Numbnuts Posted October 9, 2022 Share Posted October 9, 2022 (edited) 2 hours ago, Roger Mexico said: That makes no sense. If the RTLC stopped setting a maximum then the cartel would simply be free to put the prices up even more. If they're not operating a free market now, they certainly won't if you remove more restrictions. Yes this....you can bet without a maximun fare in busy times when its a struggle or even got get a answer on the phones you can bet they will just up the fares big time , supply and demand etc. Rang for a taxi the other week. The one of the three firms I managed to get a answer from quoted me 2 hrs. Said they were booked up. Am sure if no restrictions I would have been offered a increased price to get a driver Edited October 9, 2022 by Numbnuts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0bserver Posted October 9, 2022 Share Posted October 9, 2022 3 hours ago, Roger Mexico said: That makes no sense. If the RTLC stopped setting a maximum then the cartel would simply be free to put the prices up even more. If they're not operating a free market now, they certainly won't if you remove more restrictions. Uber. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newsdesk Posted October 9, 2022 Share Posted October 9, 2022 21 minutes ago, 0bserver said: Uber. Yes with de regulation you’d have Uber here within about 48 hours. The only thing keeping the system as it is here is the RTLC. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Mexico Posted October 9, 2022 Share Posted October 9, 2022 27 minutes ago, 0bserver said: Uber. Yes replace an inefficient cartel and legal limitation with a hyper-efficient one and none and things are bound to improve for the consumer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hissingsid Posted October 9, 2022 Share Posted October 9, 2022 Now the busses are messed up again……they really want to keep Douglas shopper free coming up to Xmas….poor retailers🥲. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazza Smurf Posted October 12, 2022 Share Posted October 12, 2022 (edited) Just a couple of points on the taxi bit of this thread. *Meters must be used on all hail downs and rank starts. The 2001 Act says that. The fare could be agreed in theory between the passenger and the driver at the start, but the meter should be used as such in all cases. *Any job pre-booked whether that be through a phone, app or any other device where the PPV is called really is a minefield. Using the meter is simply an easier way to calculate the fare. It simply just allows an easier method as the meter has been calibrated in accordance with the maximum permissible fares so allows for little or no disagreement. The system works quite well in my opinion. *There is no cartel or anything underhand. Nothing I'm afraid. It is that boring. *Service providers (Radio Firms) in Douglas do have pre-set out of town fares generally. The only reason is clarity for customers that the price doesn't go up or down depending on where the job starts for their regular customers. Again no cartel. *There are approximately 102 licenced Ply for Hire cars in Douglas. The Victoria Street rank allows access for six (before barriers). *As an estimate there are about 50 private hire cars also operating in Douglas at weekends. They are not allowed on the ranks at all. It is an offence for them to do so. *During covid restrictions many Ply for Hire operators left the local service providers (radio firms) as they could not afford to pay radio/PDA rent when there was simply no work. I think it's fair to say that some of the service providers are low on PDA renters now which means it's harder for them to pay the base staff. Way of the world I guess. *I cannot comment on double parking. I don't do it. I cannot comment on cars not pulling down. I don't do it. All I try to do is earn as much as possible in the window frame I have. *Hard to comment on the queues around Colebourns, Ridgeway and King street respectively. 100 odd taxis and 6 spaces is not an equation that finds a good solution. Victoria Street is where there is a chance to earn a few quid. Everyone knows it's there. I for one am not going to sit all night at a rank and risk not earn any money at all. I cannot comment for others. *UBER would still require licenced PPV drivers to work the system over here. To get that licence a medical, a Debarring Service check and a local knowledge test would be required. The drivers could if they wished register to become an operator, but with that there are legal obligations to fulfill, none of which are important to this post. *I am not a commentator for the taxi trade and will not not answer individual questions. Some of the 'information' written by others on here is however in my opinion incorrect particularly regarding cartels etc. Absolute nonsense 😄 . I have nothing to gain by lying either. I will say that I have over 20 years in the business so I have a bit of knowledge. *There is the odd bad egg in the game it seems. Probably more than that. There are however from memory approximately 500 licenced drivers for approximately 300 registered vehicles. I have not checked the latest figures but I'm not far out. There will be bad eggs. Any business environment with that many employees will have them, but they should be DBS checked and medically passed fit by a Doctor. There appears to be zero enforcement these days, SOME cars dirtier than ever before, private hire cars in places they shouldn't be sometimes giving me the appearance they are Plying for Hire. (in my opinion) and far too many 'SOUTH, MALEW and NORTH WEST' Ply for Hire cars in Douglas that in my opinion should be servicing the areas they are licenced to. Basically there are too many of us and I disagree that opening it up even more is the solution. Definitely not a solution of easing congestion around Victoria Street is what the target is. There is also the local lift sector that undercuts the trade. Easy I guess when a very large percentage of the take is not taxed or correct insurance, testing maintenance in place. Nobody ever mentions that of course Hope that helps. I'm not into the comedy aspect, but simply trying to explain as I see things most of the time in a few paragraphs. I don't expect all to agree either, that's why democracy is great. Edited October 12, 2022 by Bazza Smurf 2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WTF Posted October 12, 2022 Share Posted October 12, 2022 who do you know that follow all the rules and laws all the time Bazza ?? no one would be my guess . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0bserver Posted October 12, 2022 Share Posted October 12, 2022 1 hour ago, Bazza Smurf said: Just a couple of points on the taxi bit of this thread. *Meters must be used on all hail downs and rank starts. The 2001 Act says that. The fare could be agreed in theory between the passenger and the driver at the start, but the meter should be used as such in all cases. *Any job pre-booked whether that be through a phone, app or any other device where the PPV is called really is a minefield. Using the meter is simply an easier way to calculate the fare. It simply just allows an easier method as the meter has been calibrated in accordance with the maximum permissible fares so allows for little or no disagreement. The system works quite well in my opinion. *There is no cartel or anything underhand. Nothing I'm afraid. It is that boring. *Service providers (Radio Firms) in Douglas do have pre-set out of town fares generally. The only reason is clarity for customers that the price doesn't go up or down depending on where the job starts for their regular customers. Again no cartel. *There are approximately 102 licenced Ply for Hire cars in Douglas. The Victoria Street rank allows access for six (before barriers). *As an estimate there are about 50 private hire cars also operating in Douglas at weekends. They are not allowed on the ranks at all. It is an offence for them to do so. *During covid restrictions many Ply for Hire operators left the local service providers (radio firms) as they could not afford to pay radio/PDA rent when there was simply no work. I think it's fair to say that some of the service providers are low on PDA renters now which means it's harder for them to pay the base staff. Way of the world I guess. *I cannot comment on double parking. I don't do it. I cannot comment on cars not pulling down. I don't do it. All I try to do is earn as much as possible in the window frame I have. *Hard to comment on the queues around Colebourns, Ridgeway and King street respectively. 100 odd taxis and 6 spaces is not an equation that finds a good solution. Victoria Street is where there is a chance to earn a few quid. Everyone knows it's there. I for one am not going to sit all night at a rank and risk not earn any money at all. I cannot comment for others. *UBER would still require licenced PPV drivers to work the system over here. To get that licence a medical, a Debarring Service check and a local knowledge test would be required. The drivers could if they wished register to become an operator, but with that there are legal obligations to fulfill, none of which are important to this post. *I am not a commentator for the taxi trade and will not not answer individual questions. Some of the 'information' written by others on here is however in my opinion incorrect particularly regarding cartels etc. Absolute nonsense 😄 . I have nothing to gain by lying either. I will say that I have over 20 years in the business so I have a bit of knowledge. *There is the odd bad egg in the game it seems. Probably more than that. There appears to be zero enforcement these days, SOME cars dirtier than ever before, private hire cars in places they shouldn't be (in my opinion) and far too 'SOUTH, MALEW and NORTH WEST' Ply for Hire cars in Douglas that in my opinion should be servicing the areas they are licenced to. Basically there are too many of us and I disagree that opening it up even more is the solution. Definitely not a solution of easing congestion around Victoria Street is what the target is. Hope that helps. I'm not into the comedy aspect, but simply trying to explain as I see things most of the time in a few paragraphs. I don't expect all to agree either, that's why democracy is great. Do you fellas have to use indicators? 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazza Smurf Posted October 12, 2022 Share Posted October 12, 2022 1 hour ago, WTF said: who do you know that follow all the rules and laws all the time Bazza ?? no one would be my guess . I try. Costs me huge amounts of money to do so, but I try. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowman Posted October 12, 2022 Share Posted October 12, 2022 (edited) I had a taxi driver tell me he was £25,000 down due to the cancelled TT. Must earn a fortune if he could take a drop of £25,000 without changing his employment. That indicates fares are too high. I also had another taxi driver try to justify the high fares by saying the RTLC set the minimum fares, so the fare shown on the meter was the least he was able to charge and I should be grateful it wasn't higher. Edited October 12, 2022 by snowman 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazza Smurf Posted October 12, 2022 Share Posted October 12, 2022 51 minutes ago, snowman said: I had a taxi driver tell me he was £25,000 down due to the cancelled TT. Must earn a fortune if he could take a drop of £25,000 without changing his employment. That indicates fares are too high. I also had another taxi driver try to justify the high fares by saying the RTLC set the minimum fares, so the fare shown on the meter was the least he was able to charge and I should be grateful it wasn't higher. To be down £25k means he must have earned something unless he didn't work at all. If he was "down 25k" that means he broke every speed limit in the island and literally never stopped working for 14 days and nights. He was likely lying but I think you already know that. If that was possible I'd only work two weeks of the year and put my feet up. He could ask you for less than what the meter said for sure but could not ask for more. The meter is the maximum permissible fare not the minimum. He was incorrect. Again I think you probably know that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevster Posted October 12, 2022 Share Posted October 12, 2022 1 hour ago, snowman said: I had a taxi driver tell me he was £25,000 down due to the cancelled TT. Must earn a fortune if he could take a drop of £25,000 without changing his employment. That indicates fares are too high. He might have had a small fleet of cars working for him 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apple Posted October 12, 2022 Share Posted October 12, 2022 7 minutes ago, Bazza Smurf said: He could ask you for less than what the meter said for sure but could not ask for more. The meter is the maximum permissible fare not the minimum. He was incorrect. Didn't know that so thanks for this as it will come in handy over the forthcoming holiday periods. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazza Smurf Posted October 12, 2022 Share Posted October 12, 2022 16 minutes ago, Apple said: Didn't know that so thanks for this as it will come in handy over the forthcoming holiday periods. No worries. All bank holidays are basically 1.5 times fare apart from the recent Queens funeral as it wasn't on the tariff sheet, but yes it's the maximum permissible. There's only two tariff rates 1 & 2. Rate 2 is all bank holidays and after midnight every night. I figure you know all this anyway. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazza Smurf Posted October 12, 2022 Share Posted October 12, 2022 27 minutes ago, kevster said: He might have had a small fleet of cars working for him Possibly. Don't know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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