I saw that cab pull out of the government offices at Broomhouse this morning. The driver looked very like the criminal one from the video.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Infrastructure
Todays bad taxi driving.
(314 posts)-
Posted 8 years ago #
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@ECT: I checked the taxi licensing records after Mr Punchy was named - oddly, according to the records, he is not the license holder of the taxi involved in the recorded incident, but is the license holder of another Edinburgh cab. I've no idea why he was apparently driving somebody else's cab on the day of the incident.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Such a thing doesn't seem overly suspicious to me, such hard worked and notoriously unreliable vehicles as an LTI Taxi need to go to the garage pretty often.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Overtaken by a black cab on Woodburn Terrace this morning. As soon as it was in front of me, it stopped and turned on its hazard lights.
Sigh.
Posted 8 years ago # -
can anyone tell me what company cab #145 belongs to? or direct me to the relevant website? thanks.
Posted 8 years ago # -
The licensing registers are available, but not very helpful as they are often registered to self-employed individuals rather than companies.
145 is registered to M B Taxis Ltd (Mr Eric Martin Barry)
Best approach for complaints is via the licensing office (licensing@edinburgh.gov.uk).
Robert
Posted 8 years ago # -
thanks Roibeard. was going to write to the licensing office - appreciate you saving me having to go look up the address :)
Posted 8 years ago # -
Dear Taxi Licensing,
On Saturday afternoon, I was cycling to the park with my 5 year old son, when we encountered taxi #145 stopped outside the King's Church on Gilmore Place. This stretch of road has double yellow lines and double bars on it, and is signposted 'no loading at any time'.
This is a narrow stretch of a busy road, with a bus stop on the opposite side, and is just before the junction with Viewforth. Because of where the taxi was stopped, we had to veer out into traffic, at a difficult point in the road.
I said - politely - to the driver, who was not in his car, that this wasn't a terribly good spot for him to have stopped. The driver yelled loudly that we should 'F---off'.
As someone who uses taxis regularly, I am disappointed by this unprofessional response and treatment of vulnerable road users. What sort of a message does this send to my child, and to his customers?
I'd appreciate you following up, as I believe it falls well below the standards expected of a professional driver in our city.
Posted 8 years ago # -
@SRD: That's terrible.
The taxi drivers association and the cab operators are very short sighted when dealing with complaints, for instance the response to the driver convicted of assualting the cyclist/careless driving recently.
The black cab is supposed to be a brand that people trust: better standards/licensing etc compared to private hire. They (and taxi drivers in general) should be doing all they can to protect that brand. Disciplinaries/licensing suspensions etc should be publicised to give confidence to the public and pour encourager les autres.
I put a FOI in to find out about complaints made. They weren't able to give me the full breakdown I was after, but in the last three years there have been nearly 1200 complaints against taxi drivers.
This is very different to the usual grouping of all cyclists together and expecting them to be self-policing.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Posted 8 years ago #
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Did not take long then for the world famous London taxi to spot a bike lane. Knew they had made them too wide. Assume waiting to bump out back onto the road as too narrow at junction after the bridge?
Posted 8 years ago # -
Not today's, it was on 9 May. I've been waiting on the police to get back to me which they now have.
Taxi 1323, a black Peugeot job, did a U-turn in front of me in market street. Literally right in front. I had to emergency stop and was probably lucky to keep control. He just wanted to join the back of the taxi rank queue on my side of the road.
Incredibly, despite shouting very loudly at him, I didn't swear. I'd normally swear for a lot less.
He started by telling me there was no need to shout but within 30 seconds was effing and blinding at me, so I dismounted got the phone out and started taking pics so I could report him. At this point he looked like he was going to leave his cab and was shouting - yes shouting - that he was going to f**k me up if I kept taking photos. I think he meant with punches and kicks (maybe his bag of coins too) rather than his vehicle.
The police have listened well, and seemed genuinely concerned - but not at all surprised, but have said there is no chance of charging him without witnesses.
There were many witnesses, but sadly all cabbies, who took great delight in flinging other verbal insults at me as I remounted and cycled off!
The Edinburgh taxi fraternity really does seem to have gone around the U-bend.
the police advised me the driver would be warned and reported to the cab inspector - I'll do that myself anyway now.
Look out for a 30+ male, Asian looking driver of that cab though. He is clearly potentially very dangerous.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Apologies, it's been discussed, but what is the reason again that camera evidence isn't considered sufficient in Scots law? That infamous recent case where the taxi driver on Regent Road floored the guy on the bike was surely decided on camera evidence alone?
Posted 8 years ago # -
TBF, the police asked if I had a video. I didn't. I hope if there is a next time, I have the wherewithal to switch my phone to video mode.
Actually I lied to the taxi driver. I said I was videoing him, which may have affected his decision not to get out the cab and smack me.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Before anyone accuses me of stereotyping, this taxi driver was indeed fat to the point of morbid obesity, and clearly psychotic from his actions. I have no first-hand evidence of his hatred of cyclists, but it would be a real turn up if that was not the case.
I was walking in the pedestrianised Grassmarket yesterday, when I saw a black cab nudging its way through the throng of walkers. I paused to take a photo of this miscreant to send to the licensing folk. Seeing this, the taxi driver accelerated towards me.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Leith Walk/ London Road roundabout. I'm heading South. Taxi driver slowly creeps across give way line as I approach. By the time I get there, he is rolling slowly completely over the line. As I cycle round I tell him what I think of him in a few, short words. As he drives past, the passenger gestures. What's with that?
Posted 8 years ago # -
X348UFS Edinburgh Taxi #320
"Excuse me", I said, "could you look behind before you pull a manoeuvre like that".
"I indicated", she said.
"You still need to check the path is clear, I was in the lane you moved into".
"You weren't there when I made the turn".I shouldn't have wasted my time, stupid is what stupid does.
Posted 8 years ago # -
It looks to me like she didn't even start indicating until she'd already started pulling across. Could just be the lighting in the video, to be fair.
Worth reporting?
Posted 8 years ago # -
Sent to licensing:
Dear Sir/Madam,
On Saturday 10th Sept at 10:20am, I witnessed taxi #641 (Black Peugeot E7 or similar) travelling in excess of 40mph along the entire length Warrender Park Road (eastbound). He then performed an aggressive 3-point turn opposite Arden St, before zooming down Spottiswoode St and then on to Warrender Pk Terrace. He appeared to be agitated and frustrated.
It is completely unacceptable for a professional driver to act illegally and dangerously in this way (travelling at double the speed limit), particularly when there are pedestrians, young children and other road users nearby.
Please could you trace the driver and discipline him appropriately. Please could you let me know what actions have been taken.
I look forward to your response.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Very long queue of stationary traffic heading east trying to get through the lights at Haymarket. All caused by one taxi trying to make an illegal right turn into the drop off point in front of the station.
The taxi rep never mentioned that sort of thing in his deputation to the Transport Committee.
Posted 8 years ago # -
The taxi rep
Bad Stickman. Post Option C meeting, we refer to these people as 'representatives of the taxi community'.
Posted 8 years ago # -
A representative of the Taxi Community blocked the outside eastbound lane as he tried to do a U-turn out of the rank at Haymarket. He must have missed the sign at the front of the rank saying "No U-Turns". Perhaps the potential bike lane has confused him.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Well this is an interesting read:
Results of a council consultation on taxi/private hire driver training etc.
Comments are very revealing of taxi driver attitudes. Basically: "I did training 20 years ago so I don't need to do any more". The concept of CPD appears to have passed the Taxi Community by.
Police Scotland's response is that they think drivers should have to demonstrate fitness to hold a licence on a regular basis.
Most responses are from taxi drivers but those from taxi users concern better training for disabled customers and suggestions on training on vulnerable road users.
Also details of complaints: lots about driving standards and ignoring parking/waiting restrictions.
Posted 8 years ago # -
"Dear Taxi Licensing,
This evening (14th September), at around 5pm, I was going around the roundabout at Queen's Drive. From Holyrood Gait, Taxi number 114 drove out towards me, narrowly missing my back end. I negotiated this accordingly and proceeded to continue along Queen's Drive. He then accelerated at quick speed passing me very closely, and unnecessarily. I called out to him to be careful. At the next roundabout I was beside him as I was turning left on to Horse Wynd, he wound down his passenger side window and shouted a volley of coarse abuse at me including how I 'shouldn't be on the road'.
This was extremely intimidating and irrational of the driver. I would not like to have been a passenger or would care to allow any vulnerable passengers to be in his company if that is how he reacts whilst driving a public service vehicle.
Further on in my journey, I was greeted by another taxi driver, unfortunately I did not catch his number, who decided to go through a red light turning right from London Road to Easter Road whilst giving me and the vehicles behind be 'a two finger wave'. He seemed satisfied, however if I were his passenger I would have been extremely distressed about him putting my life, and the lives of others, in danger for no reason other than he couldn't be bothered waiting for a legally required stop.
As someone who uses taxis regularly, I am disappointed by this unprofessional response and treatment of other people on the road by representatives of the City of Edinburgh Council. Equally, I am concerned about the message that this sends out to residents and visitors to our city.
I urge you to take appropriate action, in particular to remind driver of cab 114 of the standards expected on the road, and I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely,
Rothar"
Posted 8 years ago # -
The driver of black cab MX05 LFD taxi number 252 pulled a nasty close pass on me as we were doing the "turn left into Torphichen Street and immediately right into Torphichen Place" manoeuvre.
Weirdly, I can't remember exactly what they did; I think they must have come round me to my left and then immediately pulled across in front of me to end up in the right hand lane. Whatever it was, I yelled really, really loudly - and I don't get wound up like that for nothing.
The taxi stopped at the queue of traffic waiting at the red light; I noted the plate and number and filtered to the front of the queue before stopping to note the details down on my phone. I'm glad I didn't stop and try and interact with the driver.
Trying to decide whether I should report it given my vagueness about exactly what happened...
Posted 8 years ago # -
Do the Council's licensing department ever respond to, or even acknowledge, emails?
Posted 8 years ago # -
They do respond
Responses tend to be generic and unsatisfactory though
Posted 8 years ago # -
I don't know about the "unsatisfactory" responses as recently they've been fine, if perhaps a little slow.
Drivers appear to be being called in to give an account of their actions, and the interview noted their record.
Perhaps they often trot out the "I don't recall the incident" line, but I suspect it may have an impact beyond what can be achieved with ordinary drivers.
I did have one who was persued beyond the grave and his family had to explain that he could no longer attend the compulsory interview...
Robert
Posted 8 years ago # -
Memsahib yesterday evening (I think the taxi might be out-of-town as newly registered in Preston according to Rated-Driver.co.uk):
"PY16 BYD light blue Seat Toledo. Now a taxi in Edinburgh - driver of Asian appearance with full black beard. About 6.20pm on a Thurs evening. Heading west out of town, tries to overtake me and another cyclist on approach to Dean Bridge. I claim the lane going onto the bridge then move into the left side. Despite a line of traffic approacing us going into town, he insists on overtaking us on the bridge, which is quite narrow and has a high kerb side. Needs some remedial training on how to share the road with cyclists and overtake them safely with causing fear and alarm in the process!"Posted 8 years ago # -
LG56 LRX Private Hire Black Toyota Prius #1140
Toots me while I'm in primary and about to turn right. Gestures to me that I should be in the gutter.
I catch up with him at the next lights and exchange words. He insists I should've been in the gutter.
What was I supposed to do? Wait in the gutter to turn right, while his high-and-mighty gets past?
Posted 8 years ago #
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