SalfordOnline

Comment by Guest  22nd September 2009 The Council should take the plates from multiple owners and add them to the list as well; it’s a Disgrace that one man can own 5 or 6 plates.

Comment by Guest  22nd September 2009 That’s great News when you say De-limitation how many more cabs does it mean.

Comment by SteveM ( member )  22nd September 2009 De-limitation was approved by scrutiny, effective 1st October 2009. Four Labour and two Conservative councillors voted for de-limitation. Two Liberal Democrat Councillors, including Salford & Eccles prospective parliamentary candidate Norman Owen, voted against de-limitation.

Comment by Guest  20th August 2009 Steve M your last report was brilliant about being put against a wall and shot, thats what the lead member was more or less stating take it or leave it, where is the Consultation in that?. Take all the time, perhaps someone should take Salford to court over there failure to act in the best interests of all. Failure to listen and act upon issues relating to our job, We do have rights you know and the council has a duty to make sure we dont suffer hardship, from any loss of wages, remember that when they force us to get new vehicles, anywhere else in society we would have solicitors queing up to sign us up WRONGFUL THIS AND THAT. democratic ! What is Consultation, perhaps someone could kindly tell Salford Council Croanies what it means, It doesnt mean make your mind up first then get the drivers together and go through the procedures pretending to listen. It means get every one together listen take head, get together again and thrash out what is acceptable by all concerened. Remebering we are self employed you dont pay our wages, you dont give us grants. Dictaterships come to mind here, listen to us, we are the ones that voted you all in. The Lib Dems have acted by getting this called in at scrutiny, perhaps someone could call this in because these dictators know more than we do driving for a living or perhaps they look down at us, we are all equal in Salford, God made us that way, perhaps some seem to think they are God but they are not and I take comfort in thinking one day those that thinkl they are above control by the voters will one day come down on there back sides. Listen! then act! Steve M Kindly copy your remarks and leave them on MEN web site, lets get the voters opening there eyes to see whats realy happening out there!

Comment by Guest  20th August 2009 Scrutiny and call in, you black cab drivers are not by yourself, dont forget us private hire drivers having a say. Too many private hire drivers on the roads and now they want more black cabs,this got called in by 3 Lib Dems and im sure we could have got 3 Labour councillors to do the same if we had more time, but we didnt know anything about Councillor Murphy signing any draft policy until Monday morning the day Salford Licensing closed its office until dinner time,Yes closed the office on a Monday morning after a week end. We need to talk about several issues here including 1, Emmisions 2, Turnpike testing station and there failure to deal with the twice yearly compliance tests. 3 Code of dress. 4 Safety of drivers. 5 NVQ Training. 6 Appeals panel. 7 Points system. 8 Respect by the council to all drivers including private hire drivers. 9 Consultation. Listen take on board our views' Salford Council dont pay us for our service we pay you, We are self employed - We get No grants like the bus companies do we work 24 hours a day 7 days a week 52 weeks a year, stop treating us all like second class citizens.

Comment by Guest  5th August 2009 It’s the best news yet, now we all can be on 7 ton a week bring it on

Comment by SteveM ( member )  5th August 2009 I’ve just had sight of a letter sent to all Hackney cab drivers from Councillor Murphy (the recently installed Lead Member for the Environment) and I must admit to being deeply disturbed by it’s content. Following the Salford Lib Dems willingness to call-in the decision to delimit the number of licences issues, Cllr Murphy chose to defer his decision for one month. Now, I was under the impression that the month was to be used for proper consultation, instead we get this letter. The letter proposes the following (taken from the third paragraph of the letter):- “With your unreserved agreement the City Council is seeking to manage the introduction of fresh licences by way of issuing a maximum of twenty licences per year over a five year period and then reviewing public demand for taxi services, and the new Policy in general. I must however point out that should the City Council receive more than the suggested twenty applications in any one year, then it would be unable to refuse to grant additional licences.” What is that, if it is not full delimitation? The most horrendous contents of the letter are reserved for the second page (last paragraph):- “Before implementing this policy, the City Council wishes to consult with interested parties on this proposed way forward and I would be grateful for your views on this matter, in writing, to the Licensing Section at the address shown above, no later than 21st August 2009. However, I must make it clear that if the consensus, from the Hackney Carriage Trade, is that you are not minded to accept this specific managed growth approach, as detailed here, then the Council will revert to the decision already taken, in that the Policy will be introduced inclusive of delimitation of Hackney Carriage Licenses.” Here we have Salford Council’s idea of consultation - hold a gun to the head of taxi drivers and state, unequivocally, that ‘if you don’t agree to delimitation, we’ll implement delimitation’ Well done Councillor Murphy and the Labour Cabinet - ‘Democracy’ in action.

Comment by Guest  18th July 2009 When am I going to get my plate?

Comment by Guest  17th July 2009 The more the merrier, Black Cabs have had it all their own way for too long its time for Delimitation they will still make £700 a week good wages cant wait to get my own plate.

Comment by SteveM ( member )  17th July 2009 The title of this piece (plus the first line) was a bit presumptious. We will not know the council's position within a week, because thankfully Council have seen a bit of sense and decided to hold off making their decision for a month to allow for consultation. I would also like to take this opportunity to correct a small mistake in the article "Deregulation would mean that the number of black cabs could exponentially increase, cutting the relatively high price black cab owners are able to charge for their services. " Delimitation and deregulation are two different things and should not be confused. The council is proposing delimitation (no limit on the number of Hackney cabs) - it is not proposing deregulation. If anything, the council proposes to tighten the rules for black cab taxi drivers, even dictating a strict dress code! Further, and perhaps a taxi driver can confirm/deny this: the Hackney cab fares are set by the Council - so delimitation should have no effect on the cost of hailing a black cab across Salford. I look forward to hearing more comments from taxi drivers (both private and Hackney) and members of the public - the Council haven't asked enough people, so Salford, what is the solution? Leave Hackney cabs at 79? Build up the numbers slowly? Delimit completely and allow (potentially) an unlimited number of black cabs?

Comment by Guest  15th July 2009 Taxi Tom your not there to pick and choose your fares. You’re a public convenience the reason why people lie is because they have learned that when telling the truth about their destinations nobody picks them up. Lets take a black cab, on the precinct rank, if some one phones for a cab, over the radio the call will be first cab precinct rank, so that means if your first in the queue your supposed to go for that fare but they don’t, its all about diesel and how much you use. Like I said Black Cab drivers are on £700 a week. There’s a guy who owns 7 Black cabs tracks them for £250 a week not bad for exploiting council property and also drivers who track for them.

Comment by Guest  15th July 2009 You pay for what you get, if you want a limosine and chauefer then you pay a premium price. These vehicles cost in the region of £30,000, the drivers are self employed they are not like the bus companies getting grants, loads of monies thrown at them of the goverment. There are no Town centres in Salford, there are no mass employers in Salford as in Manchester, they are like the bus lane restrictions,they are only busy 4 hrs a day How dare the moaners moan so much, take note of the statistics above, the people that are happy with a service dont moan they get on with there life, those that do moan seem to moan vigouresly. I ask you was this consultation fair,unbiased towards the issues raised? My answer to that is NO. When a councillor denies the right for a guest speaker to take to the floor then thats when it becomes biased infavour of the councils Licensing officers recomendations. Would you pay £1.50 for fuel to run for a job paying £2.50, the problem is everyone wants a Private Hire Car and Black Cab at the same time, customers tell lies where they are going, it would be verry simple to get cars to customers on time if customers would tell the exact place they are going to. Story 1, One person phones a private hire Firm for a car to Town, another person phones from Manchester asking for a Private Hire Car to Eccles. No problem the switch states i have one dropping in ten minutes but then the 1st customer says to the driver Im not going to Town now Im going to ASDA at the Trafford Centre. So here we have a customer who thinks she is going to get a taxi more quicker if she or he tells lies, it happens alll the time, and its you the waiting customers who blame the switch girls. Story 2, Two girls about 18 yrs old with two guys, take me to Asda and waite how long will you be I will only be two minutes, one girl stays in the car so i wont drive off, twenty minutes later they come out loads of cans of larger, bottles of spirites , they get back in the car, they are suppose to be going to Town, another lie,there going local, £3.00 fare for 40 minutes of being in there company, I pay rent for my car at somthing like £2.00 an hour, take the fuel away leaves me with about £1.00 for an hours work, they dont want to pay for waiting time. Do we hear these driver moan to the council, the media NO we get on with our work to try an earn a honest wage. Have patience, think to order your taxi earlier rather than later. and lastly kindly speak to us all in the Taxi trade as your freinds, we dont get the grants, those girls on the switch are human beings who try to enjoy life behing a desk and four closed walls, why are they no waiting rooms because the customers were fighting all the time, moaning. Have a nice day! Taxi Tom a Private Hire Driver

Comment by Guest  14th July 2009 You are lucky only £42.00 to Airport.I wanted Swinton to Manchester Airport in the afternoon,he wanted £60.00.I also used a mini cab same journey £20.00.

Comment by Guest  14th July 2009 The council should remove the plates of the black cabs that go on the protest. The reason being they’re not doing their jobs. They are there as a public convenience if they are protesting there not serving the people of Salford. As for the Wages they’re on how does £700 a week grab you. The only people who are complaining are the owners of the cabs; the drivers who drive for them want deregulation. To track a cab will cost you £ 250 a week that’s before you make any money its like working 3 days for nothing just so the owners get there money. If you see more than 5 Cabs on the precinct they are braking the by laws report them. It’s a known fact that council property is being used for monetary gain.( Who Dares Wins.)

Comment by Guest  14th July 2009 Dont talk to me about the black robbing cabs.Lower Broughton to Manchester Airport at 6.00am nearly £42.00. Mini cab £15.00.enough said.

Comment by Guest  14th July 2009 After solicitors and Estate agents black cab drivers are the next highway robbers and overchargers.

Comment by Guest  14th July 2009 Rubbish,go to Salford Precinct and you can see a dozen or more lined up.People dont use Black cabs because of the high charges.

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