Scumbag Hacks!??!!

August 15th, 2008 • Related • Filed Under

Long,Long ago in 1985 the now owner of the very successful East Coast Taxis drove a Private Hire car out of North East Minicabs, based at the Esplanade in Whitley Bay. The weekly rent at that time was £25 per week. There were set fares in place as follows £6.50 Newcastle, £5.50 Blyth & £8.50 to the Airport. This was 23 years ago you will have noticed.
So when Drivers come on this site calling Hacks ‘Scumbags who drive £200 Mondeos’ I don’t get it!
What’s a Hack done to you? Your Rent Collectors are charging you in excess of £100 per week, even more if you choose to buy a car from them on the never,never, to earn coppers more than you would have at £25 a week 23 years ago.
Commenters have said “Take a Long look at yourselves” well I have and I still don’t get it. I don’t cough up hundreds to anyone to make my living, I go to work using the Rates prescribed by the Local Authority. What are we to look at? Maybe you are Blinded by words like “we strive to enhance our drivers earnings” I don’t really care that Drivers are willing to pay 2008 rent for 1980’s rates, that’s entirely up to them.
Cut rate Taxi firms rely on the Hackney Carriage Fare table being in place it gives them a point at which they will not go above, It perpetuates the “Rip Off Hack” Tag.They also rely on the Hacks getting a Fare increase on a regular basis so that they can raise their rates but what will happen if the Scumbag Hacks decide not to have a Fare Increase, We might be wise to sit it out and wait for the offices to catch up, Level the playing field a bit. We did just that about 15 years ago and for a time there was very little difference in Fares between the two trades. What eventually pushed our rates back up was a massive increase in numbers of Hack Licences, Due in part to protests by Private Hire drivers who all wanted to be Hacks.
Recent Fuel price fluctuations have been a minor irritation to the Hacks, I won’t say it hasn’t been tough, but it has been bearable as we are on a pretty decent rate. In 1988 a Gallon of Diesel was £1.57 we were charging roughly the rate then that Private are charging now but we were doing it for £1.57 a Gallon. You are now paying £5.45 a Gallon. I can only assume that Hacks are Scumbags because of this!
All of this pales into insignificance if Berwick wins their case in September. North Tyneside Council could potentially lose upwards of £230,000 per annum in lost revenue from test fees and badges. facing that kind of loss they might possibly see no reason for the existence of private hire as everyone has gone and got a Berwick plate. They might then pull the Rabbit out of the hat and say ” O.K. lads n’ Lasses you can all be ‘North Tyneside scumbag Hacks’ (to quote from Big Silvers comment)
Who loses? All Taxi Drivers, I mean “All Taxi Drivers” The office owners lose nothing they can only gain more Rents and maybe even raise them a bit more often. What else are you going to do? Now that there are a thousand scumbags all trying to get into South Parade. You will have to pay the Rent,whatever it costs because that’s the only way to make your living. If pointing this Obvious truth out makes me even more of a Scumbag well O.K but don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Oh Yeah! and the Council will want some of the action they will bang the test fees up a bit and probably add a few new charges aswell. Most of all, those that call Hacks Silly names, for no apparent reason other than they exist, will have no one to hate as we will all be Scumbags together,Brothers at last. Who will we Blame? Every single one of us!

aaa

There Are 118 Responses So Far. »

Comment by P/H driver on 4 September 2008:

I’m a Private Hire driver and have been for 14 years, I never used to Flimp cause I was to busy,but nowadays theres so many at our office,my monies down by about 20 to 30 quid a day so i got to make it up sumhow.So I do a bit flimping at the weekend,not blatant like but what else should i do,i got to pay the bills..Sorry like!

[Reply]
Comment by Sam Harrington on 5 September 2008:

Dear P/H driver, I drive a hack and struggle to make 20 to 30 quid a day !!!! then when the weekend comes and i get a chance to make some decent money, the sreets are full of office hacks, and the flimping you mention also deprives me of income.

You dont say what figure your takings have dropped from, i will assume Â£80, anyway, the answer lies with the office owner and your fellow p/h drivers. Taxis and PH enjoyed a boom in recent years and the office owners took on more cars (more income) and also increased the rent (even more income). The amount of work they are now providing has fallen by approx 30%, therefore the rent they charge should fall by a similar amount…. or they should reduce the number of vehicles by a similar amount.

Over to you P/H driver.

[Reply]
Comment by ian shanks on 5 September 2008:

A CHALLENGE

Mr Harrington and Mr P/H driver if things are as bad as you make out (Â£20/Â£30 a shift) i challenge you to come on to our radio circuit “free of charge” for two weeks and tell me you can not more money than what your making now !

the rules would be you work 5 9/10 hour shifts (which is about trade standard) on our radio circuit only and you charge only blue line rates to customers.

And after two weeks if you can show me you are not taking more money than your presently are i will offer you a free service on your cars in our garage !

so now its time to “put up or shut up”! as you quoting figures you have not got a clue about !!

is the challenge on ???

[Reply]
Comment by Stephen (FKA Central Enth.) on 5 September 2008:

Sam!
You quoted “office Hacks”, do you know that I for one have to find Â£283.00 per week for this horrible office Hack, so believe me I go on the Rank when I can!, would you not go on the Ranks if you had Â£283 to pay, I think you would!
REMEMBER A NT BADGE COSTS US ALL THE SAME!
I wish I just had Â£35.00 per week to pay insurance, anyway get my own Car next week!
P/H!
Where do you work that has only lost Â£30per day of work?, I started Central Jan 07 and feel that I have lost about Â£50 of work per day, the Ranks have deteriorated as well!
A lot of the Comapany Cars that Rank up or flimp if they are PH, do so to make their silly high payments to the greedy operator, on top of the high payments, you have feeding within the big offices, so if you are not up the operators a*se or having sexual intercourse with a dispatcher, then you are knackered!!!, and have to use all means at your disposal to earn a crust!
AND PLEASE CHAPS, NOT ALL CENTRAL DOBLO’S GET FED, THEIR IS MORE OWNER DRIVERS FED THAN ANYONE ELSE!

[Reply]
Comment by Stephen (FKA Central Enth.) on 5 September 2008:

A CHALLENGE!….To you Mr Shanks!
What if P/H Driver is a dirty, rotten, evil, scumbag CENTRAAAAL driver, what about your rules man???
What’s up?, is your Berwick Boys jumping ship before the big day?
Lost revenue, resort to filling those much needed Rent payments by taking Central boys on…if P/H is one of course!
I was talking to one of your NT P/H drivers the other night, he stated that Saturday night gone he only made Â£90 in eleven hours GROSS!!!!!!, so deduct his daily rent/car payment and fuel, and what you have is well below the Natonal minimum wage!!!!
Regards
Horrible Central Driver!
NT & B word Licensed Driver

[Reply]
Comment by ian shanks on 6 September 2008:

stephen !! get over it mate you have been told if you were interested to come and see me

[Reply]
Comment by Sam Harrington on 6 September 2008:

Thanks for the generous offer Ian, if i was 10 years younger i would take it up. At the moment i am winding down and preparing for retirement, although i do realise that the basic state pension is not very good and that i will probably have to carry on working until the day i die, or get declared medically unfit to drive.

I think you missed my main point, i am not complaining, i was simply stating how things are, my earnings have dropped by about 30%, its not just the “taxi” trade, most people are in the same boat. I could work more hours or work more productive hours to maintain my income, but i do not wish to do that. I am one of the lucky ones, i do not have any debt and i have also managed to put a few bob away during the good times, for bad times such as now.

YOUR COMMENT:-

so now its time to â€œput up or shut upâ€! as you quoting figures you have not got a clue about !!

is quite apt, i do not have access to your journey numbers, but i would be very surprised if they have not fallen by a significant amount over the past year. That is where you can help your hard pressed drivers, by cutting the rent that you charge, when the good times return by all means increase it again. We as a trade are faced with higher fuel bills, higher servicing/repair costs etc, there is very little we can do about that, so come on be fair and reduce your rent, even if its only by Â£20 a week, we are all feeling the crunch.

[Reply]
Comment by john dodds on 6 September 2008:

Just a quick comment,
The 2 drivers you issued the challenge to,Mr Shanks,would they be working in your own area,where presumably you have an operators license to run NT plated cars…or would they be in Newcastle,where with the exception of 3/4 hackney plates,you do not have any Newcastle PH plates,only your beloved `Berwick bandits,or NT plates illegally parked all over the place.
If the two drivers worked the hours suggested,I`m sure you are correct,for 10 hr shift I would expect to make at least Â£50.
But then I work within my license conditions,which I cant say for some people.
Incidentally,how many cars have you got now, must be inexcess of 300/400,I wonder if they would all make a living in NT only,or do they only put your radio in in order to `flimp` in Town.
Incidentally,as Newcastle licensing enforcement is less then `0`,when are you going to get Noddy and Bigears working the Town on Berwick plates. Rumour has it Berwick are going `green`,plating these new 2 seater electric cars as taxis.

[Reply]
Comment by BLT driver and proud of it on 6 September 2008:

ive watched this site for a while now and feel that its time to comment on some of the things that have been posted on here.
I’ve been at BLT for only two tears but in the trade for 16 on both sides of the fence and i can honestly say that the majority of you just seen keen on slagging other people off, im better off financially now than i was 15/16 year ago but thats beceause i work hard for what i have, i work when the work is out there- we provide a service for the public which want our services for the leisure time ie Friday/ Saturday nights. the market for taxis has changed over the years, yeah sure, i’d like to work mon-fri 7-4 or 5 but it wouldnt pay the bills so i work weekend nights and do good money at BLT.

I’m not known to any of he call takers or dispatchers, i’m a number on the screen but i do well. i just keep my head down and do the job, i’m polite and pleasant to disptchers at all times, they are human just like you and i.

If i was to just work Fri, Sat and sunday nights doing say 12-13 hour shifts i could get by, no problem.

I live on my own, pay my bills like everyone else, i dont claim a penny from the state other than single persons council tax allowance

I’m a NT plated P/H driver who doesn’t flimp, ever! i dont need to, i can earn my money honestly.

Drivers who dont like the current taxi situation should consider retraining in another field of work, if i wasn’t making the money i would.

I’m not kissing Ian Shank’s ass here but look at what he does for the drivers in terms of advertising on radio, busses etc and more recently on TV.

Yeah sure it benifits him in the long run but remember, he’s a businessman like you and i, just on a larger scale.

Not all drivers on here are doing the name calling, some have very valid points but those who are should go back to the playground

[Reply]
Comment by ian shanks on 6 September 2008:

Mr harrington maybe its because your winding down that your money is dropping and not because the work is not there. i welcome you to my office and will show you many more facts and figures to back my claim up and about the work load WE are lucky to have and often fail to cover.
I guess what i am saying is that i believe the industry is growing as public transport is failing in some respects and taxis can be cost affective certainly when sharing. i also believe many drivers are complaining and it maybe because their working practices are wrong ? that maybe because they are reluctant to join a office or maybe its the office they work for that fails them i honestly don’t know all i do know is drivers surely want to make money ! and if some one like me has a busy office and the means for a driver to make more money than they are presently earning why let the envy of that person get in the way.

so this goes back to my challenge ! if a driver doubts the earning potential of my office and what it can earn him, i will offer him a free period to prove the point either way! because i firmly believe drivers can make more money than they are claiming they are.

but we have rules and a regime that must be followed if anyone wishes to take me up on that.

PS Mr Harrington, Well done to getting to your retirement age as a working man, i hope your enjoy it when it comes

MR DODDS

This is not about areas and nor should it be we have far to many restriants on our industry as it is. you seem to be suggesting that if a Newcastle hack that drives over the tyne bridge could not take a booking until he is back in his own patch, or should not answer his mobile until he crosses his boundry back into his own area !!

your MOT test allows you to operate your car anywhere in the UK a PSV and HGV operator once licenced can operate anywhere in the UK. So why should a TAXI or P/H car be locked into one area ? i am a firm believer in a licence to simply allow us to trade for reward and hire anywhere, as the public does not understand when a Newcastle hack comes down gateshead high street why he can not stop etc.

but we are not going to agree and don’t want to start a slagging match so please lets not !

if a driver is to work a 9 or 10 hours shift i would expect him to make Â£10 per hour minimum or the job is not a good option with his running costs.

We are “ALL” a public transport system that offers a door to door service 24 hours of day every day of the week that no one else can or does offer. This trade is complicated and restrained by old and silly rules and conditions such as what your seem to believe in. lets just take people from A-B for reward and hire under some far simpler rules such as the PSV or HGV type licences operating under the sucess of our own doings.

please keep return comments constructive if we are to continue debate !!

[Reply]
Comment by Stephen (FKA Central Enth.) on 6 September 2008:

Mr Shanks
Nice to see a operator involved in a discussion on here!
You have challenged two drivers to work for you, but what if there vehicle is registered pre 51 plate?, I believe that if the council pass it then if a operator needs cars then he should just take it on. Age limits on Cars = Buy the Car off the operator for Â£100 per week!
Many drivers (self employed) find it hard to get finance, so they are stuck at rubbish offices with their slightly older vehicle, you and Mr Irwin with the better offices put Age limits on Cars, which I think is unfair.
As long as the Car is clean, not rusty and most of all the Driver is polite and helpful then you should allow them to give your office a try!
Personally I don’t believe the comment from BLT driver, nothing against you, but you cannot survive on weekends only at a big office, because their is too many Drivers working and not enough work!!!!
I proved this recently, I worked for non other than Eastcoast Taxis two years ago, it was a great Office, great standards, great work and clientel, Mr Irwin seemed to be a decent Guy too, during my spell I was introduced to th “B” word..you know what I mean, I got a lot of hassle driving a Berwick car around (company), as I was in the main area of the Hacks!!!, so I left and became a Horrible, Evil, Tattoo clad, Thugish Central Driver!!!!.
Anyway without going into reason I chose to go back recently to Eastcoast, I was shocked that all the Work had gone and the Company was littered with Bandits, 6 cars in every zone, PANIC set in and I escaped back to the delights of Railway Terrace!, any Office with 200+ drivers will be a struggle for any honest driver, I know a few of your lads and they feel the same, the work has gone and the place is littered with Bandits.
Regards
Stephen
P.S. Do you know that this will be the 15th Monday coming I have had to borrow money off my lass to pay Graeme for a Doblo?? (Â£283.00)

[Reply]
Comment by ian shanks on 7 September 2008:

Stephen,

i here what you say BUT as an operator i have made rules and standards as i see fit for the benefit of my business and i prefer not to start cars older than 51 plate as we require a more modern image to our fleet. BUT for the purpose of showing drivers that my office can make drivers money (and good money at that) i will put that rule to one side for the trail period only.

you say you pay Â£283 a week for a doblo !! when you can hire out cars for far less ! i myself rent out cars for Â£215 plus insurance about Â£250 inclusive that’s your first mistake paying Â£33 a week more than you need, but i guess its because its a hack plate and your more concerned about the plate than the money you can earn.

this goes back to we simply carry people form A-B for money and making a living while i believe hacks seem to have different priorities of not having to answer to people and doing want they want without being under the control of a office.
If it works for them well done, but if it don’t, swallow your pride and try a office as its all about making a living as we have discussed.

you say the work has gone !! i have just looked at last nights calls we answered 11,503 for 24 hours we lost 1931, answering only 9572 calls not everyone maybe a job lots are just being told sorry we are fully booked at that time ! but many can be turned into jobs if we have the cars available and i need to have the ability to answer the 1931 lost calls to see if i could get them a cars.

anyway some people might poo poo what i am saying as nonsense so i am prepared to back up everything i claim by inviting anyone who wishes to our office to see it for real.

i can back up what i say and not many people on this sight can say the same when they quote their facts and figures, so should i sit near the phone ???

[Reply]
Comment by BLT driver and proud of it on 7 September 2008:

Dear Stephen (central enthusiast)
I read in your comments to I.S. that you do not believe that you can make it pay at a large office on weekends alone- you should try it mate, it is possible, there is outstanding work on the screen 99% of time on weekend nights.

I found out pretty soon after i started at BLT that its best to bid than just sit and wait for the graft to come to you, i will bid for anything that i can get too within 10-15mins and it pays off, even if the job is only a Â£3-Â£4 job then 9 times out of 10 it leads onto something better.

This job is a game of chance- thats the same in all self employment,

I am amazed at drivers who moan that they struggle to earn a living here at BLT, when they tell you this can they tell you how many hours they have worked to earn as little as they claim?

I will keep a record this week as to my hours, miles travelled from 1st pick up to last drop off, and taking and then post them on this site.

I would like to once again state for the record that I AM NOT KNOWN TO THE CALLTAKERS, THE DISPATCHERS, I AM JUST A NUMBER ON A SCREEN WHO PAYS Â£100 PER WEEK, NOR DO THE BLT MANAGEMENT KNOW WHO I AM ON THIS SITE.THERE IS NO ONE WITH A HAND UP MY AR*E MAKING MY MOUTH GO NOR AM I A PUPPET, NO ONE PULLS MY STRINGS.

Look out for my postings mate and if you tell me your plate number and i see you on the road i will introduce myself to you to prove im not dircetly linked to BLT ie, management, a company car driver or a multi seater driver.

Regards, BLT driver

[Reply]
Comment by thelighthousekeeper on 7 September 2008:

Dear Mr Shanks

I have read with interest the comments you make and the belief that Â£10 an hour Mininim is what you believe a Private Hire Driver on your rate would generate should they work 10 hours per shift generating say a Minimum of Â£100 per shift working as you said 5 shifts meaning around 50 hours work and generating a Minimum of Â£500 a week.

So lets look at your figures stated;

Office Rent Â£100 divided by 50 hours = Â£2 an hour
Vehicle RentÂ£250 divided by 50 hours = Â£5 an hour
THIS IS MY GUESS FIGURE FOR FUEL
Fuel at 14 Miles in an hour (7 MPL) = Â£2.40p an hour
(Fuel Â£1.20p a litre)

You will see we are upto Â£9.40p an hour, so even if the Â£2 Office Rent is included in the Â£250 Vehicle Rent and Insurance it will only reduce the figure to Â£7.40p an hour and so on your figures that could leave a WAGE of Â£2.60p an hour if no other expenses.

Do you really think your figure of Â£10 Minimum per hour still stands up now to be a good return for 50 Hours work when this would equal Â£500 Turnover for 50 Hours with Â£370 expences?

These were your quoted figures of Â£10 an Hour Minimum if you worked a 10 hour shift and should someone rent for Â£250 a week a vehicle from you and work 5 x 10 hour shifts.

I Hope you will answer this query about your stated figures IAN?

[Reply]
Comment by BLT driver and proud of it on 7 September 2008:

I’ve just read the previous posting by the lighthousekeeper and to be honest

Office rent Â£100 i agree
Vehicle rent Â£250 WRONG from what i make out its Â£250 a week for office rent, car hire/rental and insurance at BLT
all fuel is different but on a day shift to earn Â£100 i put in Â£18 so that will be Â£1.80 per hour not Â£2.40 as you state so yeah if you only do day shift working on Â£10 per hour then it is tight but lets all remember supply and demand- there is a greater demand at nights so you WILL earn more than Â£10p/h on a weekend night, i typically do Â£20 p/hour +tips on a friday and saturday night so if i do friday 13 hours same sat and say 10 hours @ Â£15 per hour on a Sunday thats typically Â£670 for a weekends work less Â£100 office rent, my insurance is with norwich union at Â£800 p/a say Â£16 p/week and fuel at a 5 to 1 ratio Â£135 for the shifts stated that leaves me with Â£440 for the weekend, now granted this is only my figures, my car is bought and paid for so i’m up a bit there but it still leaves me with a take home of more than Â£10 per hour before i pay my tax and National insurance, personal pension etc.

Some weekends are better than others but this is my goal if i work the 3 nights but most of the time i just do the Fri and Sat and potter on through the week, 5 or 6 hours a day for Mon, Tues and Wed, off Thurs, Fri and Sat night off Sunday

Its all about supply and demand, i supply my services when the customer demands it.

Theres nothing more i’d like other than to do mon-fri 7-5 but its just not gonna cut it so i’m flexible and work the weekends, its not hard to work that one out.

I guess we aren’t all wrong or all right on this subject but we all see the trade with our eyes, we all have an opinion and this is mine.

We make our own luck in this world.

Regards

[Reply]
Comment by Stephen (FKA Central Enth.) on 7 September 2008:

Mr Shanks
You wrote about me “you are more concerned about the plate than the money you can earn”….WRONG!
A Hack gives me the opportunity to earn both ways and helps me pay the Â£283 per week, I personally prefer a PH, but you cannot with just a PH at Central (with a Company car).
If their was a honest decent office where a PH driver could earn a living then I would be their like a shot with a PH or even a bandit mobile!!!!
If all your Drivers are as well off as BLT Driver, then why do some of them leave to go to Central & Eastcoast???
If a Driver can do Â£670 on a weekend, then why are some who have joined Central waiting 30 minutes + on Nile Street for a Â£2.30 job to the Meadowell, OR at Eastcoast why do they que up for ages waiting for a Job, when they can earn so much at your place???
If I can earn Â£670 at Blueline then I will be accross like a shot,Â£670 a week would do me, but sadly if I did it would be the same old story I BET, waiting a nearly a hour for a Â£2.50 job!
Regards
Stephen

[Reply]
Comment by yt on 7 September 2008:

Holy sh*t,BLT driver,I hope there aren’t any officers from Her Majestys Revenue and Customs looking at this site.They’ll think we all earn that much!In future,please be careful what you post on the WORLD WIDE web!!!!!

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Comment by kings school graduate on 7 September 2008:

hi did not want to enter this site of slagging each other off but having read the enthusiats recent remarks about earnings when he only works 6 hrs per night and routinely moves offices slagging the previous one. he recently wished to put an s reg car on my fleet but was refused and since ive read a recent blue line newsletter that they would not allow any central drivers to work for them as they often return after a very short period to live the rest of their lives in poverty as they cant get used to the ” vast working area” in this age of the sextant which is an east west navigation device using lunar distant message the process could take sevaral hours but as ive been told so could getting a job at blue line or does it cause great embaresment to see the drivers prefer to live off bread and sometimes water to work for central.

ps ian if you want him your welcome to him

[Reply]
Comment by admin on 7 September 2008:

I once said this site was becoming ‘Central Enthusiast.com’ I think it’s coming true! And I think we’ve done enough advertising for BlueLine maybe it’s time some other Topics were explored!

[Reply]
Comment by ian shanks on 7 September 2008:

Admin/Mr Walls

i am not advertising on your site simply trying to prove a point for those drivers who are making false and unqualified statements about THE JOB, and whom, because of their own working methods or times think this is a reflection on the whole trade. they then envy and blame the operators for their own failings if that’s what we can call it ?

so i have very little option to shut people up, than for them to understand or experience what goes on in the big wide world so they do not judge everyone else wrongly because operators like myself and Paul have invested and took chances to better ourselves

sorry if you feel this way and i will willing leave you site alone if you think this is a advertising platform for Blue Line !! i can always go back to local radio, TV, or mail.

or are you uncomfortable with my entry’s that i maybe trying to get my point over to some people and my offer clearly puts people in the put up or shut up position ?

Stephen if your car is as old as Mr Irwin Says i may have to put you into one of mine free of charge for the challenge period only as i think the public deserve better than a “S” reg car mate
drivers buying such shit is why the trade is perceived by many to still be in the dark ages !! but it could also be why the big operators are more successful ! as we supply good quality vehicles at reasonable prices ? its just a thought

Mr YT i normally dont like responding to people that don’t have the balls to provide their name but the revenue are not stupid and don’t get fooled by drivers who claim they earn nothing and work all the hours gods sends for the last 16 years or so!! what they do is get your MOT’s from the council from last year to this, register the mileage, then half it, get your rate per mile and that’s their starting point for your bill !! i am guessing your one of those drivers who uses this business to fill your pockets and avoids paying your dews unlike us that have to !! and its your claim you make nowt that sets the alarm bells of with them.

OH then you probably have the nerve to have ago at US operators !

ps ! Paul its only to see if some of the drivers who make unqualified statements about us wish to be shown they could be wrong i wont be letting cars less than 51 plates on any more as the fare paying public deserve better for their money.

admin let me know if you want me to pack my bags !!

[Reply]
Comment by BLT driver and proud of it on 7 September 2008:

Stephen (central enth)
watch my postings this week, i will do straight dayshifts and record my figures
i noticed you werent prepared to tell me ya plate number so i cant prove what i say isnt b***s**t but im willing to prove it to you should you tell me ya number

[Reply]
Comment by admin on 7 September 2008:

Mr Walls couldn’t build a site like this.

[Reply]
Comment by ian shanks on 7 September 2008:

will people have the balls to put their name on things or don’t expect a answer
Mr light house keeper !! what the f__K is that about !! read my post again
Your figures are all wrong as a driver does not pay Â£100 and also Â£250 for hire of a car its one or the other, maybe this is how you get so many people wound up as your figures are nonsense

if a driver is to work a 9 or 10 hours shift i would expect him to make Â£10 per hour minimum or the job is not a good option with his running costs.

its say minimum or the job is not a good option with his running costs!!

many of our drivers can and do often make more than that per hour depending on what they choose to work !!! so mr light house keeper i guess you could be a prime subject to take my challenge and try it out ? or is that beneath you ?

Mr blue line and proud of it !! thanks very much for your truthful judgements its nice to here something positive form any driver never mind one of my own.maybe i should be a operator proud to have a driver like you. i take it i don’t get to know who you are ??

[Reply]
Comment by yt on 7 September 2008:

Mr Shanks,that is not very nice!At no time,whilst contributing to this site,have I said anything derogatory about you or your business!
I do now,and have always,paid my “dues”,as you put it.
I would also say that about 90% of the people who visit this site know who I am.But, if it pleases you sir,I will, in future,when contributing to this site,use my real name!

[Reply]
Comment by thelighthousekeeper on 7 September 2008:

Dear Mr Shanks

I wish to clarify I am not part of the admin on this site, and the last thing I want to do is get invovled in silly slanging matches with you or anybody else, as there are far to many other writers on here who do that.

If you recall a few years ago we had a conversation about the Foreign Drivers, but I will not go into that old chestnut, and I said that I thought on average in 2006 that Â£13 a hour was the average turnover per hour for a driver if they worked Private Hire, and at that time you agreed that I was about right in that calculation, and so when you quoted in your posting on here 6th September to Mr Dodds that Â£10 an hour was the Minimum for a 10 hour shift as a figure, and then later in your posting to the Central Enthusiast that you rent out cars for less than Â£283 and quoted a figure of Â£250 a week, I simply did the maths using your figures, as I thought you were implying the Â£13 an Hour figure had reduced now to around Â£10 an hour and so therefore multiplied by 50 hours Â£10 to give the Â£500 a week figure.

The BLT Drivers figures of Â£670 for his 5 days is of course very close to my Â£13 an hour figure because if you multiplied that by 50 hours then it means Â£130 a day times 5 days equals Â£650 a week, but quite clearly as the driver stated they worked 13 hours on Friday and Saturday meaning they probably returned more than Â£130 on these 2 days and less than Â£130 on the other days.
Although I do have some difficulty in understanding his fuel figures of only Â£18 per shift to give the figure Â£1.80p, as that only works out at Â£90 a week not Â£135 meaning a difference of Â£45 that would mean this Driver has a very fuel efficent vehicle to be able to return such figures for so little fuel costs as he clearly stated in an early posting where he stated that he bids for work that is within 10-15 minutes of where he is, meaning does the vehicle run on air between hirings to reach its next hiring and the mileage does not register and therefore returning more fuel efficency I wonder?

My only point was at Â£10 an hour less Â£5 for your Vehicle as Â£250 divided by 5 days is Â£50 a day divided by 10 hours means Â£5 an hour and Â£2.40 for fuel as the vehicle probably returns around 7 miles per litre of fuel and to generate Â£10 I was guessing you would have to do around 14 miles including the dead miles between hirings and on average from accepting to dropping off the fare it probably takes around 20 minutes per hiring meaning 3 hirings an hour or 30 per 10 hour shift, that would mean around Â£7.40p in expenses an hour was my point and nothing more.

I am not in anyway trying to put down your way of managing your company, just expressing a simple point that Â£10 per hour is not enough to give a driver a good living was my only point that I was trying to clarify.

I hope you understand the point I was trying to make a little clearer now, as I think some of the other commentors on the site may have rattled you into mistakingly thinking I was stating something I clearly was not.

I thought we were only debating on a sensible level and hope this clears up any misunderstanding that there may have been by other people getting involved?

I do not think for the record you are using this site to promote your own business and hope you continue to answer questions that are put forward in a sensible way.

Thank You for reading this posting.

[Reply]
Comment by ian shanks on 7 September 2008:

Mr Walls i did say that Â£10 was a minimum a driver need to make or the job was not worth doing ! meaning that’s his starting point

i also believe that drivers within blue line can benefit from reduced dead mileage if they choose ! as we have much work in many areas so they do have this choice and often take it

most of our drivers working the system to their benefits can and do make well over the suggested levels and i am reluctant to state figure as gospel as there is no guarantees

but it is my belief drivers have and do often when working the busier shifts of the week can average Â£20 per hour and it has been suggested more and they deserve every penny.

Its my job to sustain it and better it if i can

the only way we can prove to you that our way of making money may be better than the one you have choose at present is get you on the circuit and let you see for yourself !! YOU UP FOR IT ?

ps your figure above were a little misleading as you were adding a drivers rent with a car rent to achieve Â£9.40 which was never going to be the case as you either pay Â£100 as owner or Â£250 (inc ins) for company car including rent

[Reply]
Comment by Stephen on 8 September 2008:

BREAKING NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!
I am NO LONGER employed at CENTRAL TAXIS!

Mr Shanks, kings school graduate is NOT Mr Irwin, it’s Graeme!
kings school graduate wrote;
“he wished to put a S reg car on my fleet but was refused”, I think you have memory loss Mr K!, it was only a few months ago you were more than happy to take Â£258 per week for that rusty old N REG 1995-1996 Mondeo off me! (the Banger down the lane), and what about your Cavalier boys L,M,N reg????…what sort of image is that????
And your Doblo’s……say no more!, filthy inside, doors not closing properly, punctured tyres, bodywork damage etc.
I think a 1979 Cortina would be suffice for your establishment!
ANYWAY GOT YOUR HINT IN YOUR COMMENT!…SO I AM OFF!
ADMIN I WILL PACK MY BAGS TOO!…IF YOU WANT!

[Reply]
Comment by BLT and proud of it on 8 September 2008:

mr lighthousekeeper

read again mate Â£670 over 3 weekend nights, i do my sums before my posting NOT OVER 5 DAYS AD YOU IMPLY
doing a couple of dayshifts this week to prove to you a point mileages, fuel used, hourly rate etc etc

Also- sorry IAN, im happy to stay annon for the purpose of this exercise/debate

regards,
BLT driver and proud of it

[Reply]
Comment by tc on 8 September 2008:

There`s arguements on both sides of the fence for p/h & hacks, .. I sincerley think that we all would benefit if authorities would make 1 driver 1 badge 1 car NO part timers rushing home from work to jump in a taxi/ph to do an equal amount of hours as they have just done at work to subsidise or top the incomes be it for over spending, spouses or hols or what ever. a mean on the grounds of saftey alone it can’t be right, talking about safety i remember being at a licensing meeting some years ago when the hackney carriage trade tried to get a compulsury training course put through licensing so drivers would have to obtain it before they got a badge to drive the public about , but it was rejected because two big companys said it would deter persons coming into the trade .( so councillors voted to reject it ) now i find it rich that the same companys like to say how important driver training is,as for the argument over earning potentials i think the p/h`s have the oppertuntity to win hands down so why the bashing of the hack trade i cant understand, it is not easy to work the streets so its fair to say the hackney carriages should be left well alone to try and salvage what trade they have left, the other thing that niggles me while where down here having bitch fights the so called old men of the trade ( the AIRPORT ) have alot to answer for especially when it comes to out of town licensing,

[Reply]
Comment by Stephen (FKA Central Enth.) on 8 September 2008:

Dear Admin
PLEASE READ ALL!
It’s been brought to attention that some of my recent comments have been taken THE WRONG WAY by certain individuals.
1./ I recently wrote that company car Hacks are worse off than Hack drivers, that only interprets that if you own your car and plate outright then you are a little better off, it was no dig at any individual.
2./ ON TWO TOPICS I QUOTED THAT CENTRAL DRIVERS ARE PERCIEVED AS TATTOO CLAD THUGS! - THIS IS NOT MY PERCEPTION OF THE DRIVERS AT CENTRAL, THIS WAS A REFERENCE TO ANOTHER OPERATOR WHO REFUSED MY APPLICATION TO WORK FOR HIM, ONE OF HIS EMPLOYEES QUOTED TO ME ON APPLICATION THAT ALL CENTRAL DRIVERS ARE THUGS WITH TATTOO’S THAT SHOUT AT HIS CALL TAKERS…I STRESS EMPLOYEE!, THE CERTAIN OPERATOR HAS STATED ON THIS SITE THAT THAT INCIDENT WAS OUT OF HIS CONTROL AT THE TIME!
IF MR KENNEDY AND JOE STEEL TAKE TIME TO READ MY EARLY POSTINGS THEN THEY WILL KNOW THAT I WAS STICKING UP FOR THE DRIVERS AND COMPANY, I GOT INVOLVED WITH HEATED DEBATES WITH HACK DRIVERS OVER THIS, BUT I RESPECT THEIR VIEWS AND THEIR IS MORE PEOPLE COME ON HERE NOW TO DISCUSS OTHER ISSUES. “LOOK AT MY USER NAME”
3./ I DONT HIDE BEHIND A COMPUTER AND MAKE COMMENTS, MOST OF YOU GUYS AND GIRLS KNOW WHO I AM, BUT FOR THE RECORD I WILL LEAVE MY NAME AND CALL SIGN AT CENTRAL AT THE END OF THIS TOPIC.
4./ AS A EMPLOYEE AT MY CURRENT OFFICE, I HAVE THE RIGHT TO COMPLAIN TO MANAGEMENT ABOUT ANY ISSUES THAT ARISE.
5./ A COMMENT WAS MADE ABOUT MY WORKING HOURS, I DO WORK 5-7 HOURS A SHIFT MON - WED AND INCREASE THAT OVER THE WEEKEND, JUST LIKE BLT DRIVER, I HAVE NEVER SAID THAT I DO 100 HOURS ANY MAKE NOWT, IF I DID 100 HOURS AT CENTRAL THEN I WOULD EARN BETTER THAN BLT DRIVER!!!
6./ I STATED THAT I STRUGGLE TO PAY Â£283 PER WEEK, THIS WAS REFERENCE TO THE GENERAL DOWNTURN WITHIN THE TRADE, ALSO I COULD DO MORE HOURS MID WEEK.
7./ I HAVE NOT TAKEN MR SHANK’S KIND OFFER UP TO WORK FOR HIM, I DON’T SEE IT AS A CHALLENGE, DESPITE ISSUES THAT I HAVE COMMENTED ON, CENTRAL IS A MORE RELAXED OFFICE FOR ME AS A EMPLOYEE, THE WORK IS COMPACT SO THAT YOU KNOW WHERE YOU ARE GOING, IN TURN PROVIDING A EFFICIENT SERVICE TO THE CUSTOMER, ALSO GRAEME GIVES YOU MORE AUTONOMY WHEN DEALING WITH DIFFICULT CUSTOMERS, HE WON’T JUST SACK YOU IF HE RECIEVES A COMPLAINT.
8./ I ATTACKED CENTRAL ABOUT MY CAR BEING REFUSED, I WAS UNAWARE MR K HAD PUT A AGE LIMIT ON HIS VEHICLES, I TOOK IT PERSONALLY, BUT GRAEME HAS SINCE ASSURED ME THIS RULE APPLIES TO ALL, IF HE WANTS I WOULD BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO DO A NEWSLETTER FOR HIM (JUST LIKE BLT’S & EASTCOAST) TO GIVE TO HIS DRIVERS WITH ANY CHANGES THAT HE HAS MADE, RATHER THAN GETTING TWISTED 10TH HANDED STORIES OFF OTHER DRIVERS THAT DON’T WORK AT CENTRAL.

THIS IS APOLOGY TO ANYONE WHO HAS BEEN OFFENDED BY MY COMMENTS (ALL OF YOU, BUT PLEASE READ THE TOPIC THAT ADMIN HAVE CLEARLY PUT ON, DON’T JUST READ ONE COMMENT FROM SOMEONE YOU DON’T LIKE (ME).
P.S I WILL CONTINUE TO ENGAGE WITH DISCUSSIONS AND WILL TRY AND ENDEAVOUR TO MAKE MY COMMENTS CLEARER.
I DO AGREE WITH MR SHANKS ABOUT USER NAMES, WE ARE ALL ADULTS AND THE EVIDENCE IS OFTEN IN THE GALLERY!!!!
I STILL MAINTAIN MY VIEWS ON BERWICK, THAT IS ONLY OPINION AND REMEMBER I HAVE A BERWICK BADGE TOO!
I FEEL THAT ADMIN MODERATE THIS SITE VERY WELL DESPITE INDIVIDUALS BEING UPSET, REMEMBER UNTIL ONE OF US CAN CHANGE THE SITUATION WITHIN THE TRADE, THIS IS ONLY BANTER BETWEEN RIVAL LICENSES AND FIRMS!!!!!!!!!

[Reply]
Comment by Stephen on 8 September 2008:

TO ALL WHO THINK I HIDE BEHIND A COMPUTER
MY NAME IS STEPHEN ARTHUR DRIVER NO. @ CENTRAL 75 (CURRENTLY), DRIVING PLATE NO.186
I HOPE THIS CLARIFIES WHO I AM ANYWAY
REGARDS
STEPHEN

[Reply]
Comment by BLT driver and proud of it on 8 September 2008:

Stephen (the 1 time central enth)

Mondays figures as promised

1st job 07.30
last job clear by 16.10
8hours 40 mins less time out to pay rent, do banking and grab a quick KFC 40 mins max
working time 8 hours total
total miles from 1st pick up point to last drop off point 126.1
takings Â£124.40
just over 98pence per mile
my car runs at 42mpg so thats 3 gallon @ Â£5.50 per gallon Â£16.50 fuel

my sums are this

Â£124.40
-Â£16.50 fuel
-Â£16.66 rent (im working six days this week)
-Â£ 4.00 maintenance (i work at Â£20-Â£25 per week)
Â£ 87.24 left in my wallet for 8 hours work

That equates to Â£10.90 per hour after overheads, if you want to deduct my insurance which i pay annually then take off another Â£2.78 per day which will bring me down to Â£84.86 or Â£10.55p/hour

Dont believe me? thats your lookout, i know what ive done and its as ive stated above and look, still no hand up my ar*e or strings attatched like a puppet.

Im’ away to the pub for a couple of pints, because i can

regards

[Reply]
Comment by thelighthousekeeper on 8 September 2008:

Thank You Mr Shanks for the very kind offer of a FREE TRAIL PERIOD to see things for myself and I would be UP FOR IT? as you put it, if I did not have other contractual obligations that I have had since June this year between Monday to Saturday, meaning Sunday is my only Day of Rest.

I am always willing to see for myself if something is as people state it is and that is why for 3 months in 2006 I conducted a similar experiment to establish the average turnover of Â£13 per hour working at another Private Hire Operation, based over the week, that I used in my calculations.

If I did not have the other contractual obligations, as I said, I would be up for the challenge, but as 1 Hour only has 60 minutes as it did in 2006, I still think that about 3 Hirings an Hour is the maximum achievable because of the travelling between hirings that would make that figure hard to beat with the public very rarely ready when a Private Hire Vehicle arrives, meaning around 30 Hirings in a 10 Hour Shift.

I do think that your phone call figures are very good, but like all businesses there comes a point where a saturation point is reached and to push harder for better figures will start to affect a Drivers Income because more vehicles for the busy weekends, then when it is not so busy and the phone does not ring as often for whatever reason at a weekend, then that tends to mean those weekend vehicles start working the rest of the week that are clearly the quieter times and those other drivers suffer as the weekend vehicles try to recoupe their lost revenue from the weekend and all drivers then suffer unlike the Office Owner who has their guarenteed revenue. (Its a fine balancing act)

I wish you well and hope other drivers who are willing to experience your large operation well should they be willing to undertake your challenge and should my contractual obligations change then I will take up your challenge at some point in the future, even of it is just to see how much has changed in relation to the figures that are achievable based over the full week and possibly a full month.

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR CHALLENGE.

[Reply]
Comment by P/H driver on 8 September 2008:

BLT and proud of it. You might not ave anyone up your backside pulling strings but you seem to be stuck a long way up a backside yerself mate! You must be the only person in the World at the minute who is awash with cash, this is the worst recession in 60 years,credit crunch! etc. an you are swimmin in it. get real mate I bet the Tax man doesnt even believe you. An iâ€™m not givin my name out!

[Reply]
Comment by ian shanks on 8 September 2008:

well well !

Mr Kennedy i think Stephen has back tracked and sucked up enough to give him his job back ! please reconsider as he will be OK for another short period. remember its not just his rent he brings to the office but 30 jobs a day or 150 a week he potentially can cover for you and the office.

Stephen you have indeed the right to have your say as we all do and as you have said its not meant to offend Hope you get your job back !

ps Just don’t understand the below comments if your borrowing money to work it makes no sense

“Quote sptephen”
Do you know that this will be the 15th Monday coming I have had to borrow money off my lass to pay Graeme for a Doblo?? (Â£283.00)

Mr Walls,

you need to move on from 2006 figures as they may well have been wrong back then ! i noticed that one issue you may be tripping up on is assuming all drivers have dead mileage driving back to their patch to get the next job. this is not the case in larger offices, so therefor you can do more jobs making more money per hour in less time !!

your perception of what happens when fleets get bigger is so so wrong !! you can look at the success of DELTA cars in Liverpool now with 1470 vehicles and doing over 16,000 hirings on a weekend day.

Aqua Cars Portsmouth 780 cars , Glasgow Private Hire 840 and with his associated company’s over 2000 with combined offices inc Edinburgh. what really happens as work and cars grow is there is less dead mileage for cars to cover to get to next job creating more paid miles ! its sometimes drivers reluctance to work in a areas they are not used to that makes them loose a lot of time driving back to their prefered patch empty when they could be full.

but you are correct in that its a fine balance for me as a operator not to get to many cars for the work we have at that particular time. but as we refuse or loose calls we need to add more vehicles to build and secure more work. more work can mean less dead miles means more revenue for drivers better response time for customers.

i have done some work with a couple of drivers from Saturday night and their estimated hourly rates is between low end of Â£15 to as much as Â£31.50 per hour and thats from the drivers them selves

i can back up my statements if anyone wishes to challenge what i have claimed but my honest driver above seems have done me proud

wish their were more like him !! fair and honest

any way a lot of previous posting about the trade being dead and people struggling can now be put to bed because as shite as if you are its your own doing as there is work out there to be had if you put you envy and dislikes to one side.

[Reply]
Comment by Stephen (FKA Central Enth.) on 9 September 2008:

BLT driver!
Why won’t you show your name????
Mr shanks has stated that he wonders why people on here hide behind user names!
I have fallen foul to folk like you at 3/4 offices that I have worked at, I have spoken to drivers who have earned a considerable amount more than me, I have challenged the operator and they have shown me the Drivers work for that particular day and it has’nt even been half of what they claim!, two occasions I have left the Office.
BLT Man!…you have’nt called anyone names or slagged another operator off, so why don’t you stick your name on!
I think you are talking total utter B*llocks, I know two honest BLT boys who bang the hours in and they only do Â£70-Â£80 per day max (Gross) weekdays.
Regards
Stephen

[Reply]
Comment by BLT driver and proud of it on 9 September 2008:

Dear Ph driver

you think im up someones backside, presumably Ians but he doesnt know who i am nor will i tell him who i am should he ever ask.
if you look at Stephen the central enthusiasts post you will notice that he claims he can earn more than me working at central!

i was gonna post my takings for today to prove a point but if you wanna do the negative thing well i wont bother but just stop and ask yourself this, if theres a credit crunch going on then how come theres a dramatic increase in the number of quality cars out there working as PH/taxis, i’ve noticed myself that recently there is a few more Mercs working at BLT (i myself dont own one but ive a decent motor)if drivers aint making it then they wont be buying ‘quality motors’

you just think what you wanna think, i know what i make and for the record i declare all my takings and tips- my house is in order, i sleep well at night.

i shall withdraw from making anymore postings on this site as i dont do playground squabbles.

Regards

[Reply]
Comment by BLT driver and proud of it on 9 September 2008:

Stephen, you just havent got a clue have you? i wont put my name to it to prove a point- if Ian knew who i was then YOU would say he’s feeding me- think about it

i dont need to try and impress you, i dont know you from Adam but you wont take up an offer of free car and rent for a week will you? it speaks volumes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
TTFN

[Reply]
Comment by P/H driver on 9 September 2008:

BLT and Proud of it. Your Proper Huffy you mate. Get a grip,how do you manage drivin a Taxi if you cannot take a bit of stick? On a serious note I looked at your figures and they look good but you arn’t looking at the long term,i.e. wear & tear,depreciation etc, and as for people getting flash cars with high payments,do they work to pay for a car or do they work to make a living.It’s all well and good to have a nice car but it breaks your heart the way the punters treat them. Anyway get over yer huff and lets see the rest of the weeks takings,you may convert me and a few others.

[Reply]
Comment by BLT driver and proud of it on 9 September 2008:

P/H driver

first job tues 07.45
clear by 16.05
8 hrs 20 mins, greggs for pasties today no KFC so say less 10 -15 mins
working day 8hrs 10mins

Â£111.60 for 121miles
92 pence per mile
hourly gross rate
Â£13.95

summary
Â£111.60
-Â£16.66 rent
-Â£16.50 fuel
-Â£ 4.00 maintenance
Â£74.44 in my wallet
hourly rate Â£9.30

Wednesday im only able to work till bout 13.30 hrs as hsve dental appointment but will post again if you wish

i aint huffy but we need to remember this isnt an arguement its just me putting my side over, the job is what you make it.
i’m choosing to remain anon so no one can say im being fed, poked etc

if you do decide to give it a go at BLT then let me know so i can claim my free ‘introduce a friend’ week from BLT lol

regards

[Reply]
Comment by ian shanks on 10 September 2008:

BLT driver when you announce who you are you will be getting a extra free week for simply be honest and helpful to prove the point that is only those that are rigid in their working that may be causing them to make the little money they claim.

but i will also guess as it is with some drivers within our own fleet, is that they all believe they do 10 hour days and make nowt ! when in fact, when you look at their working days they simply do not do the time.

just done a similar exercise with some drivers and found one driver always driving back to forest hall areas after every job against a driver who took a job anywhere he cleared !! made a huge difference in takings.

oh ! its not as simply as drivers wanting to start at a office when the driver wants to ! its down to the office needing more drivers at the time without affecting other drivers takings, maybe waiting lists, the calibre of car and the driver in some cases. and also if the office has spare kit !

thanks again BLT driver

[Reply]
Comment by Stephen (FKA Central Enth.) on 10 September 2008:

I think this site has become “BLT Driver’s” Account book 2007-2008!
That’s if he is real of course!
I think he is either….. I STRESS THINK!!!!!
a./ Part of Management/Ownership
b./ Mr Shanks already knows who he is and employs him to write this propaganda
c./ Frequent user “yt” may be right by suggesting this is recruitment for BLT
d./ Mr Shanks himself under a different user name
e./ Friend or Family member of Mr Shanks
f./ A complete seperate user, just causing a stir on here (That’s my job by the way!)
g./ Are just some dreamer winding everyone up and really only makes about Â£60 a day

P.S Spoke to a BLT driver this morning who had only done Â£12.40 in 2hrs 5 mins!!!!!!!!!!
Regards
Stephen

[Reply]
Comment by BLT driver and proud of it on 10 September 2008:

Cheers Ian for that but do i have to announce on here who i am or just to you?

Anyway, moving on to todays half shift that i worked starting my first job at 09.10 hours (my alarm clock wanted a lye in this morning) and finishing my last job at 13.05 hours making only four hours work today and it was the quietest day of the week so far

figures as follows

Â£48.80
-Â£16.66 rent
-Â£10.00 fuel
-Â£ 4.00 maintenance
Â£18.14 in my wallet

Not a lot granted but lets remember the rent and maintenance is the same even if id have worked 18 hours but-

54.1 mile for Â£48.80 still equates to 90 pence per mile, not bad for a quiet shift and it was still Â£12.20 per hour gross + tips

I spoke to a mate who works for another ‘data equipped’ office (i wont name them) and in 90 minutes he was at work this morning he took a whopping Â£1.40

im off tomorrow, got a hot date with a service on a mates car but i will work Friday and Saturday night as stated in the taxi drivers bible ‘THOU SHALL WORK THE BUSY WEEKEND SHIFTS’ and if i still need to prove the point i will work Sunday afternoon and evening.

Anyone still doubting my takings and working hours? maybe if i tell Ian who i am he will confirm my hours to you all!!!!!!!!

TTFN

[Reply]
Comment by BLT driver and proud of it on 10 September 2008:

Stephen,

im an owner driver, my own car not one of Ians.

Ian doesn’t know who i am but im tempted to tell him, i’m up for a weeks free rent!

this isnt recruitment for BLT

I AM NOT Ian Shanks

Nor am i a family member or a personal friend of anyone else at BLT

I’m not trying to cause a stir Stephen, no one does it like you mate!

I’m not a dreamer either, this is factual

your BLT driver this morning may well have only done as you state but does he actively ‘bid’ for work as i do? not forgetting that some zones move faster than others and a good job with a follow on can change your day!

TTFN Stephen

[Reply]
Comment by thelighthousekeeper on 10 September 2008:

Now Now Stephen!!!

It takes a long time for the Conductor of the Choir to train his Lead Chorister to Singing so well, and we should applaud his or her performance as it is very entertaining for all to read.

My only complaint is, they do not state how many jobs they are doing on these shifts they are writing about, as that would identify the average Hiring Cost would it not Stephen?

Stephen with the Super Computer System that enables Owners to be able to check a Drivers Revenue per Shift, it is also very easy to check which vehicles got there first job at the times stated meaning of course MR Shanks has probably an idea of who the Driver is, as he can track all the Drivers if he wishes to, as this driver also stated the time they cleared their last Hiring on the shift, meaning like a scratch card you identify the pair and match up the vehicle numbers starting and finishing Monday, then starting and finshing on Tuesday at those times reducing the possibilities of who the Driver could be at Blueline.
Then another check of the figures quoted is achievable as the GPS TRACKING that registers the fares charged per Hiring by tracking the distance travelled using the ONE BLUELINE RATE means the Computer will be within a couple of quid of the Drivers figure.

I am not saying anyone is lying, but to establish Â£31.50p an Hour for every hour worked last weekend on the one Blueline Rate is very questionable? but I am not saying the person was lying, as they may have had another Rate on there meter that is not allowed of course.

KEEP THE POSTING OF FIGURES COMING BLT AND WILL YOU ADD THE NUMBER OF HIRINGS IN YOUR SHIFT PLEASE BECAUSE YOUR FIGURES ARE IMPRESSIVE OR YOU ARE JUST VERY LUCKY NEVER GETTING A LITTLE SHORT ONE.

[Reply]
Comment by Blt driver and proud of it on 10 September 2008:

sorry i neglected to add job cout, total so far for the week is 47 today i did only 7 but was only in for 4 hours, it was quiet like i stated. i dont know if Ian knows who i am but do you really think it would make a differance? i dont but i remain annon to the best of my knowledge so no one can say im being fed

[Reply]
Comment by ian shanks on 10 September 2008:

Mr walls !

1 i have other things to be doing with my day than acting as a detective for a driver i know can and will make money if they want to

2 the amount of jobs to me makes no difference its what you take home in profit for the hours your working and the miles you do !

3 no one said a driver made 31.50 every hour it was simply a variation on what drivers had made that night while carrying out work

and your doubts have set in again even thou my driver is giving you such detail so the only way is for you big mouths that have a lot to say about what can, is, and could be to get off your arse and work the real world of taxis !! or shut the hell up with your doubts and dissolution’s and disbeliefs.

BLT driver i thank you for what you have done and proved that if you want to work the money is there to be had, it is evident that no matter what you or i say will make any of these site visitors believe that it is what our drivers have available to them, collect your free rent when every you choose in the coming month but only make yourself known to our office staff or myself

it seems to me that certaiuns site vistors are simply frightened to be proven wrong and you just want to keep having cheap shots and pops at people becasue you thing everyone only makes what you make in your little worlds, and your simply scared to take my offer in the fear we are right and you are worng !

even your suggestions of this is a BLT recruitment campaign !! get a life. we have clearly put answers to all your comments and statements and proved much wrong in what you have claimed and even offered you to experience for yourself !! but you persist in disputing facts and figures truthful and honestly given to you ! i think you should be left to fester in you own little sad worlds now !!

[Reply]
Comment by Stephen (FKA Central Enth.) on 10 September 2008:

Mr Lighthouse Keeper
I am NO Magnum, Columbo, Miss Marple or Sherlock Holmes, but I have studied the text written by BLT Driver and Mr Shanks and it is very similar, sentences starting without out capital letters, generally the same style of paragraghs etc.
So I do wonder who’s who on here!
I agree with you about the Â£31.00 per hour on a weekend on such low rates, remember this firm does not have any set fares to the City Centre and Airport.
BLT Drivers take folk into the City for as low as Â£2.50, where the Coastal firms further away from Town have set fares ranging from Â£10.50-Â£12.00!
If he is real then he is dreaming during these quiet spells of the day!
Regards
Stephen

[Reply]
Comment by tc on 11 September 2008:

I’ll settle the takings argument ? Why don’t all the North Tyneside office proprieters give me a 2 weeks free trial 1 after the other, that leads me up to Xmas then i’ll gladly put my findings on this web site for all to see, thus settling the arguments ……

[Reply]
Comment by BLT and proud of it on 11 September 2008:

Stephen mate, you are like a jack russel, you get your teeth into something and won’t let go but i think you should go to specsavers, as you are barking up the wrong tree, maybe you need glasses so you don’t miss what’s infront of you ie the chance to earn good money for free with the week that Ian is offering you but hey-ho, your loss.

while we are on the subject of Ian i must say thank you to him for the free week, i will claim that on w/c Mon 15th if thats ok, its my birthday that week so i will be prove to you that i am who i say i am when i claim it.

as for you detective skills, well i’d hate you to be the detective investigating any crime that had beed commited- you’d find Nelson Mandella guilty of crimes against humanitty

TTFN

[Reply]
Comment by SC on 11 September 2008:

Stephen, I to drive for blueline and will back up the statements made by shankys and BLT and proud of it, I’d expect to make at least Â£100 per shift on a week day and around Â£200 on a weekend night if I do a 9 -10 hour shift. and as for a Â£31 hour on a weekend shift, its easy done when you see how far a field we take people, for example last Saturday night I had a job from town south to ashington (aboutÂ£22) , then on the way back i got cramlington to gateshead(about Â£15), which was a Â£37 hour. if i was you i’d take Ian up on his offer and start making good money.

[Reply]
Comment by thelighthousekeeper on 11 September 2008:

Hello Ian and BLT

I am SORRY if last nights comments by me were not taken as a bit of fun with Stephen (Central Enthusiast), to try to have a bit of light hearted banter instead of always being serious on here.

I have not become doubtful again, as I will go on to explain.

My original point was about the Â£10 Minimum Figure with the Â£7.40 expences figure giving that a vehicle for 10 hours worked out at Â£5.00p an Hour and fuel at around Â£2.40p an Hour for 14 Miles if the vehicle returned 7 Miles to a Litre of fuel and I GUESSED 14 MILES PER HOUR BEFORE THIS LITTLE EXPERIMENT STARTED. I did if you recall say in 2006, I thought Â£13 per Hour was the average generated working in the Private Hire Industry over a 3 Month Period back then, and I stress back then.

The BLT Driver Figures were granted only over 8 Hours, 8 Hours and 4 Hours and completed in their own vehicle of course, but lets look at them and I think we will both agree hopefully at the end of this, that in a way we are both right.

Monday Â£124.40 divided by 8 Hours = Â£15.55p
Mileage was 126 Miles divided by 8 Hours = 15.7 Miles an Hour

Tuesday Â£111.60 divided by 8 Hours = Â£13.95p
Mileage was 121 Miles divided by 8 Hours = 15.1 Miles an Hour

Wednesday Â£48.80 divided by 4 Hours = Â£12.20p
Mileage was 54 Miles divided by 4 Hours = 13.5 Miles an Hour

This exercise lasted only two and a half days generating Â£284.80p divided by 20 Hours = Â£14.24p an Hour and the Mileage was 301 Miles divided by 20 Hours = 15 Miles per Hour

Now if you take the Â£250 Vehicle Rent originally stated for 5 Days and reduce it to Â£125 as the experiment lasted only two and a half days then divided by the 20 Hours worked (Not 25 Hours as experiment was 8 Hour Days not 10) it equals Â£6.25p an Hour and then as we have 15 Miles in the Hour(not 14 Miles)we for this example will still show vehicle doing around 7 Miles to a Litre meaning at Â£1.20p a Litre a cost of Â£2.40p an Hour as not all vehicles will return 42 MPG.

This raises the Â£7.40p figure to around Â£8.65p as this example only worked 8 Hour Days, but as the Â£10 per Hour Minimum Figure has also risen to around Â£14.24p then a Driver on these figures would have made around Â£5.59p an Hour Gross if they had rented the Vehicle is what this little experiment has established on dayshift.

This little experiment therefore and I hope you will both agree proves around Â£14 can be generated per hour and around 15 Miles could be operated in an Hour to generate that Â£14.

I am a very fair and reasonable man who only ever wanted to debate this issue not argue about it, and therefore hope we have not all fallen out over this matter.

My name is Dave, as we are being open and honest hopefully at last and as I said in an earlier posting, should I ever not have my other Contractual Obligations then I would happily accept the trail period to see things for myself, just like I did in 2006 and my vehicle is a July 2003 vehicle with full leather trim that I purchased in September 2006 when it was 3 years old and therefore is not an old rust bucket you will be happy to hear and well serviced to the highest standards.

Take Care All.

[Reply]
Comment by Sam Harrington on 12 September 2008:

Dear lighthouse keeper, i started reading your post about figures… then fell asleep, anyway i am now awake and in the interests of the “staying awake brigade” a sample has been posted on the forum (where it displays correctly - almost). The link is:-
http://toomanytaxis.forumandco.com/taxi-earnings-costs-f6/typical-costs-per-earnings-t20.htm

If anyone wants the original spread-sheet to play around with let me know, it easily allows any combination of factors to be taken into account; such as hours, miles etc.

[Reply]
Comment by STREET HAWK on 12 September 2008:

Ive been watching this site for a while now and its all very fine and dandy how much yous claim to earn at BLT but i think its time to start taking things more seriously and get back to reality,someone mentioned before on this site about ph and hacks all getting together and have one office to benefit every driver not the owners of these offices who are getting rich through our hard work. We no it can be done, the reality of it is every one would have to stick together and being in touch with the right people we could make it happen. Why pay these extortionate fees what these offices are charging when we could create one big office at less than half the rent they are charging now and actually make some money, lets face it these big operators are rich now through some hard work of their own but mainly through their drivers making them rich.

[Reply]
Comment by ian shanks on 12 September 2008:

it will be interesting to see what your charges will be !!

after you have taken your 40% tax off it and 17% vat off it then various other forms of taxis before your running costs !!

let me know what you think is a fair rent to charge for creating a business with 50years of family service to in and the investment made from our personal pockets and the risks we have been at when using our houses as collateral etc etc

i am more than interested in your prospective figures, remember the government taken a starting point on 57 1/2 % off ever Â£100 minimum then you have your running costs and then future investment moneys than you need to find!!

i wait with anticipation ! in the mean time where can you spend Â£100 and get a return of more than Â£700/Â£800 0r even far more more for your money.

oh and wait til the envy sets in that your board of directors are getting more than you out of it for sitting in their nice offices, while you do all the graft on the streets.

[Reply]
Comment by S.Craig on 13 September 2008:

A co-operative is what I think the last commenter had in mind.Taxi co-ops can and have been very successful in recent years,one of the most successful taxi companies in the UK, Computer Cabs in London, was built around a small fleet of black cabs wanting to offer customers a better deal. The firm was floated on the AIM stockmarket in 1997 with a flotation value of 8.5 Million pounds and now has a fleet of 3,700 taxis, taking over 13,000 bookings a day. You make the Money you pay the Tax! We’re all businessmen here and as such we all understand the ins and outs of accounting. I for one would be keen to have a go at a co-operative. I think it would be interesting and as each member would be an owner I think they would work harder at making a success of such a venture. Maybe,Maybe not.

[Reply]
Comment by ian shanks on 13 September 2008:

you missed the point or should i say the question !!

what do YOU think is a fair rent to pay

and where can you get a 7/1 (and more if you wish) ratio return for your money.

[Reply]
Comment by thelighthousekeeper on 13 September 2008:

Hello Ian

This may surprise you, but I do agree with a lot of what you are saying in your last comment about any ideas about starting a workers co-operative Association Company and the Corporation Tax and VAT etc, etc.

Most people who go on about the IDEA, and I am not one of them, may I just make clear, who like the idea of a worker owned company, but I fear they would not be prepared to put up the kind of investment money required to make it successful along with all the headaches that would come with any such venture.

We are in a recession where even if someone was prepared to risk all they had to give it a go, they may find the banks would not be willing to assist in the current climate.

I would therefore conclude a status quo of what is already out there will remain unless the ones who want the idea, actually do what is required to establish the workers co-operative instead of just pushing for someone else to take up the challenge.

THEREFORE THE LIGHTHOUSE KEEPER, (NOT IAN SHANKS) CHALLENGES THE DRIVERS TO GO OUT AND SET IT UP THEMSELVES INSTEAD OF JUST PUTTING IT FORWARD ON HERE FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO TAKE ALL THE RISKS INVOLVED OR ARE YOU DRIVERS NOT PREPARED TO RISK WHAT YOU HAVE ALREADY, TO START IT GOING?

I do not want any arguements about this, as it will become very clear if only DEBATING ON THE SUBJECT CONTINUES, THAT IT IS NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN.

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR VENTURE.

[Reply]
Comment by RM on 13 September 2008:

I work for BLT,I do everything “proud of it” does,like bidding for work etc.But I don’t earn the kind of money he does.
I don’t know where he gets his figures from.And what about Shanksy? If he’s giving 57 1/2% of all he earns to the gov,he needs to get a new accountant!!
I’m getting bored with the “Ian Shanks Show” now,so can we talk about something else please?

[Reply]
Comment by S.Craig on 13 September 2008:

No, I didn’t miss your point Ian Shanks. I bet a Co-op could run the same business as you for around Â£50 weekly rent! That would be a Â£50 investment with a potential return of up to Â£700. You see a Co-op is for the benefit of the workforce not a single owner.When you do away with the owners’ wages you can cut down on Rent!

[Reply]
Comment by Steve on 13 September 2008:

Lighthouse Keeper stop bum licking shanksy F F S , he already said you can have free rent for 2 weeks or are you after the job of running his fleet ot cars as the qualified transport manager that you hold all them qualifications for {and your still a taxi driver ?}

[Reply]
Comment by Stephen (FKA Central Enth.) on 14 September 2008:

RM!
Nice to see a honest BLT driver on here!!!!!!!
I know a Guy who works at BLT who likes Mr Shanks, but still states that the work during the day is very poor, he feels that anyone who can do Â£100 on normal day time hours is a “blue - Line eyed Boy”.

Steve!
Mr Lighthouse Keeper and Myself at times address Shanksy as Mr Shanks because despite disagreements, he still is a successful Businessman who deserves respect!, this is the http://WWW. remember!
Also Mr Shanks’s only scathing on here came from one of his own Drivers “micky” on a earlier posting!….obviously micky does not earn Â£120 a day like BLT Driver!
I hear and stress HEAR that Mr Shank’s sidekick is taking a Driver to court for defamation, so it’s fair to be careful what you say!
Regards
Central Enthusiast

[Reply]
Comment by Blt driver and proud of it on 14 September 2008:

So, you think im not being honest then? no worries, i wont post the weekends earnings, carry on with the bickering, ive nothing more to say on the subject other than it wasnt an exercise to boast, show off, kiss ass, call it what you will but only to show that there are two sides to the debate, but if you only want to believe what certain people tell you and dont or wont have an open mind on things or are prepared to try something new even when its free for a trial period then how do you ever intend to better yourselves?

A drivers co-op with some of you lot on here? a bigger circus than the one at ‘Sid James Park’ is comming to town

[Reply]
Comment by tc on 15 September 2008:

well the so called day of reckoning, lets hope for a satifactory outcome for the sake of the industry and our lively hoods on north tyneside & newcastle amongst other places, some how i dont think we`ll be popping champange down the coast for a while not with the record of you know who up in Killingworth …but even if the out of town plates are eradicated by the pied

toomanytaxis

Scumbag Hacks!??!!

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