|
Hello Ladies & Gents,
Since the last issue of Call Sign, I have received a
number of complaints and driver queries that I would again like
to clarify. Some of the complaints that have been dealt with are
more serious than others and in order to highlight them, I will
list them below.
Meter Interface:
I have in the past made you all aware that account clients
receive regular reports that list meter charges that they are
able to verify with us. It is their right to these listings and
it is a service that we, as a Society, are only too pleased to
offer. It shows a number of readings that can be queried and
confirmed on any chosen trip. The technology is always improving
and Arrival, PoB and CLJ amounts can now be
shown separately on all meter fares. The reports also show valid
extras that are added to the meter independently from the
total fare. Again I would like to remind you that if the actual
meter is not automatically showing on the CLJ form, it is very
important that you contact Tom Whitbread at Roman Way and
arrange for your equipment to be checked. All fares and
locations can be verified by the GPS coordinates, so again I
would remind you that it is important to stop your meter as soon
as you reach the final destination, so the exact amount is
showing when the passenger concludes the trip and leaves your
vehicle. If a client authorises an additional tip, please inform
the Call Centre who in turn will add a note to the trip logger
to prevent any unnecessary anomalies appearing.
Run-ins:
As you are aware, run-ins are currently set at £4.20 on all
account trips other than Westminster TaxiCard journeys (£3.80).
From the time you accept the trip until arriving at the pick-up
on a pre-booked or asap trip, you |
should not exceed this amount unless authorised to do so by the
Call Centre. If you arrive with more than this amount, it is
imperative that you adjust your meter accordingly. If you have
less than this amount on when you arrive, please do not add the
difference on either at the end of the journey or as an extra.
Credit Card trips:
Before beginning a journey, it is essential that you are able to
swipe the card through the terminal, which in turn will
authorise the trip and guarantee payment. Then ask the passenger
to sign the receipt, which you should keep it in a safe place as
proof of the journey. If the card is keyed in manually, the
banks often decline payment especially if it is a stolen card.
Do not accept this type of trip if you are unable to swipe
the card.
E140:
You will have noted in this issue of Call Sign
that a number of fellow drivers were suspended at the last
complaints hearing for booking into E140 incorrectly. Just to
remind you that when this rank opens (9pm until 6am – every
night including weekends) you must be within the security
boundaries of Canary Wharf. It is still being monitored and
failure to follow the procedure rules may lead to a complaint.
EC5:
Whilst it is non-physical, before
booking into this rank please be certain that from the time of
gaining a queue position you are able to reach Finsbury Square
within 15 minutes (it is being monitored). |
Regular Bookings:
Throughout the day and night there are
regular trips that are dispatched from certain zones bringing
clients into their places of work / transporting them home. If
you choose to book in very early and wait for the same trip on a
consistent basis, it will be deemed as hanging up or
making a trip your own, which is a procedure rule violation.
It is not in the true spirit of the Society to book into a
zone and hog a queue position because you are aware of a regular
trip.
Parked Button:
This button does not automatically
generate an advise arrival (AAR). If you need to use this
facility, please press the Parked button to enter your
actual location and then press Advise, which will
generate the AAR. This function is intended to notify the
Call Centre when you are either moved on by a warden or unable
to stop immediately outside of a particular address.
Multi-choice trips:
If you are one of a number of taxis
picking up from the same location on a multi-choice booking, it
is important that you take the correct passenger travelling to
the correct location upon arrival as per your trip details. If
you arrive before the other taxis, it is unfair to choose a trip
that may be seen as having a more lucrative or convenient
destination. How would you feel if it happened to you…?
I hope that when you read this report you will
agree with me that if we all work within the Society rules and
regulations, it is much fairer for everyone. It is the very
small minority that not only jeopardise accounts, but who can
also give the rest of us a bad name.
It will soon be the holiday season and a time when we can hopefully
recharge our batteries. Have a good one…
Allan Evans
DaC Compliance Officer
Allane@Dialacab.co.uk |
