Taxi Drivers

Post by **tyke bhoy** » Mon 18 Oct, 2010 8:15 pm

Metro wrote: LEEDS Reports from First of delays to all services due to small group of taxis holding a 'go slow' protest. http://twitter.com/#!/MetroTravelNewsA little irony in there Worst are being inconvenienced by someone elses go-slow

wwwman · Post by **wwwman** » Sat 04 Dec, 2010 7:33 pm

It is definitely a pet hate it is comparable to a plumber asking you how to fix a leek or something if you are a cabbie you should know the area you work in it is as simple as that.

raveydavey · Post by **raveydavey** » Thu 07 Apr, 2011 8:49 pm

News in this mornings YEP that the council are considering installing a rank for black and white taxi's just outside the airport perimiter at Yeadon, which they reckon will remove "up to 70" of the cabs currently fighting for trade at the station...http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/n ... OUNCILLORS are calling for a new taxi rank to be provided close to Leeds-Bradford Airport.In 2008 the airport’s operators let a contract to Arrow private hire car company and since then taxis – which in Leeds are the black and white cabs – have been unable to “rank up” at the airport.The new arrangement has seen an increase in the number of cabs plying for trade outside Leeds railway station, at times causing congestion and delays.Taxi firms have argued that a rank near the airport would ease congestion by removing around 70 cabs from the city centre.Now an £80,000 proposal has been drawn up for a rank to be created at White House Lane, just outside the airport’s boundary. The hackney carriage trade has offered a £20,000 contribution towards the scheme.The council’s City Development Scrutiny Board is recommending to the Executive Board that the new rank be laid out. It says that there should be negotiations with the airport over the scheme and the council should be prepared to “act unilaterally” if necessary.A report to the scrutiny board said the airport opposed the proposal on strategic, safety and operational grounds and added: “Officers question the extent to which a solution which is unilaterally imposed on the airport will contribute to an integrated surface access strategy.”But Coun John Procter, board chairman, told the YEP: “Something has to be done. This issue has been around for some years and it just is not going away. We have listened to the trade, the airport and passengers and it seems the sensible thing to do.” Mohammed Iqbal, (Lab, City and Hunslet) a former Hackney Carriage driver in Leeds for 15 years before becoming a councillor, said: “Every other international airport in the UK has a choice of a Hackney rank or private hire. The public should have a choice. I hope the executive board listens to the unanimous decision made by scrutiny board. At the moment Hackney cars cannot pick up at the airport even if they have dropped someone off. it’s not very green is it?”So having sold the airport off and allowing the new owners to let the taxi business out to the highest bidder, the council now plan to spend up to £60,000 of our money installing a taxi rank a good walk from the terminal building. You couldn't make it up, could you?You might also wonder how people landing at the airport will even know this proposed taxi rank exists...the airport are hardly likely to put up a sign diverting potential customers away from the on site private hire firm, are they?Has a single rational person given this any thought?

Post by **tyke bhoy** » Thu 07 Apr, 2011 9:45 pm

I have to agree Ravey. Even those that knew of a Hackney rank outside the airport perimeter are unlikely to walk past a private hire rank to get their unless a) they have little or no baggage b) its reasonable weather conditions and c) they ain't cream crackered from travelling. I think even knowledgeable arrivals at LBA will fail on at least 2 of those 3 counts 100% of the time. So LCC would be throwing good money after bad and we would still have a taxi nuisance in the city centre

simon2710 · Post by **simon2710** » Fri 08 Apr, 2011 10:44 am

Misc wrote: The double yellow lines on Elland Road outside the stadium also don't apply if you're a taxi driver. My other half complained to the council about this and the response was pretty pathetic, causing much muttering about how much cab firms pay the council in licensing and probably free taxi rides...the taxi situation in Leeds is not good, the black and whites are mainly driven by idiots who don't know where anything is, always take the long way round and are rude. On the other hand some of the minicab firms are excellent, I agree with the person who said flag it down, ring the office and go for it! I agree with 100% with what you said here. I know a hackney carriage driver (black and white cabs) and he is a very rude person. They seem to think they know it all when in actual fact they are just a taxi driver. It also seems, just as you said, it's one rule for us and one rule for the rude, arrogant taxi drivers - Be they private hire or hackney. I had one private hire cut me up one day on Meanwood Road opposite King Alfred's fields very dangerously over cross hatchings and if I didn't slam on my brakes, would have hit a central traffic island. I followed the driver (must have been doing well over 70mph in a 30mph zone) as he knew I was hot on his heels. He pulled into the Park and Ride on King Lane and cowardly hid in his car. I got a notepad and wrote his number down to which he got very defensive and denied it was him! But yet he was hiding under his dashboard when I pulled into the car park (I believe he was fiddling with his data as he told me he could prove he had been sat there for 10min!!). He was very threatening and came right up to my window. I also had a similar incident at Tesco's filling station at Chapel Allerton on Harrogate Road. The filling station was busy so I took the opposite exit next to Pizza Hut. A taxi driver started shouting the odds telling me that I couldn't go out that exit? But I told him that there was nothing telling me I couldn't get out there. To that he started effing and blinding and threatening and even came up to my car window.So, the moral of the story is, to me, all taxi drivers are idiots!!!!

Lilysmum · Post by **Lilysmum** » Fri 08 Apr, 2011 11:11 am

tyke bhoy wrote: I have to agree Ravey. Even those that knew of a Hackney rank outside the airport perimeter are unlikely to walk past a private hire rank to get their unless a) they have little or no baggage b) its reasonable weather conditions and c) they ain't cream crackered from travelling. I think even knowledgeable arrivals at LBA will fail on at least 2 of those 3 counts 100% of the time. So LCC would be throwing good money after bad and we would still have a taxi nuisance in the city centre I certainly won't be walking to a Hackney rank outside the airport dragging a suitcase to be ripped off for literally a two minute journey home to Guiseley, last time it was nearly 10 quid!! The drivers of the black and white cabs that queued outside the terminal hated having to do a local journey and made that quite clear. I'd walk home before using them.

Leeds-lad · Post by **Leeds-lad** » Sat 09 Apr, 2011 2:20 pm

Taxi driver asked for £20.00 to drop off 1 @ Wortley-2@ Armley and 1 @ Bramley all from Leeds City Centre.The last one out at Bramley gave him £12.00 and reminded him that it was only £14.00 to Leeds Bradford Airport from Wortley 4 days before.Who do you report these Robbing B------S to?

Post by **tyke bhoy** » Mon 26 Sep, 2011 10:01 am

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJwOj7ny ... L-rg1Fv0ao

jdbythesea · Post by **jdbythesea** » Mon 26 Sep, 2011 5:31 pm

Can anyone remember years and years ago when nobody had a car and before private hire/minicabs were ever heard of.Taxis back then had no radios and used to rank up at various sites around the city, some of which (Quebec Street comes to mind) had a taxi drivers' shelter. These were linked by phone to the office of the taxi operator. If someone rang for a cab the office would contact the shelter and a driver would be despatched from there. The ranks were important because, apart from flagdowns, it was the only way of getting a fare.In those days there were far fewer taxis. How then did people get about?Buses / trams were plentiful, affordable, generally reliable and often even on time. In addition railway stations were everywhere before the Beeching cuts.Nowadays everyone has a car. Why then do we have hundreds and hundreds of taxis/private hire swarming around.Why is it that we need so many of them?

String o' beads · Post by **String o' beads** » Tue 27 Sep, 2011 2:38 am

I know. People are so lazy.I guess the proliferation must have started when the breathalyser came in. The only time I used to ever get taxis in my youth was after a night at Cinderellas or the like, and those nights were a rarity. You only used to go to nightclubs when it was a 'do' - couldn't afford it regularly. Now, I still only get a taxi if I'm going somewhere that's difficult by public transport, or it's after the buses have stopped. But you see lazy beggars getting a taxi to the supermarket for a few items, thus negating any saving they may have made. Might as well save the fare and go to the more expensive local shop.