IN THE NEWS
JOHNSTONE TAXI COMPANIES JOIN FORCES TO TACKLE DOUBLE BOOKINGS AND WASTED TRIPS
Two Johnstone taxi firms have threat- ened to ban customers who waste their driver’s fuel and time by booking a taxi from different companies then taking whichever one turns up first. Renfrewshire News reports that T.O.A and Alpha, have issued a joint state- ment, with both companies agreeing to work together to combat the issue. Both companies have struggled, the same as other sectors with staffing numbers. As a result of Covid restric- tions and the national lockdown, drivers have left to find work else where. Now bookings have increased, and even though driver numbers have also increased, they are not at the same level as before and because of this, waiting times for all taxi firms in Ren- frewshire has increased. It is believed this has caused customers
to call more than one taxi company in Renfrewshire if waiting times are long, hoping that another firm has a taxi in the area. In the statement the taxi offices said: “We have noticed over recent days that customers are increasingly calling both ourselves [TOA/Alpha taxis] when actually booking a taxi with both com- panies and then taking whichever one turns up first. “We appreciate that customers are having to wait significantly longer than usual at certain times of the day but this type of action by customers is actually adding to the issue. “Not only are you wasting our drivers time when he/she arrives and witness- es another company picking you up, you are also wasting their fuel and most importantly you are causing a sig-
nificant delay to other customers.” It continued: “We appreciate cus- tomers are likely to do this at busy times. It is only courteous – common decency to call the office of the other taxi company immediately and cancel your booking if you no longer require it. “This type of behaviour will no longer be tolerated. “It has now been agreed between both companies that if both of our vehicles arrive at the same time for the same hire then both of our cars will pull off the job leaving you with no car, and where we have clear evidence that a booking has been placed with multiple companies, we are likely to impose a ban on your address and phone num- ber and notify other local companies of the action which has been taken so they can do the same.”
TAXIFIRST OF PLYMOUTH JOINS THE TAKE ME GROUP LTD
Taxi operator Take Me has added another company to its growing portfolio, with the addition of Plymouth-based Taxifirst which will join former local rivals Tower Cabs as part of the group. David Trace has been running Taxifirst in Plymouth for over 30 years and has built his fleet up to over 160 vehicles now. Mr Trace said: “It has been an emotion- al journey here in Plymouth, but let me reassure all my team and customers that it is very much business as usual for us all here at Taxifirst. “We are all looking forward to the ben- efits of being part of a larger group and using their resources to offer a better service to our customers and to ensure our drivers have the latest technology and systems to help them. “Take Me is a national group of taxi companies, with sites in Brighton, Birm- ingham, Leicester, Liverpool, Crew, London, Farnborough, Cambridgeshire.”
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Mr Trace added: “The group offers driver incentives, including cheaper insurance, car replacement and finance. This collaboration will enable us to take Taxifirst to a new level whilst re-estab- lishing our position as one of the finest in Plymouth. There will be lots of excit-
ing developments taking place in the next few months and we want you all to be part of the journey.” One of the first initiatives that Take Me will assist Taxifirst with is to develop a Taxi Academy in Plymouth, which will train the next generation of taxi drivers. The Taxi Academy is open to anybody aged 21+ with a driver’s licence and the team will help people of all ages retrain to obtain a taxi driver's licence and a vehicle, with plenty of work from the Taxifirst and Towercabs workload. Take Me MD, David Hunter, said “It is exciting times at Take Me as we keep expanding and adding brilliant local businesses to our network fleet. “Together we can bring our skills and infrastructure from being a national brand and build on the local expertise of these well established taxi operators.” If you would like more information, please contact: David Hunter, MD,
david@ta8me.co.uk
DECEMBER 2021
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