Sydney taxi driver standard (rant)

[Quickstatus]

The other thing I just noticed is that the receipt doesn't state the taxi number or from/to, it is just a generic receipt from the payment terminal.

Nothing new
Another reason why I don't catch cabs unless necessary.

 

[Quickstatus]

To/from SYD is one of the few journeys where taxi is preferred option for me

For me I just drive. It's cheaper than taxis/rideshare including tolls, 7 day parking fee at T1, BluEmu. And when I use the EV I can (so far) use the T2, T3 transit lanes.

 

[kamchatsky]

My last taxi experience from SYD to home (2 years ago) was similar to yours. He tried to charge me $250 for a $140 fare. Ended up paying $160 after arguing with him at our driveway. I reported him to Transport NSW and the cab company had him thrown out of their cab network.

For me, since I live in SYD, I always tried to just drive myself and park either at airport or all the private offsite parking just off the airport. Saves a lot of hassle. Otherwise I will call an Uber or Didi instead.

At MEL I used Didi and I find it worked very well as it is cheaper than Uber.

 

[Ade]

The first time I took a taxi was in 2014 and it was the last time. I hear so many horror stories about taxi's overcharging, not offering services they are expected to offer, exorbitant card fees - to name a few. I always take Uber (or Didi in the occasional instance if Uber is super pricey). I saw a video in a news channel (I think taken in MEL) about how the pax is made to pay a lot more and confronts the taxi driver, who gives back $20 to the pax, but pushes the pax's phone down and starts yelling in a language other than English. Not a good thing.

I know people who will always take a taxi - one of my colleagues is like that. They only trust taxis and not rideshare services.

Flying into MEL last week, I was approached by too many people who were well dressed (suit, sunnies, the works etc) and ask if I wanted a taxi. I ignored and kept walking to the Uber pickup and took an Uber.

 

[anat0l]

At MEL I used Didi and I find it worked very well as it is cheaper than Uber.

Didi are quite often (not always) cheaper than Uber (and I always seem to find a voucher ready to go in there), but availability seems a bit stark, except in known truly busy areas (i.e. CBD).

It annoys me to no end that Didi app says a vehicle could be approx 10 min away when clearly there isn't one around for miles.

 

[Ade]

Didi are quite often (not always) cheaper than Uber (and I always seem to find a voucher ready to go in there), but availability seems a bit stark, except in known truly busy areas (i.e. CBD).

It annoys me to no end that Didi app says a vehicle could be approx 10 min away when clearly there isn't one around for miles.

I have had this issue with Didi in CBR a lot. Especially for early AM departures, I tend to leave home around 0430h, and there is hardly any Didi around. There could be 1 car on the who ACT map, that is 10kms away. Whereas Uber has one down the street ready to go in under 3 mins. Didi always seem to have coupons for discounts, but the issue is availability of cars.

 

[Quickstatus]

Flying into MEL last week, I was approached by too many people

MEL is supposed to stop it but apparently could not give a

The main problem is that point to point services like rideshares and Taxis have problems because the drivers are earning often below minimum wage with no employment benefits. We get what we pay for.

 

[Himeno]

The taxi industry complains about ridesharing apps, yet it does itself no favours...

Get the London cab training requirements in Aus?

 

[elanshin]

Get the London cab training requirements in Aus?

It used to be like that although not as stringent as the London Black cabs. My dad did some cabbie driving 20 odd years ago and I remember having to help him study for the knowledge test (pouring over the old Sydway) and english proficiency test (some level of basic English). One of the reasons I am able to navigate Sydney without a GPS to most suburbs these days.

 

[kelvedon]

Get the London cab training requirements in Aus?

Now wouldn’t that be nice.
To get a license to operate a black cab they must pass “The Knowledge “ This can take 3- 4 years of training, learning the quickest routes to thousands of streets and landmarks within a 6 mile radius of Charing Cross Station.
London cabbies have been found to have an enlarged hippocampus, the part of the brain used for memory formation.
They’re not cheap, but I value their professional skills.
I cant see us ever replicating that requirement here, with our less congested traffic and the advent of Sat Nav.

Cache Cab: Taxi Drivers' Brains Grow to Navigate London's Streets

Memorizing 25,000 city streets balloons the hippocampus, but cabbies may pay a hidden fare in cognitive skills

www.scientificamerican.com

 

[elanshin]

Now wouldn’t that be nice.
To get a license to operate a black cab they must pass “The Knowledge “ This can take 3- 4 years of training, learning the quickest routes to thousands of streets and landmarks within a 6 mile radius of Charing Cross Station.
London cabbies have been found to have an enlarged hippocampus, the part of the brain used for memory formation.
They’re not cheap, but I value their professional skills.
I cant see us ever replicating that requirement here, with our less congested traffic and the advent of Sat Nav.

Cache Cab: Taxi Drivers' Brains Grow to Navigate London's Streets

Memorizing 25,000 city streets balloons the hippocampus, but cabbies may pay a hidden fare in cognitive skills

www.scientificamerican.com

Tom Scott and Tom the Taxi Driver (London Cabbie with a YT Channel) did a race around London and the Taxi knowledge won out.

 

[Aeryn]

Though even with uber/DiDi you may still get the cabbie

True and its disappointing but at least the rate is confirmed up front and no ability for them to add fares or put meter on the late night rate etc.

 

[anat0l]

MEL is supposed to stop it but apparently could not give a

It's gonna take until someone (a passenger) is killed or kidnapped, or there's a fight before MEL actually starts to give a damn.

Those wastes of carbon matter can be quite persistent to the point of unsafe.

The main problem is that point to point services like rideshares and Taxis have problems because the drivers are earning often below minimum wage with no employment benefits. We get what we pay for.

Both those jobs are basically on commission style; I don't see how anyone could think they were entitled to a minimum wage, especially if they don't put in the effort (no, merely punching in hours and camping only at the airport rejecting short jobs is not effort).

Especially Uber (particularly UberX), which was never meant to be a full time job (and again, no effort, why should you get paid).

I guess you might be alluding to countries like Singapore, Japan and (largely) the UK, which have (on average) excellent taxi services, but are not cheap at all (by our standards, very expensive).

 

[Quickstatus]

i think

I don't see how anyone could think they were entitled to a minimum wage

Why not?. Why should it be as #cheaperthanchips to suit one side of the transaction.
But yes, its turned into a full time hustle for many when that was not the original intention of rideshare.
Service can be improved but that means weeding out the undesirables and also jacking up the price is necessary.

Drivers can get a better paying job driving buses...

 

[JIMMYTHEJET]

What company? I have had bad experience with GM and them not using cabcharge properly

I had the same the other day . It had manual charges $12.

 

[L2.]

Here's your company: Cabsby – Taxi Service

Found out by reverse searching the phone number on the bumper.

The 'head office' of that company registered with ASIC appears to be a very ordinary looking house an outer south-western suburb near Campbelltown.

There's also nothing on their website that appears to be aimed at passengers, not even any information about how to book any of their taxis.

I wouldn't hold my breath on getting any kind of outcome from any complaint made to them.

 

[Justinf]

Sydney taxis…never again.
I was due to catch the last flight from SYD to AVV and it was cancelled with no chance of getting on a QF flight.
Email I got said JQ would pay $150 for a room, transport to and from hotel and $30 meal.
So I booked a room and jumped into a cab.
I thought I had booked the captain Cook hotel in mascot and when the driver found out he was ropable to the point where he was screaming. We pushed off and he was screaming at pedestrians and I almost ended it there and then.
Upon looking at the booking further I realised I had booked a completely different place in Paddington and his mood miraculously changed.
Was actually quite scary.
(Realise this can happen outside of Sydney too)

 

[anat0l]

I thought I had booked the captain Cook hotel in mascot and when the driver found out he was ropable to the point where he was screaming. We pushed off and he was screaming at pedestrians and I almost ended it there and then.

...

Was actually quite scary.

Guess you decided to ride it out, so to speak. Never been screamed at by taxi driver before, but if the taxi driver didn't want the job then I know a short pier that they can take a long run off of.

Upon looking at the booking further I realised I had booked a completely different place in Paddington and his mood miraculously changed.
(Realise this can happen outside of Sydney too)

Happens a lot in Melbourne, both at the airport as well as anywhere in general. Plenty of stories on this forum about taxi drivers either refusing jobs (driving right off) or otherwise being insolent if the job isn't "valuable" enough. Frankly, those MEL taxi drivers deserve nothing except the lowest form of contempt for their conduct; there isn't enough swear words in any dictionary for them.

 

[Haplo]

I made a complaint to point to point commissioner as work wouldn't accept the doggy invoice on their terminal because it doesn't have the words tax invoice on it. Will do a charge back as well.

 

[anat0l]

I made a complaint to point to point commissioner as work wouldn't accept the doggy invoice on their terminal because it doesn't have the words tax invoice on it. Will do a charge back as well.

That's really dodgy indeed!

Isn't there some other sort of government body or commission who would be interested in knowing a business is operating without issuing tax invoices (and thus presumably shirking on some responsibilities related to GST)?