Once again we are into a new year,
trying hard to recuperate the financial loss to our pocket that the festive period foisted
upon us and it should be a time when every job is covered. But we still see some work that
is uncovered or is continually rejected until it gets to an unacceptable time for the
client.
I did say some months ago that unless we drastically changed
our attitudes towards taxi work, if and when the licensed private hire laws come in, we
are going to be left behind to become extinct like the Dodo. We need to act now to gain
the work and establish ourselves in all areas of transporting the public around the
country.
If we wait until the licensing regulations come in and then go in on equal
terms with minicabs, we will lose out because they will be able to undercut us. We will
not be able to compete as our overheads are much higher - and will remain higher - than
the opposition.
Westminster Special Needs
As you will now have realised, we have once again changed the way in which the Westminster Special Needs journeys are despatched. This was due to a small group not playing by the rules and monopolising all the lucrative journeys. For a trial period, the rank will be in operation 15 minutes before the bookings start and disabled after the bookings have been despatched.
How simple it would have been to make the ranks work, but no, a little group pulled away to the rear of the rank facing the wrong way and monopolised the same jobs. To attempt to fool both drivers and Brunswick House monitoring staff, they did the same trips in rotation so that it shouldn’t look as though the same driver had continually done the same job. ODRTS even supplied a marshal to oversee the two ranks, but that did not deter these drivers. We at the office were receiving 2 or 3 calls a days from irate drivers. These irate drivers refused to cover the work unless the Board found a way to make the greedy drivers toe the line.
Complaints
On the 4th of January, Keith Cain took over the running of the Control Room which had previously been part of my Drivers Operation Department. In its place we were given the Complaints Department . This is an area that I have had great experience in over the past
years. I will, over the coming months, be
checking on drivers not completing the 40 jobs minimum set by the BoM as a monthly quota.
Anyone not reaching this total will be sent a warning letter and if the situation does not
improve, will then be put on complaint. Anyone who cannot complete 40 account journeys in
a month does not really deserve to retain a place on the Society.
At this moment, we need new equipment urgently as we have the work and new
clients wishing to avail themselves of our services, but in the interim we need all of our
subscribers to help out the Society which you own. Perhaps some have forgotten that they
have money and their future invested in ODRTS.
Job Sheet Replacements
We are having an increasing number of drivers coming to the office and requesting
replacement copies of their payment sheets to show their accountants as they have thrown
the originals away. You have all known for the past few years that you must retain any
receipts or paperwork appertaining to your income.
If and when your accountant asks for your job sheets and you find that you
have destroyed them needing replacements, you will be charged for the time that we have to
pay for an employee on overtime to trace and reprint them.
Tom Whitbread
