London cabbies to protest over smartphone app.

[Russ35]

The medallion is the equivalent of our hackney/taxi plates. New York restrict how many medallions there are, so it creates a marked for selling them.

London (TFL) don't restrict how many plates there are in circulation, so there is no demand as if you want to plate a cab they will give you one (probably not quite that simple). There are still quite a few councils around the UK that do restrict how many plates they issue. A driver here in Blackpool told me that last year a set of plates changed hands for £30k and I think a set in Bath went for £100k+

Some councils in the UK have removed the restrictions on the number of plates and then re-introduced a limit some time later.

[Gareth79]

IIRC the medallions and cabs are owned by an operator (presumably they borrow to buy medallions off other companies), and they employ drivers to run the cars 24/7/365.

[anonymous-user]

vescaegg said:

So each cabbie has to be a millionaire to even start thinking about owning one?!

No. Most are owned by big taxi fleets who rent them out 24/7 to shifts of drivers for about $150/12hrs. The drivers take home peanuts but very occasionally you'll jump in an immaculate cab and there's no wall between you and the driver and he's an old white guy, chances are he's had his own medallion 40 years and he's got a nice retirement plan! Agree with other posters; if it's raining in NY, walk and get wet, you'll get there quicker. And yes, they are terrible, last month my wifes taxi got lost going from JFK to midtown!

[hairyben]

I don't understand why the taxi drivers are upset, if people like me use apps to get cabs it saves them the bother of having to refuse my custom and they can spend all day driving to the places they prefer driving to!

Won't miss 'em one tiny little bit!

[essayer]

I do wonder how taxis have survived this long. It's bloody expensive to get a black cab especially when you get stuck in traffic.

They are pretty screwed once Crossrail opens too, that will take all of the lucrative Heathrow to Central London/Canary Wharf fares.

[mcflurry]

NDA said:

Should we be worried if the black cabs disappeared?

Who would own the road then instead

[GTIR]

If black cabs didn't rip off their customers so much then maybe I'd have some sympathy.

The reason the do the "the knowledge" is to know the longest route to take!
On the rank at Heathrow terminals they charge £300 to Cambridge. The standard fair is £100 - £130.
Sitting in a noisy uncomfortable can for that long. The driver should pay them.

It's a captive market for the un-initiated.

I believe they kicked up a fuss when the private hire companies were granted licences, Addison Lee, Green Tomato, Brunel etc and then again when they allowed the newer VW busses to be used as hackney.

Bring back Fred Housego.

[Gargamel]

Uber have suggested they may float, with a putative value of £17bn...

Clearly there are people who believe in the technology.

Or some utter mugs out there. Seems high to me.

[hairyben]

GTIR said:

If black cabs didn't rip off their customers so much then maybe I'd have some sympathy.

The reason the do the "the knowledge" is to know the longest route to take!
On the rank at Heathrow terminals they charge £300 to Cambridge. The standard fair is £100 - £130.
Sitting in a noisy uncomfortable can for that long. The driver should pay them.

It's a captive market for the un-initiated.

I believe they kicked up a fuss when the private hire companies were granted licences, Addison Lee, Green Tomato, Brunel etc and then again when they allowed the newer VW busses to be used as hackney.

Bring back Fred Housego.

It's the trouble I've had even getting to experience the pleasure of being ripped off that bothers me!

Heathrow terminal 3, 7am sunday morning, tired and no presense of mind after 36 hours in transit, looking & feeling like st warmed over and wanting nothing more than home/shower/bed, to find no minicabs due to the taxi cartel operting there. Ask for a ride to finchley. Taxi 1: "nah not going there" Taxi 2: <sneers, looks us up and down> "you know that'll cost you at least £80 right?" "Can you give me a price?" <sneers again> "No".

There were no other cabs. we got a train. in future I'll prepare better but with an app on the phone it's nice to have that option.

[GTIR]

I'm pretty sure a hackney vehicle can't refuse a fair no matter how short.

I had a chap who tried to get a taxi from T5 to T1 urgently and the driver told him to fk off!
Unfortunately he worked for TfL in the licensing department!

[hairyben]

GTIR said:

I'm pretty sure a hackney vehicle can't refuse a fair no matter how short.

I had a chap who tried to get a taxi from T5 to T1 urgently and the driver told him to fk off!
Unfortunately he worked for TfL in the licensing department!

Someone should tell them! I think I've been refused more times than I've been sucessfull! (something thats never happened in any other city here or abroad)

As an electricain I'm careful and resentful about stigmatising an entire industry but by god a lot of cabbies are determined to earn theirs!

[cb31]

GTIR said:

I'm pretty sure a hackney vehicle can't refuse a fair no matter how short.

Maybe they can't but they do regularly so the penalty must be negligible or non-existant. I would only get a cab as an absolute last resort nowadays, any other means is preferable due to cost and hassle. I even hate getting them when someone else is paying, public transport or walk for me.

[BlackLabel]

I have noticed that a lot of people who previously were unaware of Uber are now talking about it. All thanks to London Taxi Drivers for promoting them so well.

Edited by BlackLabel on Wednesday 11th June 09:50

[Mermaid]

Gargamel said:

Uber have suggested they may float, with a putative value of £17bn...

Clearly there are people who believe in the technology.

Or some utter mugs out there. Seems high to me.

Another Tesla. At present, the trend favours both. but does seem frothy for easy to replicate.

[anonymous-user]

BlackLabel said:

I have noticed that a lot of people who previously were unaware of Uber are now talking about it. All thanks to London Taxi Drivers for promoting them so well.

Exactly.

The fact that the cabbies are complaining makes it look like it must be an amazingly good app.

[KTF]

GTIR said:

I'm pretty sure a hackney vehicle can't refuse a fair no matter how short.

I had a chap who tried to get a taxi from T5 to T1 urgently and the driver told him to fk off!
Unfortunately he worked for TfL in the licensing department!

I thought if they only did a short fare around LHR then they could push back in to the front of the queue when they return?

[essayer]

KTF said:

I thought if they only did a short fare around LHR then they could push back in to the front of the queue when they return?

Yes they can skip the feeder park - but only within a certain radius of the airport - got to be back in an hour I think

[Rovinghawk]

GTIR said:

I had a chap who tried to get a taxi from T5 to T1 urgently and the driver told him to fk off!
Unfortunately he worked for TfL in the licensing department!

Do you know what the consequence of this was?

[PhillipM]

el stovey said:

Exactly.

The fact that the cabbies are complaining makes it look like it must be an amazingly good app.

It'll be even better when it's finding people alternative routes around the cabby strikes later too.

[Mr_B]

As someone who drives in London every day, I could well do without any more idiots of the Addison Lee type blundering there way around the capital with zero knowledge and only a sat nav stuck right in the middle of the scree. I used to dislike black cabs, but this lot make them look almost saintly.
To be blunt, I fking hate Addison Lee cabs.