Taxi numbers on the increase

Alannah MacTiernan the minister responsible for all things cab related has announced she will be releasing 20 taxis a month each month for the next year in an effort to reduce waiting times at peak demand times.

Does this mean they will be peak period plates ?? That would be preferable from my point of view. If they are going to be full time then I worry about our incomes as weeknights are far quieter than weekend.

She claims the ratio of 1 cab to 1111 persons in Perth is the highest of all the Australian states. Whats that got to do with the price of tea in China? No one I know outside of my job catches cabs. Plenty of people I meet in my job only get 1 or 2 cabs a year. Others are catching cabs several times a day. Maybe our ratio needs to be different based on the way people catch cabs in Perth. A comment on my blog over on blogspot mentions 14,000 cabs for 2 million people where the commenter lives we have 1,500 for 1.5 million maybe the cab prices are more affordable there hence higher instance of taxi travel. He doesn’t mention if the drivers are making enough to live on which I think is the major concern of all cabbies.

The story from TheWest is here

Adelaide... More sex attacks

2 More women have complained of sexual attacks/assaults that have occurred in recent times in Adelaide cabs. The article states there have been 5 attacks now since the start of 2007 following on from 21 attacks in the last 7 months of last year.

I really do feel for the legit honest cabbies that are trying to make a dollar in Adelaide at the moment. This time of year would be one of the busiest for them with the V8 Supercars kicking off their season at the Clipsal 500 event in Adelaide this weekend.

I was driving in Perth when the Claremont murders happened and almost over night our income dropped 50% on what it had been. Women sat in the rear of cabs shoved up against the rear doors trying to remove themselves as much as possible from the cabbie whilst still remaining in the car.

Mothers came outside to take my photograph standing in front of my taxi license plate while holding my Dept of Transport photo ID card. I’d jokingly ask them to email me a copy but I never got one.

Cabbies got DNA swabbed by police to ‘rule them out’ of the investigation.

Of course I realise murder and sex attacks are completely different crimes for one thing the police have a live person to talk to and a description of the person they are looking for which is a big help. But anyway you look at it 26 attacks in 9 months is shocking.

I just hope they catch the drivers responsible.

Here’s something else to think about. It will be the good cabbies, the ones that know where they are going, speak english and are an asset to the industry, it will be those cabbies that will leave because they simply can’t make a living any more if this drags on for too long and they are the very drivers Adelaide needs if they are going to rebuild and regain the trust of the public.

New twist on Drink driving

A gold coast man caught for DUI upon leaving the police station, hailed a cab to go to a bottle shop and then returned to his vehicle and drove away.

Police were waiting for him however and to add to everything else he now blew a higher blood alcohol reading.

The news article is here

Announcing WordPress Blog Mirror

Well it took a while but I have finally copied all the posts from this blog over to the mirror I created on WordPress. The annoying thing is I have more readers on that blog after only 2 weeks than I have here on Blogger and I haven't done anything to promote it. That's the power of WordPress I guess.

Anyway should you want to check it out the uri is Bytes from the Back Seat

New Years Eve

I would just like to wish everyone a very enjoyable and safe New Years Eve.

I will be out there and working hard to get as many people to and from their party's as possible.

For the taxi drivers out there may it be a safe, enjoyable and profitable night for all of you.

A wish for 2007
May the best of your yesterdays
Be the worst of your tomorrows

Happy New Year

For Christ`s sake, it`s Christmas Eve!

That was the response of a German taxi driver when an armed assailant pointed a gun at his head. While not the response you would expect it was certainly effective scaring the robber away. He was arrested with his girlfriend a short time later.

Read more here It's Christmas

(QLD) Driver robbed at knife point

Read the story here Queensland driver robbed at knife point

I think it is every taxi drivers nightmare. Being locked in the boot by a knife wielding maniac. I know it's mine. I guess it has something to do with not being able to see whats going on and being powerless to control or alter the outcome. This driver was lucky he had his mobile in his pocket and could call his supervisor from inside the boot. The driver escaped unharmed, for which I have no doubt he is extremely grateful. I know I am.

Update: Here is a news report from the Courier Mail that shows several in car shots of the wanted man Cabbie locked in boot

Fare Increase

It was announced tonight that as of next Saturday we will recieve a fare increase of just over 4%.

Working it out on the 4.7% they got on the east coast (Either Qld or Vic I can't remember) our new flagfall will be $3.40/$4.80 days/nights with the kilometer rate increased to $1.35 currently they are $3.20/$4.60 and $1.29 respectively. There will also be a $2 surcharge payable on any fare between 11pm and 5am on Friday and Saturday nights to encourage drivers to work the peak demand times.

Update: It turns out we are getting 4.45% starting on the 2nd Dec

Update: The call out fee has also increased from $1 to $1.50

Link: Article about fare increase on TheWest.com.au

Link: New Taxi Fare Structure on the DPI website.

Red Bull Air Race

The Red Bull Air Race is on today in Perth. To be honest I've never heard of it before and don't really know what to expect. I do however know an opportunity when I see one and when I heard the organisers saying they expect next years crowd to exceed the crowd we get each year for the Australia day SkyShow I thought maybe it would be worth the effort to start early.

So I'm going in today at 12pm instead of 5pm like normal. Not really sure what to expect but with a large crowd of people in the city and free transport on the buses and trains bringing them in to the city hopefully they will mean increased demand for taxis as well.

I'll post up how it goes tomorrow.

Massa wins in Brazil

Congratulation must go to Felipe Massa of Ferrari for his outstanding win in the Brazilian Formula 1 Grand Prix. He drove a stunning race dominating from start to finish and was rightly ecstatic once he climbed from his race car.

Its been 13 yrs since the last Brazilian the great Ayrton Senna won the event. Felipe is in the early stages of his formula 1 career and as he is staying with the Ferrari team next year his future looks promising.

I look forward to watching him in 2007

Taxi driver assaulted at Eltham

Also known as "Number 1 thing you should never do driving a cab on nightshift"

A 29yr old Victorian Taxi Driver has been assaulted after getting out of his taxi to let a passenger out of the rear of the vehicle around 01.20am the 8th of October.

It amazes me that we should even have to say this to people but what ever you do, DO NOT!!! get out of your taxi if you in anyway feel threatened, concerned for your safety or unsure of the motives of your passengers. A driver was assaulted here in Perth by a group of young men because he foolishly got out to close a sliding side van door. If you are in the drivers seat you are SAFE!

Sure we need to get out to help load bags for those runs to the airport or to help a couple with their shopping that's a given but if a pax has the door open and you don't want to be their drive off and let the door close itself. If they wont get out call for backup. I know my dispatch would rather I did that than try and be a hero.

Golden Rule of Taxi Driving

• Never get out of the cab if your not sure its safe.

Read the brief police report here

Update: Attacked cabbie fighting for life

Cabbie going fare distance to raise cash

Now here is a story born from a desire to help others and a realisation that if you can raise money for charity by doing something your good at then all the better!

Mr Agnew 47, a Taxi driver from Livingston Edinburgh plans to travel around the world in 3 days to raise money for the British Heart Foundation and for the coronary care unit at St John's Hospital.

It's his method of travel that caught my attention, he will be catching passenger airflights, hence my opening line being a cabbie he is very good at sitting for long periods and now he's planning on doing just that to raise money for charity.

Read the story here. Cabbie going fare distance to raise cash

Longest fare

Found this news article today seems London cabbies really do have the knowledge, This cabbie managed to find his way from London to Morocco!!

To read the incredible story go here

Thanks to another cabbie there is a link to the video footage of the trip. Only if you have broadband thou. :-)

The Taxi Show

If your in Melbourne there is a radio show you can check out each and every Monday on 96.5 Inner FM, presented by your taxi driver host, David Gawthorn for those of you not in Melbourne there is a web site you can visit that has links to the shows in mp3 format for you to download and listen to.

Quote from "The Taxi Show" website:

"The Taxi Show is a mixture of humour and yarns from cab drivers' seats - and some are even true - and come from David and his many world-wide cab driving friends. There's a selection of taxi-related news and a good sprinkling of music of all genres from Australia and around the world and there's much, much more."

Check out The Taxi Show

Life as a cabbie

Ever wondered what it's like working the night shift in a city cab ?? Read this great account by a brisbane cabbie of his typical Friday night shift.

Life of a brisbane cabbie.