Post by The Dark Knight on Nov 10, 2023 8:59:36 GMT
Out-of-area cabs 'cutting work by half'
Taxi drivers say loopholes allowing out-of-town cabs to pick up fares in Worcester have slashed trade.
By law, private hire cars can ply their trade anywhere in the country, outside of London, no matter where they are licensed, but have to be booked in advance.
One hackney carriage driver in Worcester said a rise in those vehicles had seen his business halved to fewer than 10 trips a day.
"They get more trade than we do because they can go all over the place," Ghalib Hussain said.
"It’s affecting my trade by at least 50%. It’s affecting the people who work at night even more."
While hackney carriages can pick up fares anywhere in the country if they are pre-booked, they can only be hailed by passengers or wait in ranks in the area that licensed them.
However, a rise in app-based systems has made it increasingly easier for passengers to book private hire vehicles, no matter where they are in the country.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cw421y2w25vo
Taxi drivers say loopholes allowing out-of-town cabs to pick up fares in Worcester have slashed trade.
By law, private hire cars can ply their trade anywhere in the country, outside of London, no matter where they are licensed, but have to be booked in advance.
One hackney carriage driver in Worcester said a rise in those vehicles had seen his business halved to fewer than 10 trips a day.
"They get more trade than we do because they can go all over the place," Ghalib Hussain said.
"It’s affecting my trade by at least 50%. It’s affecting the people who work at night even more."
While hackney carriages can pick up fares anywhere in the country if they are pre-booked, they can only be hailed by passengers or wait in ranks in the area that licensed them.
However, a rise in app-based systems has made it increasingly easier for passengers to book private hire vehicles, no matter where they are in the country.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cw421y2w25vo