people en route, albeit, depending upon the position; after all, the trade has an inbuilt of England, but if you have and you’ve hired
time of the night, in Swahili. The past couple desire to self-destruct. Can you see where a taxi in either Newcastle or Sunderland then
of months have made me see the light. It’s a I’m coming from? I can understand this to a the chances are the driver was uniformed.
known fact that when work is sparse, such as certain degree. I don’t believe for example Companies such as NODA, the NHDA,
now, a number of cab drivers often feel that private hire companies should be permitted to Station Taxis (Sunderland) and Deans have
competition from the private hire industry is a train anyone outside of their own people. Local requirements for driver uniforms and have had
bad thing.
associations are of course different. The thought them for many years. Indeed, in a recent trip to
has occurred that I have been a little like King Leeds the company Streamline / Telecabs had
You see, even though private hire may have
Canute here, as much of a dent as it is to my drivers who wore smart but casual company
been giving Mrs Miggins a service for the
ego no amount of huffing and puffing is going issued attire. Those against some kind of
past 18 months, taking her from her door to
to stop the tide of driver training, the best I can dress code may be perhaps retarded. I wonder
the post office for her pension, before taking
probably hope for is that the training is delivered what people would think if, next time they go
her shopping then home. Whilst the hackney
by the bodies that represent us. More and on holiday the pilot wears a string vest, pair
carriage was too busy to do that because the
more local authorities whilst not exactly going of shorts, smells of body odour and wears
ranks were busy and times were lucrative. Now
down the route of mandatory qualifications flip flops? I know how a cab driver is dressed
times are harder the reality is different. Now
are actually insisting that applicants for such doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be a better cab
Mrs. Miggins is a complete bitch who doesn’t
things as council account work have the correct driver, but I ask what type of public image do
understand the cab trade who felt that during
qualifications; in the case of the taxi industry it’s we wish to project? Driving a cab you don’t
the busier times Mrs Miggins should wait until
the NVQ and BTEC. know who the next fare is going to be, do
he could provide himself at his convenience.
people seriously want to be considered trampy
Of course, the private hire driver is a complete
How long will it be before health authority and vagabonds? I find the fact that some councils
twart, undercutting HC at every available
government accounts have the qualification are pushing dress codes quite sickening, you
opportunity, especially during these hard times.
prerequisite? Is training such a bad thing? see I don’t think we need to be told or have
I don’t know if some within the hackney carriage
Again I wonder. One thing a good number of conditions applied to licences. It’s down to
trade are stupid, no, I’ll rephrase that, I know
committed drivers complain about is the lack of self-respect. The trade should never be put
some within the hackney carriage trade are
respect from the public. We are invariably seen into a position where they are considered to
stupid. Be they those cherry-pickers who charge
£30 to go through a tunnel under the Mersey,
as a trade people fall into in between ‘proper’ be dressed like tramps and a dress code is
or those other hackney drivers who seem to
jobs. I get annoyed at this, as I know many of needed. Whilst we can shout against dress
think they should be excluded from RTFC work.
you do as well. I’ve done this job for most of my codes, the shouting will fall on deaf ears when
Either way, the public do remember being ripped
life; it is a profession, yet for the most part it is it comes to certain rail stations, ferry terminals
off and they do remember a crap service. We
a profession without qualifications. Do drivers and airports. A condition of contract could
are not so much giving customers to private hire
need to be taught to assist people with luggage? be that whichever company has the rights of
as driving them away. What surprises me is that
Probably not, however, we all know certain access then a driver dress code should be
still the HC trade wonder why it’s quiet.
drivers who appear to have been super-glued to enforced.
the driver’s seat. Drivers often complain about
This recession is going to hurt the taxi trade;
having to lift heavy wheelchairs and luggage; Perhaps the transport interchanges don’t
arguably we have been feeling the pain of it
are these drivers aware of manual handling like trampy vagrants who drive cabs on their
before it was actually official. At the time of the
regulations and risk assessments? How many premises and piss up against the wall, they
last recession most of the country had regulated
drivers check such fundamental items such smell to high heaven and make commuters
numbers’ policies towards hackney carriages,
as lights, tyres etc on their vehicle on a daily scared? I realise the major majority of drivers
this time almost three quarters of the country
basis? How many drivers know how to correctly have a degree of self-respect, unfortunately
are deregulated. We are faced with people
treat disabled passengers or even know about and as ever it’s always the minority of badly
entering our job and simply buying a cab and
disability awareness? In actual fact, you could dressed big mouthed tramps that let the trade
licensing it. As many of you will be aware, I am
honestly say if we as a trade are so much aware down. The trade tells people it’s a profession,
not a particular fan of driver training. Indeed, I
of all the regulations, byelaws and conditions, yet it seems to do everything it can to suggest
did once see that GoSkills lot as the axis of evil,
why do local authorities have appearances from it isn’t, more worryingly it doesn’t actually look
and perhaps still do to a degree. However, my
drivers who flout the rules on a monthly basis? like a profession but more a ragtag and bobtail
tour across the UK is leading me to a conclusion
outfit full of people who can’t do anything else.
that not only do we need to be trained, we
Further to the above, it’s quite obvious some Personally I’m sick of that image, and I’ll do my
need to be trained pretty damned quick. The within the trade are illiterate. How do these best to change it. The trade will eventually come
one thing most of the trade, myself included, people write receipts, fill in application forms into the 21
st
Century, it may come kicking and
have continually stated is that if training comes or even read this magazine? Surely the trade screaming, but eventually it will arrive.
then it should be the trade training the trade, needs a degree of literacy? I don’t know if any
as opposed to the leeches robbing the readers have travelled up to the North East Copyright Wayne Casey 2009
learning and skills council of a few quid
then buggering off never to be seen
again. We have all heard stories of
certain training companies approaching
No-shows costing you time and money?
councils and basically telling blatant lies,
these include such porkpies as: training
will become law, funding will run out,
you bear a corporate responsibility etc.
We have heard similar stories of private
hire companies being approached and We can help from as
‘bunged’ a few quid for each driver they
little as £10 per month!
send. Indeed, some have even resorted
to going down cab ranks and telling lies
For more info,
to stupid taxi drivers. If you have heard
call us on
of similar occurrences please contact the
0844 322 0102
magazine, these companies are operating
or go to our website

against guidelines, and will be removed
from training when caught.
www.silverpay.co.uk
Unfortunately, the route of the trade
training the trade seems to attract
jealousy in certain quarters; unsurprisingly
it’s from the taxi trade itself. In effect,
whilst we want to train people ourselves,
SilverPay
we don’t want our own people doing it,
the most trusted card service in the industry
the acute friction and backstabbing within
is phenomenal. This is an unsurprising
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