Blackburn taxi drivers face 'all time low' over licence fees increase (From This Is Lancashire)

If some of them had a proper education, and learnt to speak better English, then more job opportunities would be available.
But basically all a taxi driver has, by way of a skill, is, a person, with a driving licence, which most people have in this country already. Hardly a qualification is it?
So lads, get into the real world, you have nothing going for you. Get educated, and then you may get a decent job.
The fact that there are so many taxi's available also does not help. Unless you are either not paying tax, or on some other fiddle, I cannot see how so many taxi drivers manage to make a living.

Having taken a taxi the other week from Shadsworth to Blackburn train station, there is no wonder some taxi drivers have large fuel bills given the way the guy drove the vehicle.
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It was either 40mph or stop, speeding toward the back of a queue of traffic at a roundabout, speeding towards red traffic lights, harsh acceleration. It certainly didn't get me to the station any quicker either.
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The fact is there are too many taxi's (not private hire) in this town - one only has to look at the large numbers sat outside the Market or the station, not moving for ages. Me and the Mrs actually popped in to the new Market for the first time last weekend to have a look round (it was rather good actually, but that is another story); we were in there half an hour and the red taxi that was at the back of the queue when we went in, had only moved up two spaces by the time we left and the road outside was chocker with other cabs as well - it was actually quite dangerous crossing the road there what with taxi's reversing as well as people in the parking spaces. Not good!

Oh Shut up, the increase will be barely noticeable.

Taxi drivers are having a tough time in this current economic climate,with increase in fuel,tax,insurance,M
OT and license fee.Fares are same as they were five years ago and many taxi drivers are under cutting fares to ply for more trades just to make end meets.I do sympathise with the taxi drivers that time is tougher for everybody at this moment,the working class,shopkeepers and other self employed people.This current economic situation it's getting worse day by day as recession is here to stay for a long while yet.

TONY WALES wrote:
If some of them had a proper education, and learnt to speak better English, then more job opportunities would be available.
But basically all a taxi driver has, by way of a skill, is, a person, with a driving licence, which most people have in this country already. Hardly a qualification is it?
So lads, get into the real world, you have nothing going for you. Get educated, and then you may get a decent job.
The fact that there are so many taxi's available also does not help. Unless you are either not paying tax, or on some other fiddle, I cannot see how so many taxi drivers manage to make a living.

"and learnt to speak better English," - Clearly, this person was educated in a pub on the Chatsworth council estate.

M Danny said : "Fares are same as they were five years ago"

That's simply not true, five years ago a hackney carriage fare from town to Rishton was under six pounds now it's over nine.

What a load of crap as the Taxi license is not even increasing £7 per year and we are having to listen to the drivers complain well i'm over the moon and i think that for the hassle they cause in and around the towns the license should be increased £700.
That might teach the ba5t4rds for charging double on a cristian holidays....Stop using them!

Taxi's are a rip off. Extortionately priced.

Still not a big increase though!and the prices they charge for the same journey everyday changes depending on who it is, one day the journey can be £3 the next day £4?

Your ferret stinks wrote:
What a load of crap as the Taxi license is not even increasing £7 per year and we are having to listen to the drivers complain well i'm over the moon and i think that for the hassle they cause in and around the towns the license should be increased £700.
That might teach the ba5t4rds for charging double on a cristian holidays....Stop using them!

If the Taxi firms were not complaining about this they would be moaning about inspections. All they ever do is whinge whinge whinge

They can whinge all the way home to their detached 5 bed-roomed houses! WHAT A SHAME!

Your ferret stinks wrote:
What a load of crap as the Taxi license is not even increasing £7 per year and we are having to listen to the drivers complain well i'm over the moon and i think that for the hassle they cause in and around the towns the license should be increased £700. That might teach the ba5t4rds for charging double on a cristian holidays....Stop using them!

And You worked for single time during the 'Christian Holidays ' did You ? Heres another sly pop at the Asian taxi drivers . Seems to me You have not had a taxi for a long time as the charges in Blackburn have been single for a a few years now , but its peoples choice dont pay the fares just walk or get public transport.

Spot on, Aslam Hussain!

Aslam Hussain wrote:

Your ferret stinks wrote:
What a load of crap as the Taxi license is not even increasing £7 per year and we are having to listen to the drivers complain well i'm over the moon and i think that for the hassle they cause in and around the towns the license should be increased £700. That might teach the ba5t4rds for charging double on a cristian holidays....Stop using them!

And You worked for single time during the 'Christian Holidays ' did You ? Heres another sly pop at the Asian taxi drivers . Seems to me You have not had a taxi for a long time as the charges in Blackburn have been single for a a few years now , but its peoples choice dont pay the fares just walk or get public transport.

Do you see bus drivers/council staff/train drivers getting "double time" on Christian holidays? I think not. In todays economic climate, an increase of a whole £7 per year really isn't that much and as for the price of fuel; well that affects us all doesn't it?
IMHO.

Aslam Hussain wrote:

Your ferret stinks wrote:
What a load of crap as the Taxi license is not even increasing £7 per year and we are having to listen to the drivers complain well i'm over the moon and i think that for the hassle they cause in and around the towns the license should be increased £700. That might teach the ba5t4rds for charging double on a cristian holidays....Stop using them!

And You worked for single time during the 'Christian Holidays ' did You ? Heres another sly pop at the Asian taxi drivers . Seems to me You have not had a taxi for a long time as the charges in Blackburn have been single for a a few years now , but its peoples choice dont pay the fares just walk or get public transport.

Beleive you me lad there's nothing SLY about my posts!
What you see is what you get,
and i don't get double time at Ramadam or Eid but you want your own way again, it's not somethin you worship, cherish or beleive in so no way should you be allowed to charge it.
The next time you have a plumber come round or go for an MOT maybe they should charge double as well then.
As for me taking a taxi theres no way on earth unless it's a Mill Hill taxi, and the more people do this the better off we will all be.....stop using them.

Your ferret stinks wrote:

Aslam Hussain wrote:

Your ferret stinks wrote: What a load of crap as the Taxi license is not even increasing £7 per year and we are having to listen to the drivers complain well i'm over the moon and i think that for the hassle they cause in and around the towns the license should be increased £700. That might teach the ba5t4rds for charging double on a cristian holidays....Stop using them!

And You worked for single time during the 'Christian Holidays ' did You ? Heres another sly pop at the Asian taxi drivers . Seems to me You have not had a taxi for a long time as the charges in Blackburn have been single for a a few years now , but its peoples choice dont pay the fares just walk or get public transport.

Beleive you me lad there's nothing SLY about my posts! What you see is what you get, and i don't get double time at Ramadam or Eid but you want your own way again, it's not somethin you worship, cherish or beleive in so no way should you be allowed to charge it. The next time you have a plumber come round or go for an MOT maybe they should charge double as well then. As for me taking a taxi theres no way on earth unless it's a Mill Hill taxi, and the more people do this the better off we will all be.....stop using them.

You're choice to get any Taxi firm you desire , but no one works during holidays for single time , and the 'Christian Holidays ' are celebrated by atheists too and majority of work places closed down during these times and I may add that it was the Indigneous people who charged double and triple time during Christmas and New Year ( and rightly so ) and its thanks to the Asian drivers and the competition that prices were brought down so I dont have a problem with peoples opinions but dont be biased with Your opinions and as for Ramadan and Eid We work or forsake Our entitled Holidays and Use our own transport as We are not drinking ( most of Us anyway ) . Its all about choices , walk or pay the required Fare.

Your ferret stinks wrote:

Aslam Hussain wrote:

Your ferret stinks wrote: What a load of crap as the Taxi license is not even increasing £7 per year and we are having to listen to the drivers complain well i'm over the moon and i think that for the hassle they cause in and around the towns the license should be increased £700. That might teach the ba5t4rds for charging double on a cristian holidays....Stop using them!

And You worked for single time during the 'Christian Holidays ' did You ? Heres another sly pop at the Asian taxi drivers . Seems to me You have not had a taxi for a long time as the charges in Blackburn have been single for a a few years now , but its peoples choice dont pay the fares just walk or get public transport.

Beleive you me lad there's nothing SLY about my posts! What you see is what you get, and i don't get double time at Ramadam or Eid but you want your own way again, it's not somethin you worship, cherish or beleive in so no way should you be allowed to charge it. The next time you have a plumber come round or go for an MOT maybe they should charge double as well then. As for me taking a taxi theres no way on earth unless it's a Mill Hill taxi, and the more people do this the better off we will all be.....stop using them.

Oh I forgot to add , Try calling a plumber out at Christmas or even out of hours and see what He will charge You , out of hours hardly anyone will work for normal time rates , I suppose you never worked for time and a half and double time at weekends (or out of 'normal' hours) did you ?

Blah Blah Blah, the fact of the matter is people have had enough and are starting to fight back and you don't like it, were all fed up of being called a racist and being taken for idiots at every step of the way, equality is what we strive for and it's pretty obvious it's going to be an uphill struggle as the pendulum has swung to far in the oppositte direction.
In your first post of these two are we to understand that the muslim faith is now adopting Christianity if the pay is better? because we all know how shallow the faith is when it comes to a little cash...nudge nudge..wink wink.

Your ferret stinks wrote:
Blah Blah Blah, the fact of the matter is people have had enough and are starting to fight back and you don't like it, were all fed up of being called a racist and being taken for idiots at every step of the way, equality is what we strive for and it's pretty obvious it's going to be an uphill struggle as the pendulum has swung to far in the oppositte direction. In your first post of these two are we to understand that the muslim faith is now adopting Christianity if the pay is better? because we all know how shallow the faith is when it comes to a little cash...nudge nudge..wink wink.

Its You who is Blah-ing and now you are going off subject , Ive not called anyone a racist and what exactly are you fighting back with ? Stick to the facts and proceed with the debate. Don't start making imaginary comments about peoples faith just because You dont have one .
How are You striving for equality exactly? By making stupid nosense comments. Where Have I changed My faith when I am mererly asking You the question , Im sure I wrote it in English and not Punjabi !

OK try these two comments you made
1, Do you see bus drivers/council staff/train drivers getting "double time" on Christian holidays? I think not.

Well i disagree unless the unions have sold them back to the company which you should know all about being an ex shop steward!

then contradicting it by saying
Try calling a plumber out at Christmas or even out of hours and see what He will charge You , out of hours hardly anyone will work for normal time rates!

Anyway all i'm saying is that Asian taxi drivers have no right to charge extra on Christian holidays! so they are being asked for £7 more and the borough council will spend thousands of pounds fighting with the drivers when they should just pay up like everyone else has to, we all have to pay more for fuel and insurance (well those of us that have it) so £7 to keep your livelyhood is hardly a deal breaker is it, and one last point is that before long everyone will need a taxi licence if they want to enter Blackburn town centre as more and more streets are being closed to Joe public unless you have a bus or a taxi....why would that be then?

Stop embarrassing Yourself or change Your glasses , I did not make those comments ,it was Reidy620.
The point I was making was that during the'festive period' prices are hiked so that once a year Taxi drivers can earn a 'bonus' . I am not condoning this its up to the punter to make that choice but I dont like Your thoughts that non Christians should work for single rate of pay just because they dont 'Celebrate ' this occasion.
The point I made was that You never worked for single time during Christian holidays or even bank holidays but You expect others to.
As for Plumbers and the like they will charge you extra for out of hours for the inconvenience.
I have not defended the Taxi drivers complaining of the licence increase so You lose that argument too.
The Unions dont sell anything back to companys ,its usually the workers being greedy and wanting the cake and icing by going against the recommendations made by the Union leaders and You should know What happened at Crown paints on many occasions. Workers wanted better working conditions and better pay but any sign of overtime and quick grab it, never mind the cosequences.
As for going into Blackburn thats about choices too.
You live by double standards , I dont - thats the difference.

I think you will find that it's you that have the double standards because you are defending the right for someone who does not celebrate christian holidays to be paid double time, which is Wrong!
Now if you want to charge the same people during your muslim faith times of the year on Eid or Ramadam then it is up to the punter to decide wether or not to use the taxi service and pay the price but you now state that you want this extra money as a 'Bonus'! why the hell should they be given a bonus for working what is to them a normal day. Go and ask your boss for a bonus tonight and see how far you get.

I am afraid you read into words as you please , I never said they were to be paid a bonus . What i was saying was that they charged the extra money to gain a 'bonus' ( an extra payment as they were working at an abnormal time ) . If You bothered to read My comments properly it was the indigenous Taxi Drivers who put these charges into place and since the Asian taxi drivers have come into force they now work for normal rates.
The double standards You have are the type of the slavery Years , where you want the cream and the rest to have nothing.
What have ramadan and Eid got to do with christmas and New Year?
If the Drivers charged extra during the MONTH of Ramadan and Eid days there would be uproar and You would be at the front of the Que berating them.
What You convienently forget is that these same drivers forsake time with Family on these occasions to provide a service to the Public , the same public who choose which Private hire company they want service from.
You need to keep faiths out of this debate as the complaint was about a price increase so stick to that argument and at least treat all the Taxi , Private Hire drivers equally.
By the way I gave plenty of Your brethren free lifts because they didn't want to pay silly taxi prices , I never mentioned faith or anything like that to them because I treat people as equals and friends.

I am afraid you read into words as you please , I never said they were to be paid a bonus . What i was saying was that they charged the extra money to gain a 'bonus' ( an extra payment as they were working at an abnormal time )

And i'm saying what gives them the right to charge this extra money to gain a 'bonus' as it is charged at any time of day or night, (so your abnormal time is out of the window) on a christian holiday, if it's £5 during the day and £10 when people are drunk why should it double up, and anyway what are abnormal and normal hours for a taxi driver? at what time does normal become abnormal, is it written down somewhere in a code of practice or have you just made it up to suit your double standards which is my guess.

Mr ferret what are you going on and on about , Its you and your double standards that is the problem here.
I have not suggested for a minute they have a right to over charge when ever they feel like it at all.
You go from one point to the next without any understanding at all.
Let Me once again try and put You in the picture : Taxi drivers always charged extra after the public transport stopped services at Christmas time so the Taxi drivers in their wisdom charged time and half rates until midnight and then double time afterwards.This also was the case at New Year.
This was the norm for many a year until the Asians came onto the scene and because of the competition ceased to do this in Blackburn , ( I think most firms in Darwen still charge Time and a half ).
What You are suggesting is that its ok for the indigneous drivers to do this but not non christians . How exactly is that fair ? What gives the Indigneous drivers who dont believe in God to charge extra but others cant ?
Why should You gain extra money for overtime yet others cant ? Abnormal hours are working on public holidays is My guess and the code of practice as you ask is known by the council and is not underhand.
I was charged extra once by a Chippys driver in Darwen because it had snowed , it was my choice to pay or walk.
Now You are suggesting drivers are overcharging drunk passengers , well get your evidence and take it to the council who I am sure would be very interested in this sordid crime.
The other solution is dont get too drunk and be aware of the fare.
Report any dodgy driver to the council instead of just moaning on these pages is what i would suggest.

You obviously refuse to understand anyone elses point of view yet again and it's everyone else who's wrong.
I'll try one last time then it's time to move on so here goes,
It is my opinion that the taxi drivers are switching their beliefs to suit their pockets once again as soon as there is money to be had and by doing what they are doing they are nothing more than highway robbers like Dick Turpin however he had the decency to wear a mask and if as you say they deserve this extra 'bonus' because it is a christian holiday then why am i not charged 1.5 times more for my litre of fuel at the all night petrol stations or for a pint of milk at the local late store because they are working abnormal hours are they not? my curry at the take away is still the same price as if it was not i would buy one and freeze it and save myself the money, yet you feel it's OK for taxis to charge extra?
I think to put it in your words it's these people who 'want the cake and the icing' no one else and thats why i take issue.
To put the icing back on the cake it's these very same people who are doing all the complaining because they feel like their being ripped of as they are being asked for £7 a year more for their licence and will fight it costing the council £0,000's that could be better spent elsewhere.
On that point i would then ask them for an increase of £200 to cover unnecessary costs incurred and for those that don't take up the offer then there will be more work for the others that do, which in turn will relieve the towns of unnecessary traffic.
I will not comment on this item again however knowing you i bet you will have to have the last say so fill your boots.

Aslam Hussain wrote:
I am afraid you read into words as you please , I never said they were to be paid a bonus . What i was saying was that they charged the extra money to gain a 'bonus' ( an extra payment as they were working at an abnormal time ) . If You bothered to read My comments properly it was the indigenous Taxi Drivers who put these charges into place and since the Asian taxi drivers have come into force they now work for normal rates. The double standards You have are the type of the slavery Years , where you want the cream and the rest to have nothing. What have ramadan and Eid got to do with christmas and New Year? If the Drivers charged extra during the MONTH of Ramadan and Eid days there would be uproar and You would be at the front of the Que berating them. What You convienently forget is that these same drivers forsake time with Family on these occasions to provide a service to the Public , the same public who choose which Private hire company they want service from. You need to keep faiths out of this debate as the complaint was about a price increase so stick to that argument and at least treat all the Taxi , Private Hire drivers equally. By the way I gave plenty of Your brethren free lifts because they didn't want to pay silly taxi prices , I never mentioned faith or anything like that to them because I treat people as equals and friends.

Religion didn't come into this argument until YOU started going on about Christian holidays....
Whether they are Christian or not is immaterial in this argument: the fact is, the dates you refer to around the end of the year are bank holidays: when Eid etc become bank holidays, then I am sure that everyone will expect them to have the same charging rates as other bank holidays.
As for including Ramadan itself in the argument: increase the price only when the the Christian festival of Lent (which essntially fulfills the same purpose as Ramadan: a time to fast and prepare for a major religious festival) is given a price increase.

Your ferret stinks wrote:
You obviously refuse to understand anyone elses point of view yet again and it's everyone else who's wrong. I'll try one last time then it's time to move on so here goes, It is my opinion that the taxi drivers are switching their beliefs to suit their pockets once again as soon as there is money to be had and by doing what they are doing they are nothing more than highway robbers like Dick Turpin however he had the decency to wear a mask and if as you say they deserve this extra 'bonus' because it is a christian holiday then why am i not charged 1.5 times more for my litre of fuel at the all night petrol stations or for a pint of milk at the local late store because they are working abnormal hours are they not? my curry at the take away is still the same price as if it was not i would buy one and freeze it and save myself the money, yet you feel it's OK for taxis to charge extra? I think to put it in your words it's these people who 'want the cake and the icing' no one else and thats why i take issue. To put the icing back on the cake it's these very same people who are doing all the complaining because they feel like their being ripped of as they are being asked for £7 a year more for their licence and will fight it costing the council £0,000's that could be better spent elsewhere. On that point i would then ask them for an increase of £200 to cover unnecessary costs incurred and for those that don't take up the offer then there will be more work for the others that do, which in turn will relieve the towns of unnecessary traffic. I will not comment on this item again however knowing you i bet you will have to have the last say so fill your boots.

Thankyou , Ladysal , Ferret has the cheek to suggest that I will comment only to have the last word yet has gone on and on for nothing other than to have the last word.
Are You are trying to cause a divide in the community by suggesting asian drivers charge normal at Christmas but the 'Christian' drivers charge extra ?
It was ok for him to earn extra money for overtime but not for others , all the time I have been meerly pointing out the facts and not debating for the sake of it .
I am surprised You even eat Curry Mr Ferret as You are so anti asian and I hope You dont eat any during Lent !
What will you give up during Lent Mr Ferret ? please forsake making nonsene arguments and lets have a proper debate about issues that affect Us all.