UNITE VIEWPOINT
The correct routing is the “most economical route” where the experienced cab driver will circumvent the obstacles (crawling in traffic and waiting at the railway crossing) by possibly utilising a slightly longer route that will in the end yield a significantly cheaper fare on the meter as there is little or no waiting time.
Therefore, journeys should take and knowledge tests should test upon, the “most economical route” and NOT the “shortest route”! How many local authorities have changed this to wrongly be the shortest route?
Another prime example of lack of officer knowledge and changes smuggled in ‘under the radar’ of smoke and mirrors (because clearly they know best) are the terms “shortest route” and “most economical route”. More importantly it is the difference between these terms and the reasoning for their use in documents and provisions that is of supreme importance. Some amongst you may think that this is fairly innocuous, but any experienced cab driver knows that there is extremely good reason for the use of the term “most economical route” rather than the “shortest route”.
Question: Are you as a cab driver required to take the “shortest route”?
Answer: No - you are required to take the “most economical route” i.e. the route that will yield the cheapest fare on the taximeter at the end of the journey.
For, as most experienced cabbies will know, a taximeter calculates its charges by a combination of time and distance. Put more specifically, it’s actually time OR distance. At no point during any journey will the meter be charging both schemes, it is continuously charging by either time or distance depending on the speed of the vehicle; this is known as the ‘changeover speed’. As many will know I have special- ist knowledge on the design and workings of approved taximeters. With this combination of time and distance in mind, let’s now consider the reasoning for “most economical route”.
Let us take a simple example of a journey from A to B where the “shortest route” will take us either though an area of known dense stationary traffic or via a railway crossing that is down more times than it is up. If, as many officers believe, we take the shortest route, then this is liable to attract a high level of waiting time on the meter through waiting in traffic and at the railway crossing.
MARCH 2021
This is of course only the tip of an extremely large iceberg of regulatory madness born of inexperience from both officers and councillors. Sadly even in the midst of a global pandemic representing the biggest national crisis since WW2, some councils are still reluctant to desist from their unjustifiable over regulatory madness. But then again they have always been very good at spending other people’s money haven’t they? Even now at a time when people don’t have any money...!
Perhaps I’m now showing my age (and experience) when I say that licensing conditions were previously drafted to match the requirements and demographics of the local area whilst also preserving public safety. Sadly it would seem that over time new and clearly less experienced officers have tinkered with and changed provisions and terminology that they don’t understand with some fairly dire consequences.
That’s why they are of course known as the, “inexperienced meddlers”.
I suggest that you take a look through your licensing handbooks for regulatory madness and changes that have possibly been made without consultation with the trade or reference to the Licensing Committee.
Why have these changes been made? Well as far as I can see from an officer’s perspective – because they can!!!
As the good Shaw Taylor (ask your parents) used to say: “Keep ‘em peeled”!
Cue the music: The Style Council - Walls Come Tumbling Down! (Listen to the lyrics)...
Drive carefully and above all, stay well...
Article supplied by: Sean Ridley Secretary Unite the Union South East Region (Cab Section)
Sean.Ridley@unitetheunion.org 83
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