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Taxis will be forced to "circle the town like vultures" after cap lift (From Bucks Free Press)
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Taxis will be forced to "circle the town like vultures" after cap lift
12:01pm Wednesday 16th September 2009
WORRIED cabbies have warned an influx of taxis would bring High Wycombe to a standstill following a council's decision to lift a ban on hackney carriage numbers.
Wycombe District Councillors decided to lift the cap on the number of unbooked taxis allowed to work in the district in 2004 following a Government recommendation.
The ruling came into effect last week and allows anyone with a car, providing it is wheelchair accessible, to apply for a licence in a bid to boost taxi numbers available at peak times.
Currently, 50 licensed hackney carriages operate in the district but concerned cabbies believe the council's decision will force drivers to “circle the town like vultures” because of the limited number of taxi ranks available and a perceived lack of public demand.
Ghulam Rascool said: “The town centre is dead, anyone that walks down the High Street will see loads of taxis just sitting there with nothing to do.
“Sainsbury's has a taxi rank but we could wait for hours before we get a job, there's also a taxi rank at Eden's Tesco but we're only allowed 20mins to wait.
“The only reasonably busy place is the train station at peak times but every taxi driver knows that and it causes gridlock on the Amersham Hill with commuters.
“The council's decision is a joke - there's not enough work or parking spaces for the existing 50 cars as it is, let alone if the number of taxis doubles or even trebles.
“Wycombe is a town, not a city, you'll end up having 80 or more taxis circling the town like vultures looking for work which will bring the town to a standstill.
“They should carry out a survey to find out how many extra taxis the town needs or put a limit on the numbers of new drivers allowed otherwise there will be chaos.”
But WDC hit back by stating the district has a larger number of taxi rank spaces than 'comparable authorities', 40 in total, some of which are 'not being used' by drivers.
Prospective taxi drivers have taken away 50 applications for a licence but the council said only four had been returned so far.
The council also shrugged off suggestions the town would become gridlocked with an increased taxi presence.
WDC spokesperson Sue Robinson said: “It is unlikely that having more hackney cab taxi drivers would in itself bring our roads to a state of gridlock.
“Hackney cab drivers do not have to sit on a rank to pick up a fare because they can be hailed at any point and can also be pre-booked in the same way as a private hire vehicle.
“So not all will necessarily need to be completely focussed on on-street fares, meaning everything will be more flexible and fluid for our local taxi trade.
“Having conducted a comparative survey of taxi rank provision in many other districts, it seems WDC has a larger number of taxi rank places available and drivers are currently not using all of the ranks available within the district.
“Two years ago we offered hackney drivers the option of introducing hailing points around the district but this idea, which is still on the table, was rejected by the trade.”
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Your Say YourBucks
Punchy, Wycombe says...
1:30pm Wed 16 Sep 09
Now it's payback time ;-)
You ain't seen me, Right! says...
2:25pm Wed 16 Sep 09
SW: TAXI-LOLS
J B Blackett, High Wycombe says...
2:29pm Wed 16 Sep 09
am i the only one wrote:Well they were lots at the station last Tues afternoon plus a kebab van , another food (?) van and two chaps delivering sandwiches (I think) from the backs of cars.
If there is not enough business then the taxis will simply not be there
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It looked busy but I didn't see customers getting in the taxis ( I was only there for 15 mins mind you).
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The business must be thriving somewhere.
giant, town says...
4:47pm Wed 16 Sep 09
As far as taxi drivers are concerned they have been getting fat on high fares and creative use of the welfare benefits.
Mrs Leslie Clarke if you have anything to do with this ruling I don't mind planting a big kiss on your cheek despite your advancing age. This may well be the first time you have made a decision that actually benefits people in Wycombe.
300Aylesbury, Naphill says...
7:30pm Wed 16 Sep 09
sportsturf, marlow says...
11:25pm Wed 16 Sep 09
Townman, High Wycombe says...
9:27am Thu 17 Sep 09
Slimster, OutStanding in my field says...
11:23am Thu 17 Sep 09
I know that they are not all bad. This new competition may not weed out the better ones as they may not have deep enough pockets to hold out during a drop in trade than some of the less appreciated taxi firms.
Lividov, Marlow says...
11:53am Thu 17 Sep 09
frankbutcher, wycombe says...
12:28pm Thu 17 Sep 09
Punchy, Wycombe says...
1:49pm Thu 17 Sep 09
With regard to all the cabbies on the taxi rank at the end of the High Street, why is it that each of your cars only moves one car length every hour? How do you have the nerve to tell your wives that you are working when all you are doing is chatting and popping in and out of Corals Bookies all day?
J B Blackett, High Wycombe says...
1:55pm Thu 17 Sep 09
frankbutcher wrote:How old (bad?) do you have to be , to be a bad (old?) driver.
these cab drivers are the worst on the road, even worse than old people. i don't know where some of them get their licenses. also, they don't like to change gear, it'll stay in 4th/5th whatever the speed. they don't use mirrors, no signalling, no consideration, no manners, reckless drivers....
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At what precise age do previously good drivers become bad drivers ? (to nearest 3 months if you can please)
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Have you had experience of old-bad or bad-old drivers , frank b ?
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If so, this should be brought to the attention of the appropriate authories and the corrective legal/disciplinary action taken.
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I will give my dad a pre-emptive warning ITMT
frankbutcher, wycombe says...
2:26pm Thu 17 Sep 09
J B Blackett wrote:not quite sure of the 'precise' age but white hair with thick lensed glasses & sitting extremely close to the steering wheel with only your eyes only just clearing the top of the wheel is a yard stick for the age group in question (75 years and 6 months perhaps ???)... ones that do 25mph in 30mph zone...
frankbutcher wrote: these cab drivers are the worst on the road, even worse than old people. i don't know where some of them get their licenses. also, they don't like to change gear, it'll stay in 4th/5th whatever the speed. they don't use mirrors, no signalling, no consideration, no manners, reckless drivers....How old (bad?) do you have to be , to be a bad (old?) driver. . At what precise age do previously good drivers become bad drivers ? (to nearest 3 months if you can please) . Have you had experience of old-bad or bad-old drivers , frank b ? . If so, this should be brought to the attention of the appropriate authories and the corrective legal/disciplinary action taken. . I will give my dad a pre-emptive warning ITMT
and come on, i am sure we have all had experiences of OAPs who aren't good drivers.... there has even been much talk of oldies re-taking their tests etc so please do not imply that i am being ageist...
J B Blackett, High Wycombe says...
4:55pm Thu 17 Sep 09
......
He does wear glasses (reading ones of 2.5 dioptres) and sits well back in his seat as he is long-sighted. He is and averagely tall (5'10" or 1.70m to you) and has all round vision from his belted driving position.
......
He has lost most, but not all of his hair which still has a sort of auburn colour but not yet any sign of white ( I am too polite to ask him if he has any white hair on his body - we don't as yet have sort of intimate of verbal relationship.
.......
AND until fairly recently, he was running a small road haulage business. He WOULD NOT I assure you) repeat WOULD NOT employ any one who was a danger on the road (eg a Wycombe taxi-driver - one of whom overtook me eastwards on the wrong side of the road last week after midnight on the West Wycombe Road at the Plomer Hill Traffic lights going at about 70 mph (112 km/hr to you) . Or like anyone as bad as the ones you describe......
.....
However what I try to avoid on my trips out are the school run people with unbelted / unrestrained active (upto 5) children on board , people with loose (usually dogs) animals in front or back seats and speeding drugged-up , drinking , smoking , mobile-talking chavs / yobbos sometimes with various parts of their anatomy hanging out of the car windows.
......
None of the younger-end of above appear to be in 'LEAST likely to cause road accident ' category. Quite the contrary (I have the figures and stats contacts)
......
However much you say you're NOT AGEIST , you seem to have a lot of contempt for ALL (as you call them) 'AOPs' - a sneering , despicable , derisory and pseudo-political term in itself.
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I will in the meantime have a stern word my (nearly 'OAP' ) Dad and tell him to take care and to make sure he stays out well out your way in particular.
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Regards
tom.marlow, marlow says...
5:14pm Thu 17 Sep 09
J B Blackett, High Wycombe says...
5:41pm Thu 17 Sep 09
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I try and avoid contact with people wearing back-to-front balaclavas in parked BMWs or Mercedes with their engines-running.
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Thought I spotted one in Station Road not far from the old Donkey, a few days ago, but it turned out they were sponsored WDC members doing a heritage / asset stripping survey.
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Regards
tom.marlow, marlow says...
10:37am Fri 18 Sep 09
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I think it was more the trilby (and probably flat cap) wearers she had in mind.
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Nothing wrong with a balaclava. Demoness loves it when I put mine on back to front.
J B Blackett, High Wycombe says...
3:34pm Fri 18 Sep 09
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I think it was more the trilby (and probably flat cap) wearers she had in mind.
....................
Like Prince Charles at polo , the races or shooting , you mean. Really ? A very perceptive discerning woman, your mum.
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Regards
giant, town says...
4:31pm Fri 18 Sep 09
frankbutcher wrote:Does Lesley Clarke fit into this category. Glasses and height match not sure of age though. Time to call local TVP to find out. How odd??????????
J B Blackett wrote:not quite sure of the 'precise' age but white hair with thick lensed glasses & sitting extremely close to the steering wheel with only your eyes only just clearing the top of the wheel is a yard stick for the age group in question (75 years and 6 months perhaps ???)... ones that do 25mph in 30mph zone...
frankbutcher wrote: these cab drivers are the worst on the road, even worse than old people. i don't know where some of them get their licenses. also, they don't like to change gear, it'll stay in 4th/5th whatever the speed. they don't use mirrors, no signalling, no consideration, no manners, reckless drivers....How old (bad?) do you have to be , to be a bad (old?) driver. . At what precise age do previously good drivers become bad drivers ? (to nearest 3 months if you can please) . Have you had experience of old-bad or bad-old drivers , frank b ? . If so, this should be brought to the attention of the appropriate authories and the corrective legal/disciplinary action taken. . I will give my dad a pre-emptive warning ITMT
and come on, i am sure we have all had experiences of OAPs who aren't good drivers.... there has even been much talk of oldies re-taking their tests etc so please do not imply that i am being ageist...
Phone keeps going peep....peep...
J B Blackett, High Wycombe says...
5:39pm Fri 18 Sep 09
How odd??????????
Phone keeps going peep....peep...
....................
....................
Yes , I'm afraid she just can't bring herself to say the word 'people'. It's absent from her memory / vocabulary.
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This people do a ''very dificult job' , you know (or we are told) so the occasional lapse in the senses and inane political stuttering is to be expected.
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I say this more in sorrow than anger.
giant, town says...
7:06pm Fri 18 Sep 09
I suggest WDC put an age limit on taxis on the following basis:
Newer cars emit less pollution and provide more comfortable ride to the passenger.
Most of these guys are benefits so they can afford a new motor.
ArnyP_HW, Booker says...
3:27pm Tue 22 Sep 09
giant wrote:I believe that there is a 7 year age limit on taxis though I'm prepared to be corrected.
The first taxi in the picture is at least five years old. Would you sit in a car that has been driven for most of the day in all that time and expect to pay full fair? I suggest WDC put an age limit on taxis on the following basis: Newer cars emit less pollution and provide more comfortable ride to the passenger. Most of these guys are benefits so they can afford a new motor.
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am i the only one, High Wycombe says...
1:18pm Wed 16 Sep 09