicle drivers are effectively then tied to a few service agents; this makes down times quick repair and servicing less likely which means less time on road one can expect to be out earning. Also, the second hand market for such vehicles will be poor should a driver want to upgrade to a newer cab.

Crucially though, to expect the 28,000+ taxis in Ireland to make the change is a very very big ask. A new Mercedes Vito, which is TFL passed, starts at £35,000. As wheelchair assessible taxi's are not VAT and Excise relieved for drivers, this means that driver operators here will need to shell out to meet such a standard. While you may point out that a certain standard is de rigeur in the UK, this is what they have come to know over the years; raising the bar here this high is a dangerous operation without being aware of the expected fall out and what will be required to make it work, especially with the financial elements of this.

Certainly there are benefits to be had but the drawbacks need to be addressed first up; there are more pressing things that can be introduced to make things better as a whole.

Cookie_Monster

Simple start would be ruling out cars below the size of a camry / 5series / a6 etc as simply too small in the back and boot to be comfortable and practical if there are 3+ passengers with luggage

murphaph

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

Simple start would be ruling out cars below the size of a camry / 5series / a6 etc as simply too small in the back and boot to be comfortable and practical if there are 3+ passengers with luggage

This would be a good first step. They could easily set some minimum size rules that would get rid of a lot of the garbage that passes for a taxi in Ireland.

belcampprisoner

http://www.strangecosmos.com/images/content/147793.jpg

_Kaiser_

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

Simple start would be ruling out cars below the size of a camry / 5series / a6 etc as simply too small in the back and boot to be comfortable and practical if there are 3+ passengers with luggage

Exactly.. regardless of whether we go for a purpose-specific single vehicle or not, my point earlier in the thread was the need to eliminate the ridiculously unsuitable cars that are currently being used as taxis.

Any small hatchback (Focus size), any jeep-style vehicle should be removed.

I've no issue with something like a VW Transporter myself. Personally I think a Passat is an ideal taxi (having owned a 06 model myself privately for years). It's economical, comfortable, plenty of boot space and if looked after will last for years (mine has 240,000+ km on it and still runs like clockwork).

As for the 5 series, I remember being stuck in the back seat of a friends 09 model.. never again - and I'm only 5'8! Ditto the A4. The A6 though is a good choice (and will be my next car )

Spook_ie

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

Simple start would be ruling out cars below the size of a camry / 5series / a6 etc as simply too small in the back and boot to be comfortable and practical if there are 3+ passengers with luggage

murphaph wrote: »

This would be a good first step. They could easily set some minimum size rules that would get rid of a lot of the garbage that passes for a taxi in Ireland.

Kaiser2000 wrote: »

Exactly.. regardless of whether we go for a purpose-specific single vehicle or not, my point earlier in the thread was the need to eliminate the ridiculously unsuitable cars that are currently being used as taxis.

Any small hatchback (Focus size), any jeep-style vehicle should be removed.

I've no issue with something like a VW Transporter myself. Personally I think a Passat is an ideal taxi (having owned a 06 model myself privately for years). It's economical, comfortable, plenty of boot space and if looked after will last for years (mine has 240,000+ km on it and still runs like clockwork).

As for the 5 series, I remember being stuck in the back seat of a friends 09 model.. never again - and I'm only 5'8! Ditto the A4. The A6 though is a good choice (and will be my next car )

Could someone please alert the authorities that we appear to have a couple of aliens/trans dimensional beings posting on boards.ie.

http://nationaltransport.ie.cdn.ie/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Initial-Suitability-Inspection-Manual-Dec-2012-PDF.pdf

Before you decide to invade Earth maybe you should check on the current status of things by having a good read

_Kaiser_

Spook_ie wrote: »

Could someone please alert the authorities that we appear to have a couple of aliens/trans dimensional beings posting on boards.ie.

http://nationaltransport.ie.cdn.ie/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Initial-Suitability-Inspection-Manual-Dec-2012-PDF.pdf

Before you decide to invade Earth maybe you should check on the current status of things by having a good read

With all due respect, the tone of your posts in this thread just comes across as against anything that might cost you money - regardless of how it might benefit the customer you're serving.

I can only assume then that a lot of drivers are ignoring the rules/guidelines as the facts are that there are a load of old, small and/or unsuitable, poorly maintained, poorly presented vehicles out there and as well as bringing these under a common clear branding (which is long overdue), a single or short-list of models needs to be set for the vehicle itself.

To be fair and take advantage of innovations and progress, this can be reviewed every 4/5 years (which is when most manufacturers refresh their line-up) but I don't see any problem with the idea - other than it may cost some drivers money to upgrade the 96 Carina E they're still using.

Spook_ie

Kaiser2000 wrote: »

With all due respect, the tone of your posts in this thread just comes across as against anything that might cost you money - regardless of how it might benefit the customer you're serving.

I can only assume then that a lot of drivers are ignoring the rules/guidelines as the facts are that there are a load of old, small and/or unsuitable, poorly maintained, poorly presented vehicles out there and as well as bringing these under a common clear branding (which is long overdue), a single or short-list of models needs to be set for the vehicle itself.

To be fair and take advantage of innovations and progress, this can be reviewed every 4/5 years (which is when most manufacturers refresh their line-up) but I don't see any problem with the idea - other than it may cost some drivers money to upgrade the 96 Carina E they're still using.

As a businessman, yes I'm against anything that eats into my meager profit margin.

Drivers are not allowed to ignore the regulations regarding the size of vehicles or the age of vehicles but the NTA in a monumental fudge up rescinded the 9 year age rule that was coming into force and put into effect a 14 year age limit which would then become 9 years on renewal.

Suitable models list ...ask and ye shall find

http://nationaltransport.ie.cdn.ie/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Model_Report_Database_25.03.13.pdf

I'll ignore the comments about 96 carinas as under the new laws ( when they get passed by the Oireachtas ) they wont be renewed after they get to 14 years old

As I said before you invade Earth or reinvent the wheel a little research pays dividends

_Kaiser_

Spook_ie wrote: »

As a businessman, yes I'm against anything that eats into my meager profit margin.

Drivers are not allowed to ignore the regulations regarding the size of vehicles or the age of vehicles but the NTA in a monumental fudge up rescinded the 9 year age rule that was coming into force and put into effect a 14 year age limit which would then become 9 years on renewal.

Suitable models list ...ask and ye shall find

http://nationaltransport.ie.cdn.ie/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Model_Report_Database_25.03.13.pdf

I'll ignore the comments about 96 carinas as under the new laws ( when they get passed by the Oireachtas ) they wont be renewed after they get to 14 years old

As I said before you invade Earth or reinvent the wheel a little research pays dividends

Well to be fair, as a paying customer I'm not concerned about your profit margins to be honest - if I'm looking for a taxi I want something that will get me from A to B in as efficient and safe/comfortable a manner as possible.

Given the choice between a newer, bigger and well presented car with multiple airbags, better safety ratings and the aforementioned 96 Carina E or small cramped hatchback, I know which one I'll flag down on the street.

And while I sympathise that the way the industry has been handled in many ways is farcical, taxi drivers are not owed a living no more than anyone else. I have a friend who's a driver and complains about business and it barely covering his costs - but he sits at the airport rank half the day!

Spook_ie

Kaiser2000 wrote: »

Well to be fair, as a paying customer I'm not concerned about your profit margins to be honest - if I'm looking for a taxi I want something that will get me from A to B in as efficient and safe/comfortable a manner as possible.

Given the choice between a newer, bigger and well presented car with multiple airbags, better safety ratings and the aforementioned 96 Carina E or small cramped hatchback, I know which one I'll flag down on the street.

And while I sympathise that the way the industry has been handled in many ways is farcical, taxi drivers are not owed a living no more than anyone else. I have a friend who's a driver and complains about business and it barely covering his costs - but he sits at the airport rank half the day!

I love the way you say that, however, I would suggest as a customer that you should indeed be concerned about the profit margins in the taxi business, they may be all that's between you and a fatal accident because of lack of maintenance or over tiredness.

Edit You are perfectly entitled to flag down a better car than the 96 Carina, in fact I wish more people did so because at the end of the day Bums on Seats are all that keep the Carina running at all

As to a living, agreed but as a business the less messing around the better at least I'd be able to plan my next step rather than being forced to wait and see what happens.

The belief is that the disabled etc. will rebel and force the government into a situation when the WATs are forced off the road due to age restrictions being applied

_Kaiser_

Spook_ie wrote: »

I love the way you say that, however, I would suggest as a customer that you should indeed be concerned about the profit margins in the taxi business, they may be all that's between you and a fatal accident because of lack of maintenance or over tiredness.

My counter to that is that if you're not making enough as a driver without having to work crazy hours or you're skimping on essential maintenance then you should get out of the game - ESPECIALLY if you're at risk at harming yourself, your customer or others!

It's not like taxi's are cheap as it is and again, you (like me or anyone else) are not owed a living from what you do. If work dried up in my field in the morning I'd have to retrain and do something else.

Even as it is I have to keep my skills up to date (which in the taxi driving context you could equate to knowing the area you service - not always a given in my experience - and having a car that's fit for purpose)

Sorry mate, but little sympathy here if you're persisting despite the signs being on the wall that it's time to do something else.

Spook_ie

Kaiser2000 wrote: »

My counter to that is that if you're not making enough as a driver without having to work crazy hours or you're skimping on essential maintenance then you should get out of the game - ESPECIALLY if you're at risk at harming yourself, your customer or others!

It's not like taxi's are cheap as it is and again, you (like me or anyone else) are not owed a living from what you do. If work dried up in my field in the morning I'd have to retrain and do something else.

Even as it is I have to keep my skills up to date (which in the taxi driving context you could equate to knowing the area you service - not always a given in my experience - and having a car that's fit for purpose)

Sorry mate, but little sympathy here if you're persisting despite the signs being on the wall that it's time to do something else.

And the counter to that is why? if by neglecting/scrimping on maintenance or sleep allows people to pay their bills they're going to do it. It's like any self employed business people will start cutting corners to remain in business

If I save €100 on a repair bill by fitting parts from a breakers that's a €100 to pay a bill like the electricity, you as a customer just need to hope that they go to a reputable breaker or that the part isn't mission critical

As to retraining, yeah has been suggested before, unhappily for anyone that's been involved for over a year in self employment, retraining has to be paid for in it's entirety by themselves, no FAS or SW to help them out there.

Anyways at the end of the day I don't need your sympathies just your bums on my seats and people not trying to cut my profit line even further by trying to get discounts

_Kaiser_

Spook_ie wrote: »

And the counter to that is why? if by neglecting/scrimping on maintenance or sleep allows people to pay their bills they're going to do it. It's like any self employed business people will start cutting corners to remain in business

If I save €100 on a repair bill by fitting parts from a breakers that's a €100 to pay a bill like the electricity, you as a customer just need to hope that they go to a reputable breaker or that the part isn't mission critical

As to retraining, yeah has been suggested before, unhappily for anyone that's been involved for over a year in self employment, retraining has to be paid for in it's entirety by themselves, no FAS or SW to help them out there.

Anyways at the end of the day I don't need your sympathies just your bums on my seats and people not trying to cut my profit line even further by trying to get discounts

You're not getting the point though..

You want "bums on seats" (which is fair enough) but you're not offering anything in return - insofar as displaying a willingness to change with your customers needs/demands and the standards they expect.

Frankly I'm more concerned by your apparent willingness to cut corners (in terms of maintenance and rest) to make a few quid, potentially at my expense - and I'm not talking financially.

Again, you're not guaranteed/owed a living from taxi'ing mate and if you're potentially putting people's safety at risk (including your own) by continuing to stick at it, then (and this will sound harsh) you should be forced out before you kill yourself or someone else.

Spook_ie

micosoft wrote: »

Seriously?

- I count 4 Seats. Perfect for a cab. Also you showed a picture of the seats fully pushed back (they are on rails to allow you vary the luggage space at the back - normally the are closer to the front).
- Yes you do - if you are elderly or infirm you don't want to bend down to get into a passenger car. That's why Golf makes a Golf plus. You also omitted the pop out step as below.
- The bright colours on the grab rails and front of the seats are for the partially sighted. That said I'd rather fly Ryanair then a Dublin cab - their planes are modern and clean and the price is cheap - I can fly to London for less then the cost of Dublin Airport -> City Centre. Perhaps Michael should start Ryan Cabs....

As for your previous post - we should also have a standard large Taxi (an eight seater unlike this one).

It's a standard - not a make, so manufacturers can freely enter the market if they meet the regs just like London.

Should go to spec savers, I count 3 seats and floppy down thing that you might consider a seat ( I and many others wouldn't! )

wouldn't you prefer to be in here


Funny how many elderly/infirm passengers refuse to use WAT with or without the step, most seem to find the seating too uncomfortable for them, maybe you should talk to a few elderly people!

Yeah I know the bright colors are for partialy sighted passengers, mainly because they have to trek from the actual door to sit on the slabs that pass for seats


Just cos Ryanair fly you cheaply to London doesn't mean there aren't better VALUE airlines

Spook_ie

Kaiser2000 wrote: »

You're not getting the point though..

You want "bums on seats" (which is fair enough) but you're not offering anything in return - insofar as displaying a willingness to change with your customers needs/demands and the standards they expect.

Frankly I'm more concerned by your apparent willingness to cut corners (in terms of maintenance and rest) to make a few quid, potentially at my expense - and I'm not talking financially.

Again, you're not guaranteed/owed a living from taxi'ing mate and if you're potentially putting people's safety at risk (including your own) by continuing to stick at it, then (and this will sound harsh) you should be forced out before you kill yourself or someone else.

Well as I said as a customer maybe you should be more concerned with the profit margins of taxis, and your response shows that you never really thought about it before.

Hopefully you don't end up being killed in an accident caused by poor maintenance or over tiredness but a lot of people will do what ever it takes to remain business solvent and to hell with the inherent risks.

As to what am I offering I'm offering a taxi journey from A-B for which I expect to get sufficient recompense to cover the costs and make a profit.

Pretty simple really like most business's

_Kaiser_

Spook_ie wrote: »

Well as I said as a customer maybe you should be more concerned with the profit margins of taxis, and your response shows that you never really thought about it before.

Hopefully you don't end up being killed in an accident caused by poor maintenance or over tiredness but a lot of people will do what ever it takes to remain business solvent and to hell with the inherent risks.

As to what am I offering I'm offering a taxi journey from A-B for which I expect to get sufficient recompense to cover the costs and make a profit.

Pretty simple really like most business's

Actually if this is the reality for many drivers then I'd in fact advocate a return to the "bad old days" of limiting the numbers of licenses so that the customer - and general public - isn't placed at unnecessary risk by overtired drivers, skimping on costs, driving poorly maintained and potentially dangerous cars, competing for a dwindling slice of pie.

I'm leaving aside for the moment the fact that you think this justifies the view that we should therefore be happy to pay whatever the meter reads.

I'm sorry but your attitude genuinely astounds me that you think it's acceptable to put people's lives at risk, your own included, so you can continue to drive a taxi rather than facing reality and doing something else if the financial rewards aren't there.

micosoft

Spook_ie wrote: »

Should go to spec savers, I count 3 seats and floppy down thing that you might consider a seat ( I and many others wouldn't! )

Huh? You were the one that counted 8....
It's a seat. The Taxi regulators of NY, TKY and LDN all disagree with you.

Spook_ie wrote: »

wouldn't you prefer to be in here

Funny how many elderly/infirm passengers refuse to use WAT with or without the step, most seem to find the seating too uncomfortable for them, maybe you should talk to a few elderly people!

Not really as the possibilty is that I will get a clapped out banger instead of a new Superb.
The Nissan is not a wheelchair accessible taxi and is nothing like a Vito. And it's not funny at all how some taxi drivers treat the elderly, disabled and vision impaired. Perhaps you should talk to ASK your customers...

Spook_ie wrote: »

Yeah I know the bright colors are for partialy sighted passengers, mainly because they have to trek from the actual door to sit on the slabs that pass for seats

Just cos Ryanair fly you cheaply to London doesn't mean there aren't better VALUE airlines

Do you? At this point your arguments have moved from tenuous to nonsense. You really don't care much for your customers much do you?

micosoft

Losty Dublin wrote: »

I wonder how many people that desire the likes of vehicle like the Londoncab et al as a standardised taxi have actually travelled in on a regular basis or owned/operated them before?

Lived in both London and Hong Kong. You get used to the consistency of it. And it's great as a tourist - the almost guarantee of decent taxi service, a vehicle that will accept your bags and four people.

Losty Dublin wrote: »

Many people find them uncomfortable to travel in for anything more than short trips due to the seating arrangements. A lot of people find them awkward to get in and out (I'm not just thinking wheelchars here but other mobility impairments) while they sometimes suffer from vibrations and hence motion sickness. These points alone make mini cabs the chosen cab of a lot of people in the UK.

Not a valid comparison - completely different markets. Public Taxi's are not meant for long distance journeys and priced accordingly.

Losty Dublin wrote: »

From a drivers point of view, as a rule they are more costly to buy, maintain, fuel and run than most family cars given their size and builds. Being a niche vehicle drivers are effectively then tied to a few service agents; this makes down times quick repair and servicing less likely which means less time on road one can expect to be out earning. Also, the second hand market for such vehicles will be poor should a driver want to upgrade to a newer cab.

I respectfully disagree. The London Cab was a pig because of it's age and design. Modern ones such as the Nissan will be far more cost effective and are mass produced.
- Standard Nissan Diesel does not need any specialist servicing.
- A vehicle designed for public service is going to take more wear and tear so should reduce your costs.
- There would be a London - Dublin Market which would be substantial

Again though, the important thing is the customer experiance...

Losty Dublin wrote: »

Crucially though, to expect the 28,000+ taxis in Ireland to make the change is a very very big ask. A new Mercedes Vito, which is TFL passed, starts at £35,000. As wheelchair assessible taxi's are not VAT and Excise relieved for drivers, this means that driver operators here will need to shell out to meet such a standard. While you may point out that a certain standard is de rigeur in the UK, this is what they have come to know over the years; raising the bar here this high is a dangerous operation without being aware of the expected fall out and what will be required to make it work, especially with the financial elements of this.

Certainly there are benefits to be had but the drawbacks need to be addressed first up; there are more pressing things that can be introduced to make things better as a whole.

All fair points. That said I did suggest Dublin and specifically the Airport run first as a pilot. From the customer experience of someone arriving to Ireland on business the lack of a professional taxi type sets us back and the Taxi's there are in many cases not appropriate. I think only Dublin would suit this approach. A Vito is expensive - as per the link the Nissan would be a lot cheaper.

I'm not sure what pressing items there are but having a standard Taxi type would drive out the cowboys. Bringing in a form of the Knowledge is also essential (even with Sat Nav).

Smartphones will change the market though - Hailo and Uber will change the way people call Taxi's in the near future.