Me

Jul 16, 08 - 11:30 AM

Taxis

This is from walesonline, taxi drivers saying they are having trouble with the closure of taxi ranks due to various developments around the city:

-------
“Twenty five drivers have had their cars repossessed because they could not keep up repayments and there will be many more if we carry on like this.”

The drivers said they had lost:

n A 13-space rank on Hill Street to the St David’s 2 shopping centre development;

n A six-space rank on Wood Street while the Terminus building is demolished;

n A seven-space rank in Park Place to companies undertaking public realm work for the council in the street; and

n A 13-space rank outside The Philharmonic pub on St Mary Street for most of the day and evening because buses are using it while the Terminus is demolished.

They claim this 39-space loss, combined with the issuing of almost 500 new hackney licences over the past year or so – bringing the total number in the city to around 800 – and no increase in fares following fuel price rises could lead to many of them losing livelihoods.
-------

SURELY the major issue here is the increase in taxis from 300 to 800 in the space of a year. Why do the developments get the stick!?!?! I understand that the drivers need ranks, and it is unfortunate they they have lost them, if something can be done in the short term, lets do it. By why is the focus on the developments? Is it the drivers? Is it the press?

Although I have to say when I saw the headline I thought it would be St Mary St bashing, which in fairness to everyone it isnt.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/cardiff-news/2008/07/16/taxi-drivers-we-ll-go-out-of-business-91466-21350187/

Zach

Jul 16th, 2008 - 5:52 PM

Re: Taxis

Taxi Ranks, what is the point.

If I wanted to walk somewhere to get transport I would get the bus!
Outside the Station/Airport is the only place you need a rank.
What's wrong with sticking your hand up and hailing a cab?
Yes they should increase the fares or have a direct link to Diesel/Gas prices.

Me

Jul 16th, 2008 - 6:21 PM

Re: Taxis

I guess the point being that as more roads get pedestrianised the less you can do that. And having empty cabs driving round all day waiting for someone to pick them up isnt good for the environment, congestion, or the taxi drivers wallet!

jantra

Jul 16th, 2008 - 8:10 PM

Re: Taxis

well perhaps if they left the rank they'd get more business...I wouldn't walk to a taxi rank...you may as well call a private hire firm or catch the bus

Kyle

Jul 17th, 2008 - 11:02 AM

Re: Taxis

Slightly off-topic this, but Cardiff related.

I was in a private hire taxi yesterday going from my hotel in London to Paddington with the family after a week away. The driver was friendly and asked where we were going from Paddington so I told him "Cardiff".

He didn't have a clue where Cardiff was. I told him in Wales and he thought Wales was a part of Scotland. The guy was from India and judging by the fact I had to direct him to Paddington from Kings Cross he hadn't been in London long...but I don't know if I was amused or pissed off by his ignorance !

As for the main topic of this thread, I'm amazed by the increase in taxi numbers in the city but I agree with Jantra. You should be able to pick up a taxi from everywhere...obviously not ideal pollution wise but then we should be encouraging electric powered cabs in the city rather than petrol/diesel anyway.

Me

Aug 18th, 2008 - 4:14 PM

Re: Taxis

A Taxi driver the other day told me that there had been a scheme in cardiff taking people off job seekers allowance and putting them on taxi driver teaching courses, helping them with set up costs inc. car and the licence cost. Anyone who signed up to it got all these benefits but had to agree to not sign back on to jobseekers allowance for at least one year. He suggested it had added to the over-population of taxis in the city as the mass of new drivers couldn't leave and return to benefit even if there is no demand for taxis, kinda like a poverty trap of sorts.

No idea how true that is...

Karl

Aug 18th, 2008 - 5:02 PM

Re: Taxis

That sounds like a typical taxi driver gripe to me, with little basis in reality! A woman in the office who has a bug bear about people claiming disability allowances reckons that alcoholics are disabled for the purposes of the DWP and get an extra £65 per week to buy alcohol......! Apparently someone down the pub told her this...ironically.

Peter

Aug 18th, 2008 - 5:03 PM

Re: Taxis

I think a lot of this stems from a gentleman called Carl Cummings, who is the major player in Taxis in Cardiff, owns the big firms and rents cabs to private operators.

There was a fantastic article online about how he wiped out the value of £9.6 Million pounds worth of plates through his own 'personal greed', but I cant find it now.

If I remember correctly cardiff had just under 500 hackney licences, he owned about 15% of them and exerted influence through his ownership of the big firms. Cardiff City council wanted to hold a lottery for another half dozen licences, but Cummings demanded them all. This case went through to the High Court and Cummings lost. I believe Cardiff for a short while around this time allowed open applications for hackney licences, and it was during this time that the first swell in numbers happened.

All of this is from memory possibly inaccurate and it was a few years ago. No matter whats going on, if it involves taxis in Cardiff, Carl Cummings will be in the middle of it making money somehow.

I believe the main problem with taxis in cardiff is that you need 2,000 on a Friday and Saturday Night and 300 the rest of the time.

James

Aug 18th, 2008 - 5:06 PM

Re: Taxis

Kyle,

I agree with you that that kind of thing is frustrating, but it doesnt surprise me.

How many of the average British people-even intelligent British people-who move to Spain understand the geographic complexities of the Basque country, Catalonia and Galicia? Lets face it, the UK is a pretty complex country, and really I wouldnt expect all newcomers to understand it straight away. It must be bloody confusing at the olympics to be fair. I'm sure there are a few people around the world wondering why England, Scotland, Wales etc aren't at the olympics.

Author	Comment
Me Jul 16, 08 - 11:30 AM	Taxis This is from walesonline, taxi drivers saying they are having trouble with the closure of taxi ranks due to various developments around the city: ------- “Twenty five drivers have had their cars repossessed because they could not keep up repayments and there will be many more if we carry on like this.” The drivers said they had lost: n A 13-space rank on Hill Street to the St David’s 2 shopping centre development; n A six-space rank on Wood Street while the Terminus building is demolished; n A seven-space rank in Park Place to companies undertaking public realm work for the council in the street; and n A 13-space rank outside The Philharmonic pub on St Mary Street for most of the day and evening because buses are using it while the Terminus is demolished. They claim this 39-space loss, combined with the issuing of almost 500 new hackney licences over the past year or so – bringing the total number in the city to around 800 – and no increase in fares following fuel price rises could lead to many of them losing livelihoods. ------- SURELY the major issue here is the increase in taxis from 300 to 800 in the space of a year. Why do the developments get the stick!?!?! I understand that the drivers need ranks, and it is unfortunate they they have lost them, if something can be done in the short term, lets do it. By why is the focus on the developments? Is it the drivers? Is it the press? Although I have to say when I saw the headline I thought it would be St Mary St bashing, which in fairness to everyone it isnt. http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/cardiff-news/2008/07/16/taxi-drivers-we-ll-go-out-of-business-91466-21350187/
Zach Jul 16th, 2008 - 5:52 PM	Re: Taxis Taxi Ranks, what is the point. If I wanted to walk somewhere to get transport I would get the bus! Outside the Station/Airport is the only place you need a rank. What's wrong with sticking your hand up and hailing a cab? Yes they should increase the fares or have a direct link to Diesel/Gas prices.
Me Jul 16th, 2008 - 6:21 PM	Re: Taxis I guess the point being that as more roads get pedestrianised the less you can do that. And having empty cabs driving round all day waiting for someone to pick them up isnt good for the environment, congestion, or the taxi drivers wallet!
jantra Jul 16th, 2008 - 8:10 PM	Re: Taxis well perhaps if they left the rank they'd get more business...I wouldn't walk to a taxi rank...you may as well call a private hire firm or catch the bus
Kyle Jul 17th, 2008 - 11:02 AM	Re: Taxis Slightly off-topic this, but Cardiff related. I was in a private hire taxi yesterday going from my hotel in London to Paddington with the family after a week away. The driver was friendly and asked where we were going from Paddington so I told him "Cardiff". He didn't have a clue where Cardiff was. I told him in Wales and he thought Wales was a part of Scotland. The guy was from India and judging by the fact I had to direct him to Paddington from Kings Cross he hadn't been in London long...but I don't know if I was amused or pissed off by his ignorance ! As for the main topic of this thread, I'm amazed by the increase in taxi numbers in the city but I agree with Jantra. You should be able to pick up a taxi from everywhere...obviously not ideal pollution wise but then we should be encouraging electric powered cabs in the city rather than petrol/diesel anyway.
Me Aug 18th, 2008 - 4:14 PM	Re: Taxis A Taxi driver the other day told me that there had been a scheme in cardiff taking people off job seekers allowance and putting them on taxi driver teaching courses, helping them with set up costs inc. car and the licence cost. Anyone who signed up to it got all these benefits but had to agree to not sign back on to jobseekers allowance for at least one year. He suggested it had added to the over-population of taxis in the city as the mass of new drivers couldn't leave and return to benefit even if there is no demand for taxis, kinda like a poverty trap of sorts. No idea how true that is...
Karl Aug 18th, 2008 - 5:02 PM	Re: Taxis That sounds like a typical taxi driver gripe to me, with little basis in reality! A woman in the office who has a bug bear about people claiming disability allowances reckons that alcoholics are disabled for the purposes of the DWP and get an extra £65 per week to buy alcohol......! Apparently someone down the pub told her this...ironically. Email: thomask1969@hotmail.com
Peter Aug 18th, 2008 - 5:03 PM	Re: Taxis I think a lot of this stems from a gentleman called Carl Cummings, who is the major player in Taxis in Cardiff, owns the big firms and rents cabs to private operators. There was a fantastic article online about how he wiped out the value of £9.6 Million pounds worth of plates through his own 'personal greed', but I cant find it now. If I remember correctly cardiff had just under 500 hackney licences, he owned about 15% of them and exerted influence through his ownership of the big firms. Cardiff City council wanted to hold a lottery for another half dozen licences, but Cummings demanded them all. This case went through to the High Court and Cummings lost. I believe Cardiff for a short while around this time allowed open applications for hackney licences, and it was during this time that the first swell in numbers happened. All of this is from memory possibly inaccurate and it was a few years ago. No matter whats going on, if it involves taxis in Cardiff, Carl Cummings will be in the middle of it making money somehow. I believe the main problem with taxis in cardiff is that you need 2,000 on a Friday and Saturday Night and 300 the rest of the time.
James Aug 18th, 2008 - 5:06 PM	Re: Taxis Kyle, I agree with you that that kind of thing is frustrating, but it doesnt surprise me. How many of the average British people-even intelligent British people-who move to Spain understand the geographic complexities of the Basque country, Catalonia and Galicia? Lets face it, the UK is a pretty complex country, and really I wouldnt expect all newcomers to understand it straight away. It must be bloody confusing at the olympics to be fair. I'm sure there are a few people around the world wondering why England, Scotland, Wales etc aren't at the olympics. Email: jat_moore@yahoo.co.uk