Black cab SF18 0AM deciding to *under*take me this morning as we were both turning right out of Holyrood Park Rd onto Dalkeith Rd. As well as passing on the wrong side, he did it about 6 inches away from my handlebars. I've emailed licencing...
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Infrastructure
Todays bad taxi driving.
(314 posts)-
Posted 5 years ago #
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Is that number 1330? did the same to me, shouted at me all the way down the street.
Posted 5 years ago # -
@the canuck - no it was plate number 594... Great, there are (at least) two of them!
Posted 5 years ago # -
Two this morning.
Passed very closely on Old Dalkeith Road as I took the lane here.
Then another taxi driver forced their way past the cyclist in front of me (after several aborted attempts) as we went up Blackford Avenue, despite the cyclist very obviously gesticulating that the driver should back off.
Posted 5 years ago # -
This morning, black cab in the Haymarket Terrace rank (which now seems to extend from opposite the tram stop, past the Haymarket Yards lights and beyond the junction with Coates Gardens). The rank starts to move forward but a sizable gap opens up in front of this particular cab. The driver of the cab behind toots his horn and the driver of the cab causing the gap starts to creep forward at sub-walking speed - still with both hands (and presumably his yeys and most of his brain) occupied fiddling away furiously on his mobile phone.
Sadly, I was passing on the other side of the road with traffic passing me, otherwise I would have been able to get the number of the cab and probably collect some photographic evidence to boot.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Email sent to licensing@edinburgh.gov.uk
"At approximately 6pm yesterday evening, Monday 8th April, I was cycling up the Dalry Road from Haymarket Station when I observed that the driver of the taxi SF68 LGZ licence number 182 was using his mobile phone. He has the phone in his left hand and appeared to be sending a text message or similar. The driver pulled over at the top of the hill to let out his passengers so I caught up with the vehicle again and the driver still had his phone in his hand at that point. I banged on his window to point out that using a hand held mobile device for any purpose while driving is illegal. The driver proceeded to swear at me and called me a "retard" and a "stupid cow".
The driver was tall and heavily built, youngish, short hair and clean shaven. I have a photograph of him if there is any dispute as to his identity.
Please would you speak to this driver and remind him that mobile use while driving is illegal and that swearing at members of the public who point this out is unacceptable."
I hope they have a word with him - I don't have evidence of the phone use so I don't expect them to take it any further than that.
Posted 5 years ago # -
The last time I reported a taxi driver for using a phone while driving, the licensing folk refused to take action and said it was a police matter. I didn't report it to the police because I know they'd say the footage isn't clear enough:
Posted 5 years ago # -
The PHC that was waiting to pull out of Victoria St on to George IV Bridge who looked at me, then looked at me again...
then decided just to pull out in front of me anyway, because, meh, it's only a cyclist, and they can just stop, right?
Posted 5 years ago # -
Had a fairly innocuous interaction with a taxi this morning, where I think we both behaved correctly, but he felt the need to tell me the law of the land was that if a vehicle next to you stopped to let someone turn across you, then you have to also stop...
I was searching to see which company he worked for so I could set out my views (which woudl include me complementing his driving) and I came across these records on taxis which might interest some
(There may be a shorter/more permanent link to these somewhere)
Posted 5 years ago # -
Hang on: he used the disabled bay as a drop-off, and then picked up a fare outside of the designated rank, and the behaviour of the man who runs the place and tries to point out that Mr Hunter is failing to comply with the regulations is "outrageous"?
AFAIK taxis which operate from the airport have to be registered to do so. Should be fairly straightforward to withdraw his registration.
As for: "He said he was going to take my photo and I told him he’s not allowed to do that" - why is it so often taxi drivers who seem to make the law up as they go along?
Anyone know this guy's licence plate so I can avoid ever hiring him?
Oh, hang on: according to the list HankChielf linked to just above, Mr Iain Albert Hunter changed his vehicle to a black mercedes (which matches the Scotsman photo) registration SF18 MZT last year.
Posted 5 years ago # -
“
the behaviour of the man who runs the place
...
failing to comply with the regulations
“
Curious that he doesn’t have enough staff to make sure taxi drivers know the rules (however good or bad) and enforce them(?)
Posted 5 years ago # -
That link only directs to the main page, not the story
Posted 5 years ago # -
Hard to get to even from Google. Taken down?
Posted 5 years ago # -
Needs /amp on end.
(Someone will know why.)
Posted 5 years ago # -
So any cab can pick someone up from the airport but have to use the designated pick up zone which costs £4, obviously you'd want to know you've got a fare to enter there. They can pick up for free in the public long stay car parks... 5 minute bus ride from the terminal.
The taxis who work as "airport cabs" work for a company which holds the franchise of the airport. This is City Cabs and Edinburgh City Private Hire (both connected) and they pay a lot to have the franchise and visibility as well as the ranks right in the multi-story at the terminal.
The Cab driver in this story has actually admitted to breaking the airport by-law (8(1)) in relation to "plying for hire" outside of an authorised area as he was in the drop off zone and not the pick up zone. I believe this means he's broken the law but unsure how enforcement of by-laws under the Airport Act directly relate to Police Scotland
When a driver does this he could technically charge the person he's dropping off £1 for the drop off zone fee, then charge the people he's just picked up £1 to get out the drop off zone, meaning he's gamed £1 which is equally breaking the terms of his licence.
The main thing I imagine the airport don't like is that the customers are avoided paying £4 for the pleasure of being picked up. Also the incumbent companies will be upset that a taxi avoided paying either the franchise fee, or the pick up fee which makes them competitive, so they'll complain to Gordon.
So, I'd imagine this is why they get upset with a lot of this happening and throw themselves upon the bonnets of the offenders.
Posted 5 years ago # -
When I came back from Mallorca we were waiting to be picked up and I watched a taxi driver who looked not unlike that guy drop off a fare and then tout for business until he finally got someone into his cab, which looked not unlike that one.
Posted 5 years ago # -
I normally have cause to be in the multi-storey at the airport several times a day. Illegal touting for fares goes on all the time but they're not too bright as they often do it in branded shirts which show they don't work for City Cabs. The layout of the drop off/pick up/taxi rank was changed last week to try and make touting more difficult.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Bit of a taxi stooshie breaking out...
Posted 5 years ago # -
Of course taxi drivers are complaining about a private hire driver, saying he should lose his license (and therefore job, I presume) for blocking traffic for under a minute.
But taxi drivers going through red lights, ranking illegally outside the Balmoral, blocking the Leith Walk cycle lanes - that's all fine, of course...
EDIT: If the council suspends that driver's license, I'll be sure to start taking a water pistol to the taxi drivers outside the Balmoral, since it'd apparently mean that reacting non-violently to being soaked is an offence you can lose your license for.
Posted 5 years ago # -
@Murun Buchstansangar: "It is a tradition for the children in the back of the taxis to use water pistols and water bombs on the waiting crowd."
First I've heard of it. Since when?
Posted 5 years ago # -
Lord Provost mentioning water pistols before the event in 2016 so a thing at least then.
Deadline News referring to the kids being armed with 'traditional water pistols' back in 2009.
I suspect it's always happened (well, at least since water pistols were around a lot and easily available), it's just with recent events that it has got out there.
Posted 5 years ago # -
“well, at least since water pistols were around a lot and easily available”
Ah yes, water pistols - small, little water capacity and range.
Have they been replaced by ‘super soakers’?
Posted 5 years ago # -
Since 1990s (source: wikipedia)
Posted 5 years ago # -
Posted 5 years ago #
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Water fight next year
Posted 5 years ago # -
This is actually rubbish for taxi drivers. -
Posted 5 years ago #
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