Taxi Federation slams new cab-sharing service, saying its risky for passengers

[Dr. Martin Gooter Bling]

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/taxi-federation-slams-new-cab-sharing-service-saying-its-risky-for-passengers-813575.html

The Irish Taxi Federation has slammed MyTaxi's new cab-sharing service.

The German company has announced plans to introduce a system where users can share rides and split the fare.

The system has already been trialled in Warsaw and MyTaxi hope to roll it out across Europe in 2018.

President of The Irish Taxi Federation Joe Heron said the move will not be welcomed by drivers.

He said: "There is no need for it, and it presents certain dangers. For example - you don’t know what might arise between three people who don’t know each other, and the taxi driver would be the person responsible for the safety of those passengers."

[Jack Meoff]

Might be handy for the bonus chasers.
Fill up the car and that could be 4 jobs.

[Dr. Martin Gooter Bling]

not at all baby.
it would count as 1 job.

[john m]

There would be no shortage of taxies at night if Mytaxi stopped trying to manipulate the market .The obscene practice where pubs and hotels are encouraged to offer their customers who have spent their hard earned cash in their premises a taxi only on the condition that the taxi driver gives them a backhander with barmen encouraging locals to abandon the short walk home so he can earn a few euro in hospitality fees .By creating this new low fare market they are encouraging drivers to abandon the city in favour of serving this artificial market .I wonder what the hotels federation or vintners would think of this practice if it was known that instead of providing a proper hospitality service for their customers they may in fact be diverting them from an available taxi service in favour or self aggrandizement services where they and Mytaxi join togeather  to demand payment from taxidrivers to supply  a quality taxi service for their customers who have seen fit to spend their cash in their facility .

 Mytaxi should stop this exploitation of drivers by demanding that drivers pay hospitality charges to these venues for supplying their service .It is shamefull that Mytaxi is complicit in this what could possibly be fairly described as extortion racket .

[Rat Catcher]

Joe Heron's Federation ran as taxi sharing service from College Green before entry liberalisation. In fact it was withdrawn in protest at Minister Molloy's actions. Perhaps Joe can share his experience of managing that service with examples of the problems encountered, if any. Joe has told us that 20,000 drivers have left the trade since 2009 because they have managed to secure more lucrative (self) employments, I wonder if he has any suggestions as to how the resultant discrepancy in service can be resolved.

As a colleague remarked to me a while back, we don't ask publicans for a cut of the money they extract from punters we deliver to their door so why do they think they should get a cut of our hard earned. The best course of action is to reject all hospitality jobs unless you need one to make a bonus. In the current economic climate there is no justification for this form of bribery. In corporate terms, the justification is simple enough. It allows Pinnington to offset criticism of the rebranding debacle with retorts that he has grown the business despite his obvious shortcomings.

[watty]

If the current app can't match up one taxi with one passenger, what are the odds that the new app can match one taxi with 4 passengers.  Maybe ex-bookie, Belker, can work out the odds?

Also, I don't know about your passengers but, as a day driver, my passengers are happy to pay the fare and get to their destination in a timely manner.  I don't think many (or any) of my passengers would take a 10min detour to pick up a randomer and save €5?

[silverbullet]

Joe Heron's Federation ran as taxi sharing service from College Green before entry liberalisation. In fact it was withdrawn in protest at Minister Molloy's actions. Perhaps Joe can share his experience of managing that service with examples of the problems encountered, if any. Joe has told us that 20,000 drivers have left the trade since 2009 because they have managed to secure more lucrative (self) employments, I wonder if he has any suggestions as to how the resultant discrepancy in service can be resolved.

As a colleague remarked to me a while back, we don't ask publicans for a cut of the money they extract from punters we deliver to their door so why do they think they should get a cut of our hard earned. The best course of action is to reject all hospitality jobs unless you need one to make a bonus. In the current economic climate there is no justification for this form of bribery. In corporate terms, the justification is simple enough. It allows Pinnington to offset criticism of the rebranding debacle with retorts that he has grown the business despite his obvious shortcomings.

Any chance you can pull the chart the WAV's used to use on the College rank for multi drops? They used to love it IR£30.00 to Rathmines etc.

[Rat Catcher]

I don't have a copy, SB. One of the union men might be able to get it?

The app matches millions of riders with drivers, Watty. If it didn't we wouldn't be trousering bonuses or paying €3/hour commission before bonus. Sharing was quite popular with passengers while it was available before deregulation. However, the unions ran the show so think brewery, organise, piss up, couldn't, a, in... passengers queued for approximately 43 minutes one side of the central bank and vans queued for approximately 54 minutes the other side, the waiting time ensuring that it was only viable for vans despite extortionate rates being charged.

The issues now raised by Joe Herron were raised by drivers during a pre-introduction meeting at the Old Shieling hotel in Raheny. I think Joe was in attendance and I'm sure John Usher was... as noted above Joe's (then John's) Federation was one of the promoters of the scheme. We were essentially told not to put ourselves in danger should problems arise and summon the assistance of An Garda Siochana. None of the promoters, including Joe's (then John's) Federation seemed bothered by any potential problems and all, including Joe's (then John's) Federation, enthusiastically supported and promoted the scheme. I don't recall any serious issues being reported over the course of it's operation. Of course, modern technology would enhance passenger safety. As riders would be required to pay by card they'd all be identifiable and traceable.

[Taxi driver42]

Who in their right mind will pick up 4randomers pissed drunk going to clondalkin or finglas at 3 in the morn when streets are busy
Who would even think its safe to take 2 let alone 4 strangers
Arguments over who pays what or gets dropped first or wants to stop at hillbillys

Not a fuckin hope

[Rat Catcher]

The Van drivers used to queue for approximately 54 minutes to get up to 8 of 'em! As the erm noted, there's no shortage of lunatics in this trade. Back then, fares were collected before the van left the rank. mytaxi's scheme specifies card payment only with the system apportioning the fare so there's no need for drivers to get involved in any resultant arguments.

[Theoneandonly]

The old scheme circa 1999:
The scheme will operate within a nine-mile radius of the city centre. Within this area, there will be three three-mile zones. Inside the first zone - up to three miles out from the city centre - a fare of £3.50 per person sharing will apply. The fare for travelling four to six miles will be £4.50 per person and for seven to nine miles a fare of £6.50 will apply

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

I done 1 job from the sharing side during that "experiment ", wasn`t worth the drama. Anytime I got into town after, I`d head for the middle of the road to service the waiting pax. As I was driving a beautiful silver Hiace, it was obvious to my punters I could have queued for the taxi sharing resulting in a nice tip 80% of the time. Taximen/taxidrivers.

p.s. Corpo were involved and had staff on the sharing rank as well.

[Vikkiz]

But we now have the Maximum Taxi fare so we couldn't charge anymore for bringing 3 people to more o less the same destination. Unlike back then when we got 30 punts upto Rathmines

[markmiwurdz]

Who in their right mind will pick up 4randomers pissed drunk going to clondalkin or finglas at 3 in the morn when streets are busy
Who would even think its safe to take 2 let alone 4 strangers
Arguments over who pays what or gets dropped first or wants to stop at hillbillys

Not a fuckin hope

+1.

[Rat Catcher]

We had maximum fare then too, Vik. As Bubba notes the corpo were involved so the scheme was made legally exempt from metered rates. I think the marshals were appointed by the unions, drivers who were off the road or serving drink driving bans or whatever. I know Joe himself marshalled the short lived GPO stand one night... because he flagged me down and asked me to take a man who'd been hanging around for over an hour hoping to find someone to share with... but I guess he had time on his hands then as he was only driving the taxi and working for John in the union, he hadn't set up his taximeter installation business at that stage. Of course, some taximen queued at the sharing rank in the knowledge that they may be approached by clued in punters who'd just offer £25 to Clontarf or whatever.