Taxis overcharging on meters via remote fobs

vandriver · 13-11-2019 12:08pm

Good jib! wrote: »

I'm guessing his point is that the fare mentioned above is fair, as if the driver is on minimum wage for that run, there is no way it could be any cheaper.

Wot he sed!

Spook_ie · 13-11-2019 12:09pm

iamtony wrote: »

I was wondering when this would come up here. As a taxi driver myself I'm pissed because this further tarnishes our reputation. I never even heard of it till the Sunday world story.
I hope he looses his psv licence for ever to make the other drivers who have it think twice.
My guess is this is confined to drivers with an airport permit and used on tourists. Sneaky bastards they are

Deleted User wrote: »

What's so sneaky about the airport drivers that the rest of you are innocent of?

Mr.Frame wrote: »

So hang on, your opening comment says, "As a taxi driver myself Im pissed off because this tarnishes our reputation."

You then go on to tarnish fellow drivers who work the airport.

Thats hypocritical if ever there was a case.

The vast majority of drivers who work Dublin airport are decent hard working HONEST people.

You should withdraw your comment

I think Mr Frame is right you should retract that statement, the airport is full of whingers and whiners but that doesn't necessarily make them dishonest and if you read the article

A confidential source led him to a taxi rank at Tallaght Hospital where the defendant was sitting in his car, he said.

martingriff · 13-11-2019 12:55pm

Spook_ie wrote: »

I think Mr Frame is right you should retract that statement, the airport is full of whingers and whiners but that doesn't necessarily make them dishonest and if you read the article

I think you should read $hifty and Mr. Frame comments they were not accusing any drivers just the assertion of the post they quoted

Spook_ie · 13-11-2019 2:22pm

martingriff wrote: »

I think you should read $hifty and Mr. Frame comments they were not accusing any drivers just the assertion of the post they quoted

I would suggest you re-read the post, I said that he should withdraw his statement about airport taxis being dishonest, I quoted the other two as being posts I agreed with.

martingriff · 13-11-2019 8:37pm

Spook_ie wrote: »

I would suggest you re-read the post, I said that he should withdraw his statement about airport taxis being dishonest, I quoted the other two as being posts I agreed with.

I do apologize I did not take it up like that

Calhoun · 14-11-2019 11:38pm

Not a good week for the Taxi driver brand. Not sure how true the article is but really does the industry harm that this individual would be allowed keep a license.

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/taxi-driver-who-robbed-his-customers-up-to-24-times-keeps-licence-38691558.html

TallGlass2 · 14-11-2019 11:50pm

Might be time to start asking drivers for recipes.

I asked for one before from a driver, he gave me a hand wrote one, I asked to printed copy. He said the machine had no ink so if I was ripped off, I have no record at all.

Ireland. Great place for regulations, pitty the enforcement is non existent and a legal system operating in its own bubble outside of all realms of reality.

I mean, it's nothing short of some sort of dodgy Junior Cert question or something out of the gougers 101 handbook - 'Taxi man Joe scams passengers out of 2500€, but Judge Tim gives a fine of 750€, calculate Joe's profit'.

suicide_circus · 15-11-2019 12:03am

Calhoun wrote: »

Not a good week for the Taxi driver brand. Not sure how true the article is but really does the industry harm that this individual would be allowed keep a license.

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/taxi-driver-who-robbed-his-customers-up-to-24-times-keeps-licence-38691558.html

what do you actually have to do to lose your license? if a blind eye is turned to robbing members of the public, where is the line?

Calhoun · 15-11-2019 12:03am

TallGlass2 wrote: »

Might be time to start asking drivers for recipes.

I asked for one before from a driver, he gave me a hand wrote one, I asked to printed copy. He said the machine had no ink so if I was ripped off, I have no record at all.

Ireland. Great place for regulations, pitty the enforcement is non existent and a legal system operating in its own bubble outside of all realms of reality.

I mean, it's nothing short of some sort of dodgy Junior Cert question or something out of the gougers 101 handbook - 'Taxi man Joe scams passengers out of 2500€, but Judge Tim gives a fine of 750€, calculate Joe's profit'.

The joke of that story is there are 206 impacted machines where this could happen and they believe there was incidents on most.

road_high · 15-11-2019 12:21am

I hate getting taxis in this country, they’re an utter rip off. On that Uber thing, is that pre paid online? I hate the dealing with cash/tips end of things

Mr.Frame · 15-11-2019 12:30am

road_high wrote: »

I hate getting taxis in this country, they’re an utter rip off. On that Uber thing, is that pre paid online? I hate the dealing with cash/tips end of things

Bit of a sweeping statement there.
How exactly are they a rip off?

road_high · 15-11-2019 12:33am

Mr.Frame wrote: »

Bit of a sweeping statement there.
How exactly are they a rip off?

They’re very expensive- for very short distances. Get them in england and the north with work sometimes- they seem to go a lot further for less money

Mr.Frame · 15-11-2019 12:34am

road_high wrote: »

They’re very expensive- for very short distances. Get them in england and the north with work sometimes- they seem to go a lot further for less money

You cannot and are not comparing like with like.

Go to an English pub and but a pint for half the price that you would pay in an Irish pub.

Cost of living is far cheaper in UK than Ireland

road_high · 15-11-2019 12:37am

Mr.Frame wrote: »

You cannot and are not comparing like with like.

Go to an English pub and but a pint for half the price that you would pay in an Irish pub.

Cost of living is far cheaper in UK than Ireland

It’s really not that much cheaper to live. Taxis are a little gold mine here so I walk or get public transport if at all possible

Calhoun · 15-11-2019 1:22am

We definitely aren't comparing like for like systems, i would hope in the UK the regulator/enforcement authority takes the credential of the drivers seriously. Something we don't really take into account in Ireland.

Apart from the two cases above in this thread here is another.

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/taxi-driver-who-pleads-guilty-to-sexually-assaulting-three-female-passengers-had-taxi-licence-revoked-six-weeks-ago-38007224.html

The bail conditions allowed him to continue to drive a taxi but not have women in the front seat.

Spook_ie · 15-11-2019 1:36am

TallGlass2 wrote: »

Might be time to start asking drivers for recipes.

I asked for one before from a driver, he gave me a hand wrote one, I asked to printed copy. He said the machine had no ink so if I was ripped off, I have no record at all.

Ireland. Great place for regulations, pitty the enforcement is non existent and a legal system operating in its own bubble outside of all realms of reality.

I mean, it's nothing short of some sort of dodgy Junior Cert question or something out of the gougers 101 handbook - 'Taxi man Joe scams passengers out of 2500€, but Judge Tim gives a fine of 750€, calculate Joe's profit'.

I've a brilliant recipe for salted caramel chocolate cake if you're ever in my cab. Wouldn't be able to print it out though but as per regulations I do have a pen and paper for you to write it down with.

Jellybaby1 · 15-11-2019 1:41am

Maybe someone here might help me with some taxi fare advice as I can't make head nor tail of the links for working it out. An elderly friend's wife is in hospital. His health is very bad too and no longer drives. He orders a taxi to take him there and collect him again later. He is charged €32 each way so he only goes to see her once a month. I asked a friend to find out what the distance is and she said it was 7.9 miles (12.7km) from the husband's estate to the hospital. Anyone know if this is the right fare?

magicbastarder · 15-11-2019 1:43am

i'm not sure if the finance department where i work would accept your salted caramel chocolate cake recipe as an expense, if i submitted it; unless it was as good as you claim.

vandriver · 15-11-2019 8:26am

Jellybaby1 wrote: »

Maybe someone here might help me with some taxi fare advice as I can't make head nor tail of the links for working it out. An elderly friend's wife is in hospital. His health is very bad too and no longer drives. He orders a taxi to take him there and collect him again later. He is charged €32 each way so he only goes to see her once a month. I asked a friend to find out what the distance is and she said it was 7.9 miles (12.7km) from the husband's estate to the hospital. Anyone know if this is the right fare?

Is this is say Knocklyon to James or 8 miles through countryside to Naas General?
Is it a fixed fare?
If so,why?
What time of day?
But,if no traffic,and after 8...€20 minimum plus extra if slow traffic.
If the fare is too expensive,is there any friendly retired neighbour that might help out?

vandriver · 15-11-2019 8:28am

Calhoun wrote: »

We definitely aren't comparing like for like systems, i would hope in the UK the regulator/enforcement authority takes the credential of the drivers seriously. Something we don't really take into account in Ireland.

Apart from the two cases above in this thread here is another.

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/taxi-driver-who-pleads-guilty-to-sexually-assaulting-three-female-passengers-had-taxi-licence-revoked-six-weeks-ago-38007224.html

The bail conditions allowed him to continue to drive a taxi but not have women in the front seat.

They were the bail conditions,but his license to operate had already been suspended by the Gardai.

vandriver · 15-11-2019 8:29am

'...He said the machine had no ink ...'
The printers are thermal!

Mr.Frame · 15-11-2019 7:46pm

road_high wrote: »

Taxis are a little gold mine here so I walk or get public transport if at all possible

With respect , you hvnt a clue about what you are talking about "taxis are a little gold mine".

Mr.Frame · 15-11-2019 7:53pm

Calhoun wrote: »

We definitely aren't comparing like for like systems, i would hope in the UK the regulator/enforcement authority takes the credential of the drivers seriously. Something we don't really take into account in Ireland.

Apart from the two cases above in this thread here is another.

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/taxi-driver-who-pleads-guilty-to-sexually-assaulting-three-female-passengers-had-taxi-licence-revoked-six-weeks-ago-38007224.html

The bail conditions allowed him to continue to drive a taxi but not have women in the front seat.

The article you gave a link to, wasnt entirely correct. Whilst the bail conditions were bizarre in the extreme, he had in fact been stripped of his licence pre court case.

Again, the vast majority of drivers are honest and decent, you very very rarely hear of all the good honest things they do.
No one can condone the actions of the bad guys.
However, given that there are less than 15 regulators to police the entire country,it is hardly surprising that illegality is going on.

I do remember reading articles pre deregulation (20yrs ago now ) from taxi groups , that illegality within the taxi business would get worse.

Their words have been proven right it seems.

Mr.Frame · 15-11-2019 7:55pm

Jellybaby1 wrote: »

Maybe someone here might help me with some taxi fare advice as I can't make head nor tail of the links for working it out. An elderly friend's wife is in hospital. His health is very bad too and no longer drives. He orders a taxi to take him there and collect him again later. He is charged €32 each way so he only goes to see her once a month. I asked a friend to find out what the distance is and she said it was 7.9 miles (12.7km) from the husband's estate to the hospital. Anyone know if this is the right fare?

You need to be more specific.

I very much doubt any fare is 32euro for 12kms.

Provide more details.

Mr.Frame · 15-11-2019 7:56pm

vandriver wrote: »

'...He said the machine had no ink ...'
The printers are thermal!

He probably meant that the printer ribbon was gone

Mr.Frame · 15-11-2019 7:58pm

vandriver wrote: »

Is this is say Knocklyon to James or 8 miles through countryside to Naas General?
Is it a fixed fare?
If so,why?
What time of day?
But,if no traffic,and after 8...€20 minimum plus extra if slow traffic.

First off 8 miles is 8 miles whether it is in Dublin or Naas.

Where exactly are you getting the 20euro "minimum"?

L1011 · 15-11-2019 7:59pm

Mr.Frame wrote: »

He probably meant that the printer ribbon was gone

Thermal paper doesn't need a ribbon, it's just paper and print head. I presume that's what's in use in most if not all receipt printers in taxis as I haven't got a plain paper and ink receipt in years

Aren't taxis meant to be off the road if unable to provide receipts anyway?

Calhoun · 15-11-2019 8:49pm

Mr.Frame wrote: »

The article you gave a link to, wasnt entirely correct. Whilst the bail conditions were bizarre in the extreme, he had in fact been stripped of his licence pre court case.

Again, the vast majority of drivers are honest and decent, you very very rarely hear of all the good honest things they do.
No one can condone the actions of the bad guys.
However, given that there are less than 15 regulators to police the entire country,it is hardly surprising that illegality is going on.

I do remember reading articles pre deregulation (20yrs ago now ) from taxi groups , that illegality within the taxi business would get worse.

Their words have been proven right it seems.

Regardless of the majority of drivers there are bad apples, I don't know the constraints on the current regulators but the seemingly inaction from the regulators to strip license from those who are blackening the name of the honest drivers damages you all.

The answer to sorting out the quality of drivers is not going back to a highly regulated market with high barriers to entry.

I remember those times and there was allot of ****e that went on.

Jellybaby1 · 15-11-2019 9:30pm

vandriver wrote: »

Is this is say Knocklyon to James or 8 miles through countryside to Naas General?
Is it a fixed fare?
If so,why?
What time of day?
But,if no traffic,and after 8...€20 minimum plus extra if slow traffic.
If the fare is too expensive,is there any friendly retired neighbour that might help out?

Thanks. Without giving too much detail about that family's health regarding the hospital, its morning time, semi suburb, semi rural, Dublin, very little traffic at that time, returning after lunch time. I don't know if its a fixed fare but this is what they said they paid. And yes, someone will help out but not as often as they would need.

By the way, apologies for interrupting this thread, I probably should have started a new one.

sdanseo · 15-11-2019 9:32pm

You are entitled to perform a citizens arrest for theft, and use reasonable force to do so. Just saying. :pac:

Taxis overcharging on meters via remote fobs

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