Complaints against taxi drivers soar (From Daily Echo)
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Rude behaviour, bad driving and overcharging top list of complaints against Southampton cabbies
5:00pm Monday 9th March 2009 in News
COMPLAINTS about taxi drivers in Southampton have more than doubled in the past two years, the Daily Echo can reveal.
Overcharging fares, bad driving and rude behaviour were the most common cause of complaint against 49 drivers last year.
However, a Freedom of Information request showed that not a single driver had their licence stripped by Southampton City Council in 2008.
It comes just days after the Daily Echo reported that the city’s 480 hackney carriage drivers and taxi firm bosses are to be balloted on whether they want to increase fares.
Official figures released by the city council show the number of complaints rose from just 19 in 2006 to 31 in 2007 and 49 last year.
Bad behaviour was the biggest gripe (32 complaints), followed by overcharging (28), driving (22), unlicensed hire (six), failing to arrive (four) and talking on the phone (three).
In 2006, one driver lost his licence for repeatedly overcharging customers and a second lost his licence for being abusive.
Southampton Taxi Consultative Council chairman Clive Johnson said the actual number of complaints was far higher because many were made directly to firms.
Mr Johnson, who is also chairman of Radio Taxis, said any of his drivers caught overcharging were made to repay the full fare and multiple offenders were sacked.
Anyone who wants to become a taxi driver must hold a British driving licence, pass a medical, undergo a criminal record check and complete a “knowledge” test of Southampton.
However, Mr Johnson said this process was far too simple and all Radio Taxi drivers, including company directors, were this month due to undergo a Government-funded driver safety awareness course, for a BTEC qualification.
Southampton Hackney Association chairman Ian Hall called for new drivers to also undergo a test on their command of English and undertake a course to improve their customer service skills.
“We are ambassadors of the city and nobody wants bad driving or bad behaviour from drivers to be the impression people have of Southampton,” he said.
Under a new table of fares proposed by the SHA, the daytime starting fare will go up from £2.20 to £2.60, while the night-time one will go up from £2.95 to £3.50.
The distance after which charges go up is also changing and will mean a one-mile daytime journey would go up from £3.80 to £4. For example, a threemile trip will cost £7.20 instead of £6.60, while a five-mile journey would cost £10.40 rather than £9.20.
The fare ballot comes as dock owners Associated British Ports is to hand responsibility for selling its docks permits to the city council in a bid to raise standards and increase the number of taxis allowed to pick up a cruise passengers from 170 to 200.
ABP last year suspended the issue of new docks permits through the STCC amid a row over dress codes, cherry picking of fares, allegations of overcharging, a shortage of taxis and squabbles between drivers from rival firms.
Royston Smith, Cabinet member for economic development, attributed the rise in complaints to an awareness campaign run by the council to encourage more people to voice concerns about cabbies.
Comments(27)
Georgem
says...
10:50am Mon 9 Mar 09
Shoong wrote:Hmmmm. And what sort of appointment might one have on a Saturday night? ;-)
Got a taxi from Train Station & asked to go to Oxford St on Saturday night, & it became apparent the guy had no idea where he was going. Therefore I was late for my appointment. Fair enough he did apologise, but surely a taxi driver should know the city he works in...
Yeh, increasingly taxi drivers are wholly unable to actually do their job. I had one last year who had quite clearly only been driving for a matter of weeks. Stalling, stopping 50 yards behind the car in front, a 27-point turn in a perfectly adequate space for a 3-point turn. It took all of my will power not to say "oh, for f**ks sake, I'll do it"
Georgem
says...
11:09am Mon 9 Mar 09
Essruu wrote:I don't see how the story is scare-mongering given that it reports what people were complaining about, rather than warning us that taxi drivers are actually overcharging
If people don't want to run the risk of being overcharged, then they should always have the fare for the journey run 'on the meter'. As the tariff is set by the council and the meters are security locked so they can't be tampered with, you will pay the 'correct' fare. If people jump in a taxi and ask "How much to ****?" then most drivers are going to answer with the amount 'they' want to charge and not the amount set by the council's tariff.
Another slow news day and so a scaremongering 'nothing' story from The Echo.
goard
says...
11:26am Mon 9 Mar 09
Get a horse and cart, get one of those 'pop pop vehicles' but I emplore you cut your cloth.
goard
Georgem
says...
11:47am Mon 9 Mar 09
cleversaint
says...
12:13pm Mon 9 Mar 09
Essruu wrote:Great in theory but try this on a sat night at 2am. I go back to Totton which costs approx £12 on a meter but taxis drivers refuse to take you unless you pay £20, if you ask them to put the meter on they drive off or just refuse!
If people don't want to run the risk of being overcharged, then they should always have the fare for the journey run 'on the meter'. As the tariff is set by the council and the meters are security locked so they can't be tampered with, you will pay the 'correct' fare. If people jump in a taxi and ask "How much to ****?" then most drivers are going to answer with the amount 'they' want to charge and not the amount set by the council's tariff. Another slow news day and so a scaremongering 'nothing' story from The Echo.
thesaint
says...
12:38pm Mon 9 Mar 09
cleversaint wrote:thats if they turn up,i had pre booked a taxi from the radio taxis firm years ago 11.00 pm,the taxi never turned up and after phoneing up several times i got a taxi to pick me up at 1.30 pm,after complaing all i got a apolgy and no offer of a refund.
Essruu wrote:Great in theory but try this on a sat night at 2am. I go back to Totton which costs approx £12 on a meter but taxis drivers refuse to take you unless you pay £20, if you ask them to put the meter on they drive off or just refuse!
If people don't want to run the risk of being overcharged, then they should always have the fare for the journey run 'on the meter'. As the tariff is set by the council and the meters are security locked so they can't be tampered with, you will pay the 'correct' fare. If people jump in a taxi and ask "How much to ****?" then most drivers are going to answer with the amount 'they' want to charge and not the amount set by the council's tariff. Another slow news day and so a scaremongering 'nothing' story from The Echo.
the service stinks and standerds needs to be raised and poor drivers and service need to be taken out of their cabs by the council.
Georgem
says...
12:43pm Mon 9 Mar 09
thesaint wrote:Radio Taxis are notoriously a bunch of w@@kers. I tried to book a cab from Central Station last year, at 1am. The operator told me it was illegal to book taxis from the station, as there was a rank there. Lost a four regular customers over that one, Radio Taxis, well done
cleversaint wrote:thats if they turn up,i had pre booked a taxi from the radio taxis firm years ago 11.00 pm,the taxi never turned up and after phoneing up several times i got a taxi to pick me up at 1.30 pm,after complaing all i got a apolgy and no offer of a refund.
Essruu wrote:Great in theory but try this on a sat night at 2am. I go back to Totton which costs approx £12 on a meter but taxis drivers refuse to take you unless you pay £20, if you ask them to put the meter on they drive off or just refuse!
If people don't want to run the risk of being overcharged, then they should always have the fare for the journey run 'on the meter'. As the tariff is set by the council and the meters are security locked so they can't be tampered with, you will pay the 'correct' fare. If people jump in a taxi and ask "How much to ****?" then most drivers are going to answer with the amount 'they' want to charge and not the amount set by the council's tariff. Another slow news day and so a scaremongering 'nothing' story from The Echo.
the service stinks and standerds needs to be raised and poor drivers and service need to be taken out of their cabs by the council.
Iain
says...
1:21pm Mon 9 Mar 09
Goard, I have to ask - what IS a "pop pop vehicle"?
goard
says...
1:39pm Mon 9 Mar 09
goard
Georgem
says...
2:26pm Mon 9 Mar 09
Iain wrote:A tuk-tuk, I think
"Get a horse and cart, get one of those 'pop pop vehicles' but I emplore you cut your cloth."
Goard, I have to ask - what IS a "pop pop vehicle"?
cardriver
says...
4:12pm Mon 9 Mar 09
1 if you get a southampton taxi they all have plate numbers annd the drivers should have a badge on display,if you get a rude/or someone that cant speak english and dont know where they are going take there plate and badge number and report them to the council simple.
2 All taxis have to run the meter within the city boundrys so if a driver doesnt run the meter then ask him to switch it on. the only excemption is if its a:- prebooked with a agreed price before journey starts or B:- its a hackney carriage and your going out of town which you MUST AGREE BEFORE LEAVING THE PICK UP POINT.
It doesn't matter what the profeesion you always get rude arrogant people.We have a very tough job, what you dont hear about are the countless attacks on taxi drivers where they get attcked and robbed or even more now people booking taxis and doing runners.
So think about this before you start slating us as at the end of the day all fares are set by OUR BELOVED COUNCIL AND DON'T MATTER WHAT ANY HACKNEY GROUP SAY THE COUNCIL ALWAYS HAVE THE LAST SAY AND WE HAVE TO ABID BY THERE RULES AND REGULATIONS AT ALL TIMES.
Dorsetmick
says...
6:35pm Mon 9 Mar 09
What i suggest is you hire a limo,takes 8 passengers get a 1 hr cruise and a free bottle of bubbly 1 limo is nearly as cheap as 2 taxis.
downfader
says...
7:13pm Mon 9 Mar 09
I do have friends who take taxis everywhere and they reckon if they get the same guy reguarly he'll drop the price. Dont know if thats true, they call be talking hogwash LOL!
Ben Doone
says...
8:11pm Mon 9 Mar 09
However when I am home I often take a taxi from the Station and the two major themes are i) taxi revenue goes down considerably when students and cruise ships aren't around and ii)how many rude,drunk and/or violent some passengers are,especially after the pubs/clubs close.
I'm sure there are a few dodgy taxi drivers but I do feel more than a degree of sympathy for those who are forced to work nights to make a living.
fastandfurious
says...
8:19pm Mon 9 Mar 09
fastandfurious
says...
8:23pm Mon 9 Mar 09
fastandfurious
says...
8:27pm Mon 9 Mar 09
downfader
says...
9:04pm Mon 9 Mar 09
fastandfurious wrote:The echo could stick a second CCTV camera in your cab, or some pinhole stuff and blank out the passengers faces.
hi i have been driving a taxi in southampton for 10 years and have a lot of regular customers i hear complaints all the time about rude drivers and dirty cars however i have allso been sworn at and punched by customers but your paper is quick to point out customers complaints i suggest your editor come out one weekend and watch the behaviour of some of the fares we have to pick up in the last 2 years the amount of abuse and runners taxi drivers have to deal with has got worse with reference too overcharging the coucil control and regulate fares i am fed up with the echo printing all the negatives why dont they talk to drivers instead of all the penpushers who are not out there weekends dealing with the rude abusive public
I'm sure on a friday night drivers do get proper grief. I wouldnt do it, same with busses.
bigboybarry
says...
9:19pm Mon 9 Mar 09
ss2807
says...
10:07pm Mon 9 Mar 09
Condor Man
says...
10:10pm Mon 9 Mar 09
10 Minute Man
says...
10:23pm Mon 9 Mar 09
Then again, nothing compares to the taxi I had by clearly a non-native whom I had to guide to the docks to a cruise terminal. The docks ! You can't find the sea in Southampton? I suggest you get another job.....
ss2807
says...
10:44pm Mon 9 Mar 09
bigboybarry wrote:you forgot to mention bigboybarry,your private hire friends are the ones that pinch jobs under our noses with no bookings every fri and sat night.
As a private-hire driver myself most of the complaints i hear from customers concern the hackneys off the ranks,ie going the longest way and boundary charging 25% , hence a lot of buisiness is coming our way so go private-hire if you want to save money.On the other hand when i am sworn at,spat at,hair pulled people running off, who have i got to complain to NO-ONE.Complaints can lead to drivers losing thier license and income and complaints are being made willy nilly now by a city of moaners.
Meandyou
says...
8:30am Tue 10 Mar 09
Sunny Saint
says...
9:27am Tue 10 Mar 09
Regarding the abuse of drivers: Why don’t they opt for the Box cab (London type) The driver is totally isolated and safe, they are all 5 seater, they are economical and if the punters kick off then the doors are locked by the driver and the punters are simply delivered to the police station.
MaxxieO
says...
11:01am Tue 10 Mar 09
When I complained to the driver in question, he was very rude and aggressive but I took his number and reported him to the council.
I do use taxis myself quite often and most of the drivers are friendly and polite; like with any profession, there's a small minority that give the rest a bad name.
I would strongly suggest people write down the badge number or vehicle registration and report any abusive behaviour or bad driving etc to the council as it is unacceptable and does give taxi drivers as a whole a bad reputation which is unfair.
Shoong says...
10:40am Mon 9 Mar 09