Cabs rank poorly

Victoria's taxi industry is in the headlights again with the Department of Transport's annual report showing the customer satisfaction index at 60.3 out of 100 for 2008-09 and falling short of the 64.4 target. At least it's a slight improvement on last year when only 58 out of every 100 passengers were happy with their cab ride.



There may be more taxis in Melbourne, but there are also more passengers angry with drivers' lack of knowledge and the poor state of some cabs. An inspection of all cabs showed only 72 percent met quality standards.



Two years ago New York city instigated a crackdown on taxi drivers for rule violations, particularly the rule that passengers must be able to pay by credit card in certain cabs. They sent out 60 to 100 undercover agents each day as part of an ongoing sting operation, called Operation Secret Rider.



Agents boarded cabs posing as normal riders and instructed the cabbie to take a trip of about 10 blocks. Afterwards, the agents insisted on paying with a credit card. If the drivers refused to allow the credit card payment, they could be fined up to $350. Agents also fined drivers who broke the rules including being discourteous (a $150 fine) or talking on a cellphone while driving (a $200 fine).



At first the cab drivers were up in arms, particularly on the credit card issue. Many lied to passengers for months that the new credit card machines weren't working. But now, according to Ryan Sager writing at Smart Money, NY cab drivers are  making more money because of the credit card machines - people are more generous with their plastic that with cold cash.



"New York City's Taxi and Limousine Commission reports that revenues are up 13% from the end of last year, despite a recession which is hitting the taxi industry hard in other cities. Tips, meanwhile, have risen to an average of 22% on credit-card transactions, up from around 10% under the old, cash-only system," Sager writes.



Maybe it's time for Melbourne to implement its own sting.



Clearly some cab drivers take water saving to an extreme and fail to shower and apply deodorant before going on duty.  It's no use spraying the car with some nasty deodoriser that only magnifies driver-pong. If it's a long hot shift, drivers should also freshen up when they take a toilet break. Local taxi driver rights and responsibilities  state: "Passengers have a right to expect taxi drivers to be neat, clean and tidy in appearance and without offensive body odour."



We had to cut short a cab ride one night because the driver's BO was nauseatingly unbearable. I complained to the cab company concerned but received absolutely no acknowledgement from them.





I think a few undercover agents would soon flush out those taxi drivers who haven't the vaguest idea where they are going. Why should I be held to ransom by a cabbie eyeballing the map in his lap and not the traffic, or programming his GPS as he drives?



Victoria cab drivers are "expected to know of major destinations within their zone, including airports, major railway stations, major hotels and sporting and cultural facilities". Often they don't, making it very difficult for out-of-town passengers.



One night we hailed a cab but when the driver established we were going only as far as the next suburb, he refused to take us. Clearly not a profitable enough journey. Undercover boys would have had his number on their pad PDQ and reminded him "once hailed, a driver cannot refuse a fare that is too short or inconvenient".



I watched several drivers on a cab rank refuse to take one young (sober) woman on board one night because she wanted to go just a couple of blocks. As others in the queue started remonstrating with the cabbies, one grudgingly let her into his car. Some cities allow patrons the upper hand and they can choose any taxi on the rank, a great idea if you have a preferred taxi company that offers proper service.



Sure, a cab driver's job is a hard one. They have to deal with drunken passengers, rude passengers, belligerent passengers, vomiting passengers. They're poorly paid. Some of them are struggling students. But if I want to be a hairdresser, I have to know how to cut and tint hair. If I want to be a brain surgeon, I have to acquire the qualifications and skills. If I want to be a taxi driver, I should know the geography of my city.



The latest silliness in cab world is the capsule installed in some cars to protect the driver from attack by passengers. Yes, I appreciate drivers are entitled to be safe from potentially dangerous passengers. It's the design of these protective capsules that's the issue. I've travelled in three cabs recently that have been fitted with them and there has barely been enough room behind the driver for a passenger of my height (155cm) let alone anyone nudging 180cm. Maybe it's part of a conspiracy to make taxis passenger-free. We're such a nuisance.