O/T Taxis

G

Goldfinger

Well-known member
WTF is going on?
rang all over last night, many not answeing, others could be an hour.
Finished up walking and it wasn't even late ( just after 12)
 
A couple of weeks ago I had a random letter through the post asking if I wanted to be a taxi driver!!! I guess theyr short ?
 
Yep still at shortage of drivers though Premier took on 25 on the other week.
When the pandemic hit a lot hadn't been working for 2 years so weren't able to claim furlough and some because of the lack of work they both got other driving jobs or something else.

As Blood says use the App it saves a lot of hassle but at busy times still expect to wait after the Cov match it took 45 mins to get a cab from my lads!
 
I just made my train this morning with 30 seconds to spare, ordered taxi on app and then was waiting and waiting , gave up and was gonna get train an hour later, just as I cancelled it he turned up so then had to call office to reinstate !! To be fair he got to the station in record time and told me average wait time is two hours 😯 having said that though it’s no where near as long as you’d have to wait if you desperately needed an ambulance.☹️
 
Loads have knocked it on the head to do Amazon deliveries and some are still sat in the house on Furlough. End it now.
 
The Council need to make it easier and cheaper to get a badge, there are loads of people who want to earn some extra cash to supplement their income, but cannot afford the £700 it costs to get a badge.
 
Completely agree with the O/P.
Came out of the Bispham hotel last night 11pm walked across the road to the Blacktax office to get a taxi home and was told 25-30 minutes. 😮
Eventually got one from Cleveleys taxis but still took 15 minutes.
Driver told me he had just started working for Cleveleys this week and he said Blacktax are still 24 night drivers down since pre Covid similar with most other taxi company’s.
 
Haven't used taxis since before the first lockdown apart from Ubers in London. Walk into Poulton and back from Thornton, got into the habit.
 
pooljimbo said:
18 replies and no one has mentioned Brexit as the reason.

This is not the AVFTT I signed up for.
Click to expand...
Here ya go.
I was told a lot of European drivers were willing to work taxis for £11 p.h in the evenings, for some of the local taxi companies.
They have now returned home and not been replaced until the taxi companies improve their rates of pay.
 
Scaramanga said:
Loads have knocked it on the head to do Amazon deliveries and some are still sat in the house on Furlough. End it now.
Click to expand...
Sorry Scaramanga where did you learn that BS from. Yes Some are working as Delivery drivers for the likes of Hermes..Amazon and some are doing food deliveries for Just Eat and Uber eats etc ..no one is furloughed as we are all self employed.
 
www.bbc.co.uk

Resort's taxi driver shortage blamed on Covid - BBC News

Blackpool's busiest taxi firms say they are 50% down on night drivers as many quit during lockdown.
www.bbc.co.uk www.bbc.co.uk

I know loads of night drivers who have sacked it off, either finding new work or transferring to days. The over-riding theme is that they’ve realised they’re happier without the stress/abuse/violence that we go through every night.
Since restrictions were lifted, that abuse has sky rocketed, made worse by the fact people are struggling to get cabs.
I can only see it continuing til the end of holiday season, the cab companies are appealing to the council to make it easier and quicker to recruit, but it’s a baptism of fire for any new drivers at the moment, I’d guess a lot will sack it off after their first weekend, while at the same time some of the experienced drivers who have come back are also having second thoughts.
It’s not just taxi drivers who’ve had enough either, I’m hearing the same theme from hotel staff, bar staff and doormen.
 
Many places are suffering staff shortages & it’s Brexit & Coronavirus that are the culprit’s.
 
we_need_a_bob_hatton said:
Sorry Scaramanga where did you learn that BS from. Yes Some are working as Delivery drivers for the likes of Hermes..Amazon and some are doing food deliveries for Just Eat and Uber eats etc ..no one is furloughed as we are all self employed.
Click to expand...
Self employed can still be furloughed
 
There will also be a drop in numbers of Taxi/PH drivers starting next year when new HMRC rules come in covering Taxi/Private Hire and a few other trades,

General description of the measure​


Conditionality will introduce a check on tax registration (tax check) for renewed applications in England and Wales for licences to:


  • drive taxis and PHVs (for example, minicabs)
  • operate a PHV business
  • carry on the business of a scrap metal dealer on a site
  • carry on business as a mobile collector of scrap metal

An applicant who wishes to renew a licence will need to carry out a tax check. The licensing body (typically a local authority) will have to obtain confirmation from HMRC that the applicant has completed the check before being able to consider their renewed licence application.
.
 
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