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Taxi Fares - Alex Cameron (4th Oct 2005 - 12:33:02) Just thought i'd share a frustration of mine about taxis in this place. I regularly get a taxi from Haslemere station to Liphook when i'm travelling down from London, which is a journey of around 6 miles. Typically it costs just under £10, but its pain i'm happy to bear for the convenience. So last night i got a taxi back around 11.30pm with a full train of late-working commuters, and was told by a very respectable-looking older driver that it was time-and-a-half after 11pm. The ride ended up costing me over £16, to which i offered him the shirt off my back. He seemed to think that it was fine as the whole journey was 12 miles and everything was set by by the local authority. Now black cabs might be able to get away with charging these types of fares, but £16 for 6 miles (less than 10mins) is taking the proverbial. From what i've heard, the whole system appears to be a mess, and the idiots responsible are Waverley Council: Waverley Council Taxi licensing page So i'm curious - how exactly can they get away with charging that kind of money? It smells distinctly like profiteering to me. Argh!

Re: Taxi Fares - Steve Read (4th Oct 2005 - 18:45:51) Alex, Give me a call I'll do it for £9.00

Re: Taxi Fares - Alex Cameron (4th Oct 2005 - 20:23:19) Much obliged Steve, although i'll need your number. Interestingly, i asked this guy last night why they charge time and a half as presumably working past 11 is a choice, rather than an obligation. Some of the points: "Anti-social hours, innit?" - do nurses and other professionals coming under local authority regulation do the same? Especially when working at that time would appear to be optional (well put it this way - when at that time most of your clients are coming out of the pub slightly the worse for wear, is it really the most fun part of the day)? "But its 12 miles, not 6" - since when am i paying for the return journey? I'm not in the car for half of it. "Petrol prices have gone up" - so the petrol needed for the journey at that time is twice the cost? "Its all done by the council" - is that supposed to reassure me? Do they have to use the meter or can they set an arbitrary fare? I would imagine that the best way to do things in this day and age, considering the prices rises for fuel, burdening consumer debt and everything else, would be to cut costs and offer more attractive flat rate fares? I'm sure that i'm slightly naive to the problems the industry is facing, but surely there are alternate options that allow drivers to be more flexible. I wonder sometimes how they can stay in business - so maybe a point to keep in mind for when you're next in taxi and the driver is complaining about how business has been slow. It could well be their very own fault...

Re: Taxi Fares - rob (5th Oct 2005 - 22:07:39) God, I'm getting boring. This'll be my last post on this forum. Doesn't the answer to all your questions lie in your first point? It is as you say a matter of choice, not an obligation. If you don't pay the late night premium, he'll choose not to be there when you want him. So you'll both be losers. Rob.

Re: Taxi Fares - Alex Cameron (6th Oct 2005 - 15:05:20) Rob i wouldn't suggest a change of career for you either, especially if its in motivational speaking, as you sound thoroughly depressed! But no, the answer doesn't lie in my first point. I'm questioning the fairness of charging more because you when you decide to work. I don't see why customers should have to pay more according to what time the hands of the clock are pointing to. Its a con, pure and simple. Same service, but exorbitant fees. If you want customers, you get them when you can and try to win them over from your competitors, not do your best to rip them off. And if the only business you can get is at night, well then its time for a change of schedule or job. If other businesses do it, why can't taxis?

Re: Taxi Fares - Finchie (6th Oct 2005 - 22:02:25) Now if there was a decent late night train sevice from Haslemere to Liphook ... :-) Finchie

Re: Taxi Fares - Vicky (10th Oct 2005 - 16:48:08) Hi. I moved to the area a little under a year ago and have found Taxis in the area not only expensive, but really difficult to book (everytime i've tried at short notice, there's no-one available). Does anyone know of a reliable firm (even if they do charge the earth)? Thanks.

Re: Taxi Fares - Alex Cameron (10th Oct 2005 - 19:26:45) I'm in the dark as much as you are on that one, but whatever you do, don't bother with the firm in the station (Apple Cabs?). Every time i've been in there the woman has been asleep, drunk-looking or allegedly over-booked. How on earth they pay the rent is beyond me, and i credit myself on being a fairly open-minded kind of guy.

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