London Banter - View Single Post

Mike Hughes · April 21st 06, 05:31 AM posted to uk.transport.london

In message .com,
writes

Helen Deborah Vecht wrote:

The Taxicard scheme does cover minicabs in some boroughs, such as
Hillingdon, AFAIK.

Sensible.

I bear no malice to anybody but if I ring a minicab firm, they can tell
me if they have cabs free in the area. If they have none, I can (& do)
phone another firm. ComCab can't do that (and their control centre is in
Aberdeen, giving them no local knowledge...)

Aah yes, the Scottish call centre. At one point (and I don't know if
this is still true), they were unable to process a call if you did not
have the *Post Code* of your destination. Unfortunately, (a) not all
destinations have post codes, even in London and (b) the chances of
knowing the post code of your destination are low if it is seldom used.
Post codes are difficult to look up when you are out and about. The
lack of local knowledge also tells.

Oh dear. you've got me started. Going up to a ComCab in a rank doesn't
work either, as many drivers claim their equipment is broken, or they
are driving the cab for a 'friend'. At least they now have the
'targets' on them so they can be identified from the front when being
hailed in the street.

This is NOT a rant about black cab drivers in general, just the
Taxicard scheme.

You have hit the nail on the head with this one. Both the Scottish call
centre and the lower 'run-ins' for taxicards makes it less economical
for drivers to do the job. Let me give you an example of sheer
inefficiency

Last Saturday night I got a job to Harrow from the street. No problem. I
notice that there is a job in the area. Don't go for it as I'm over 30
mins away. Get to within 10 mins from dropping off and ComCab put out a
message asking if anyone can cover the job which it is then revealed is
going to SW6 (Fulham). Perfect job to get me back to the central area. I
'bid' for the job but nothing comes to me. No being one who gives up
easily I phone the CC office (in Shepherds Bush) answered by someone who
gives the impression that he doesn't really care that much about the job
(I may be wrong but that is the impression I got). "Job not in system"
is the answer.

I drop off. Job still apparently in system, but I assume that it may be
a 'false' reading (something that happens quite often) so don't ring
again. Get back to Hanger Lane 20 mins drive from drop off point when
job is put out again (20 bloody minutes!!!) This time I am given the
job. There is no accurate pick up point but I eventually get there to
find it is a wheelchair job (not given on my details). No problems. Get
ramp out, put wheelchair in. Speak to customers who tell me that they
have been waiting since midnight. It is now nearly 2.30 a.m. What's more
I could have been there 45 minutes earlier as my original drop was less
than 5 mins from the pick up point.

I am now quietly seething. What a waste of my time and fuel. What a
waste of the customers time. I contact CC and tell them that the
customer is very upset (they weren't but the operator wasn't to know
that - in fact they were lovely people!). Suggest that as the customer
is upset and that they have been kept waiting so long they (CC) should
pay the extra over and above the normal Taxicard rates out of the 'PR'
account. Customer now happy at not having top pay about £30 above the
normal.

What really annoyed me is that CC ask us drivers why we don't cover
taxicard work, at night, or weekends. It's not the that the drivers are
unwilling to do the jobs it's just that you can rarely get through and
on the odd occasion that you do the inefficiency and lack of 'driver
practical knowledge' really makes it uneconomical when there is plenty
of street work.

A properly designed scheme that incentivised drivers
properly

The company has become so greedy that there is less and less incentive
to cover Taxicard work. What would you do given the knowledge that some
city businesses will allow up to £5.80 run in which Taxicard allows only
£2.40 in the suburbs or £3.40 in the central area? Taxi drivers are all
self employed businessmen and as such are out to make as much money as
they can in the shortest time possible.

would have them queuing up for Taxicard business. E.g. making
the money earned from Taxicard tax-free, or requireing a certain
percentage of all journeys to be Taxicard journeys, on pain of paying a
fee if the percentage is not achieved.

CC tried something along those lines - trying to force drivers to take
at least 75% of all radio work offered with payment of penalties if you
didn't. Result - drivers either completely switched off or let the
system 'time out' instead of at least looking to see if they were close
to a pick up point. Less work covered!

If there is an annual fee to be
paid to the local authority and/or PCO, that could be reduced if the
percentage were reached, for example.

Cheers.

Sid

--
Mike Hughes
A Taxi driver licensed for London and Brighton
at home in Tarring, West Sussex, England