Any Taxi Drivers/private Hire Drivers Here?

[hc4361]

Just wondered how you felt about short journeys?

[Booldawg]

done a bit in my time. Depends what you mean?

[hc4361]

I've never used a taxi for short journeys, such as back from the supermarket with the shopping - I'd feel guilty for asking the driver to do such a short trip, about a mile and a half.

I see a lot of people getting in to taxis outside my supermarket and wondered if the drivers felt it worth their while.

[wolf63]

I get a taxi to the vet - I think about a quarter of a mile. The company seem okay about it.

[DrFilth]

i was talking about this to a driver a few weeks back when i was going to the doctors and he said they rely on the short trips to make their money up

if there was 3 in the cab to asda it would be cheaper than the bus if two not much dearer and now the bus is a hourly service i think they will get a lot more business from local people

[stewey]

Some cab drivers don't like the long trips since on the drive back from dropping off their fare they're not making any money. For example, on a three hour trip to Anytown they might make a good flat rate; however, on the return trip it's a three hour down-time for them.

[rockyracoon]

Well, a mile and a half (10 mins) cost my old man £8.75 last week so I reckon the drivers think it's worth their while. He'll be walking next time!

[woofgang]

If the taxis turn up for the passengers, they can't mind.....

[Mamyalynne]

Wow, that is extortionate - that journey here would be around £3, based on the regulated minimum fare.

We had out own private hire business for a while and short hops are the bread and butter, as are repeat customers.

[stewey]

Eight and three-quarter pounds for a mile and a half ride: somebody got robbed!

[mccfluff]

before i had transport i used to walk to the supermarket and get a taxi back around £4-5 depending on the taxi company for a mile & half journey, they never seemed to mind - expect at xmas

[hc4361]

I'll be using taxis more often, then :)

Thanks, all

[joko]

yes since most journeys are local, short journeys are their bread and butter - they cant sit around all day waiting for long journeys!
short journeys mean they can quickly get another fair, and not have to return from far away before getting another one.

also they expect it when people have a lot of bags, hence why they hang about by supermarkets - it may not be a physical distance but it may as well be a 100 miles if you cannot carry the bags.

the only time ive heard of someone moan is when they wait in a rank for a while .. they wait their turn and then only have a couple of quid fair, then have to go to the back of the rank and wait again ... i get that might be frustrating, but then they don't actually have to wait at the rank, they can just drive around and wait to be hailed.

aside from that, i couldn't care less if the driver didn't like it - if i am paying the fare then i will go wherever i want - and if they wont take me then there's plenty others that will.

[snags]

joko's last paragraph sums how I feel about it too...

[mazie]

When I fly up to Edinburgh I walk to Asda and get a taxi back, costs £4.50, all the drivers seem happy with the short journey....

[Booldawg]

4 quid is the minimum charge round here. Short journeys are part and parcel of a taxi drivers day. I didnt used to mind them, as stewey pointed out sometimes the airport runs can be less profitable.

short journey pub runs are a nightmare. People are never outside waiting. When your private hire theres not a meter ticking either.

[stewey]

In terms of your money, the minimum rate here is 2 pounds and then it's 1.85 pounds for each additional 1/2 mile. The cab meters are actually calibrated to measure the trip in metres, so I've just simplified it.

[stewey]

I should clarify that. The meters click up every 132 meters and add another 13 pence to the fare, and this is approximately, as I said, 1.85 pounds per 1/2 mile.

[Zeuhl]

Generally, short journeys are the most profitable for the driver.

The complication is whether they have had to queue a long time to only get a low value job.

I used to work near Heathrow and when we flew in we only needed a short ride to the office.

The driver had often been queuing at the airport for ages waiting for a lucrative job into London and was not best pleased.