London black taxis plan congestion chaos to block Uber

[tiger31]

Well it's a difficult one as I'm not a London Taxi Driver!

In many parts of the country private hire vehicles are already fitted with a meter.

The difference in a Taxi (hackney carriage) and a PHP (private hire vehicle) is simple.

I can pick anyone up freely within my licensed area,or out of that area if booked over the phone.

A PHP can only get jobs rang in to the office and sent to him.
They need a meter so as to charge the correct price so no problem with that.

My advantage is 3 fold - I can sit on the rank and get work, be 'flagged' down and also receive work off my phone, of which is about 60% of my work

So we have had the meter in PHP for years and I have no objection to it.

What DOES drive me nuts is PVH illigally picking up on street which they do. I have caught a few and reported them

Remember if you jump in a PHP he is not insured to take you.

I have to confess to that crime Les I used to pick up fares outside the night clubs when the hackneys were not around because the streets were overflowing with fares and the hackneys could,nt cope. When you,re pissed and waiting for a cab on a freezing night they don,t care if you,re a ph or a hackney they just want to get home Reporting them is one thing but trying to prove it is quite another lol. As I have driven ph and hackney I know where you,re coming from. If you ask me, there should be no different taxis, it should be one universal trade and all be treated the same. If you ask most people on the street what,s the difference between the 2 types of cabs most people don,t know - all they see and want is a cab to get home safe and sound. The hackney carriage laws go back to the 1800s and need to be brought up to date and overhauled.

[bigmarco]

I have to confess to that crime Les I used to pick up fares outside the night clubs when the hackneys were not around because the streets were overflowing with fares and the hackneys could,nt cope. When you,re pissed and waiting for a cab on a freezing night they don,t care if you,re a ph or a hackney they just want to get home Reporting them is one thing but trying to prove it is quite another lol. As I have driven ph and hackney I know where you,re coming from. If you ask me, there should be no different taxis, it should be one universal trade and all be treated the same. If you ask most people on the street what,s the difference between the 2 types of cabs most people don,t know - all they see and want is a cab to get home safe and sound. The hackney carriage laws go back to the 1800s and need to be brought up to date and overhauled.

Well there's a difference in London most London cabbies have done a few years hard graft to get their badge and bill and approach the job with a degree of professionalism, unlike the touts who cant be bothered to put the time in and buy a 10 year old motor don't bother with hire and reward and then go round stealing other peoples work. I'd rather freeze my knackers off than get in an illegal cab.