|
| |
 |
|
| |
| Nashwan
says: |
Sat 22nd Mar 2008,
12:07 AM |
|
All you hackney owners/drivers complaining so vociferously on here about limited permits for the station rank are the same ones who complain (rightly so) about private hire drivers picking up off the street or parking where they are likely to get walk-up fares. Why is it unacceptable to you for the guys and gals on private hire to act in such a disrespectful way to those of you who have invested in a hackney plate, but perfectly alright for you to do the same with those who have invested that bit more in a hackney plate with a station permit attached to it? Hypocrites.
As for the station rank being a "closed shop", what nonsense! It is no more a "closed shop" than is the hackney trade itself. Plates become available from time to time (be they with or without a station permit) and everybody has the option to buy one as and when they do. Of course, it is far easier and cheaper to decide not to buy one and just get all steamed up like a dinner lady about not having the same access to ranks as those who are or were prepared to invest in their livelihood.
As for whether 31 permits is enough to satisfy the demand, why don't all of you who feel so hard done by put pressure on the hackney licensing authority to commission an independently carried out survey to see if there is any unmet demand. Or do you all find it easier to post juvenile comments on this forum?
With regards to customer waiting times, people only seem to remember the occasions when they have to wait for a taxi, whether it be on the station or anywhere else. No "disgruntled taxi user" ever spouts off on here about the numerous occasions they must have walked to a rank and seen a dozen cabs all waiting patiently for a fare. Always the negative. More often than not, people will have spent longer queueing to pay for their shopping than they do at a taxi rank.
In reply to Cabby and your query as to why so many wheelchair cabs get called to the station, I would remind you that wheelchair cabs get called to all the ranks to pick up, be it Sainsburys, the rank at the monument or the main rank. The station is a central location and also provides shelter whilst waiting so it makes sense to go there and wait. As for a lack of wheelchair-friendly vehicles with station permits, by my reckoning there are currently at least five.
As for the story as a whole, I feel it is unfortunate that it has been covered and given an opportunity for people to bad mouth us all again. Most of you really should know better.
And finally, as for the "dodgy taxi driver", if he feels so strongly about serving the public, wouldn't it be better if he went straight to a rank in town where he can offer his services rather than continually driving up and down London Street and Wright Street in a deliberate (and pathetically childish) attempt to antagonise those who have invested in a station permit?
|
|
|
|
|
