Taxi drivers blaming city council's roads for increase in car damage
TAXI drivers say Derby City Council is penalising them for damage caused by the authority's own damaged roads.
And garages in the city confirm they are seeing more cars being brought in for suspension and wheel repairs caused by potholes.
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SUSPENSION WORK: Saqib Khawhaja has seen more taxis come in for repairs because of the potholes in Derby's roads.
Hackney carriage driver Fazal Ashram said: "The council inspectors look at the cars and take them off the road for damaged ball joints, but that is caused by the council's own roads.
"We have to go over these potholes time and time again every day. There are some in Stepping Lane and other areas which are really bad.
"If the council doesn't repair the roads we will have to decide whether to claim off the council for damage to our cars."
Kuldit Johal, secretary of the Derby Area Taxi Operators' Association, said: "Ball joints cost around £65 to get repaired and we are having lots of taxis where that is the fault and its caused by the potholes.
"While we are having our cars repaired it is costing us more than £100 a day while they are off the road through lost business. Whenever we explain the problems to the enforcement officers, they are not bothered."
Saqib Khawhaja, owner of Derby Taxi Spares on the West Meadows Industrial Estate, said: "We are seeing about two extra taxis a week at the moment with problems caused by potholes."
He added that they were having to fix problems with parts of the suspension – such as ball joints, tracking and bushes (rubber connections between suspension parts).
"It's got worse over the past couple of months."
And Ellie Beaumont of Woodbine Garage in Sinfin Lane, Sinfin, said: "We are seeing two cars a week on average which have been damaged by potholes.
"We had one car in the other day which came in for a ball joint repair and then needed new wishbone bushes as well and the tracking doing which cost around £185.
"The potholes were the cause and they are disgusting. There is one in Grampian Way which is huge."
And head mechanic Craig Fallows added: "I'm going through a load of tyres at the moment on my Honda Civic because the potholes are just shredding them."
But Councillor Lucy Care, cabinet member for highways and transport, said: "There are plenty of reasons why vehicles can suffer damage, including potholes and also drivers going over speed bumps too quickly or hitting kerbs. The council works hard all year round to inspect all its roads for damage and repair dangerous potholes promptly.
"Regarding taxis, these are working vehicles that generate a huge mileage. That means that they're more likely to be the subject of damage as a result of being on the road for more of the time.
"The council carries out inspections of taxis to help ensure passenger safety. The reality is that, regardless of when the council carries out this enforcement, it finds a number of vehicles with defects that need to be corrected.
"For example, defective handbrakes, seat belts badly damaged, and worn tyres were just some of the reasons the council took enforcement action with taxis over the last six months.
"This can result in suspended licences or a requirement to carry out urgent improvements. During the last 12 months there has been no correlation between bad weather and the number of enforcement notices issued.
"Whatever causes the defect, if a vehicle is not safe for the road then it needs to be taken off the road. However, taxi drivers are ideally placed to alert the council to specific problems and thus help ensure serious potholes are repaired promptly."
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by All Roads Lead To Rome!, Derby
Tuesday, February 16 2010, 11:29AM
“Oooooooh! If you were an intelligent 32 year old then, rather than ranting on here you should have taken both receipts to the taxi licensing department with your complaint and they would have got to the bottom of it and penalised any driver at fault. if at fault. The fare scale is fixed by the city council, unlike private hire. If the journeys were different, there could have been a reason with all sorts of road closures/diversions going on in the city due to the construction of the ring road or may be you didn't know. There is a notice in each cab that reads PLEASE RING THIS NUMBER IF YOU HAVE ANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS TAXI OR THE DRIVER. It does not read: RIP IT OUT OFF THE YELLOW CABBIES IN THE DET ONLINE.
A yellow cab driver can make more money by completing a fare and pick the next one up rather than take someone the long way round.”
by Yellow Cabbie Hater, The Long Way Round
Tuesday, February 16 2010, 10:56AM
“Yellow Cabbie, your attitude is exactly why i dont like your company, read back your insulting comments!!! I am certainly not a taxi driver and have NEVER "done a runner" from paying a taxi in my life, i think its time to take the chip off your shoulder and save your energy for ripping off your customers. Yes, Chads do not have wheelchair access, hence the reason my mum gets ripped off when she takes a yellow cab, i said that "I" used Chads, not her, read the comment again before jumping in with two left feet!
Ive never been insulted by any other taxi firm, or accused of running off...given im at respectable 32 year old woman, its not the thing im into! Anyway, as i said, no other taxi firms asking for the council to pay for car damage, so pay it yourself with the rip off charges you get from innocent people like my mother, who has receipts to show two very different fares for the same journeys...and not in rush hour or via roadworks! Your attitude stinks dear, thank god im in no danger of getting in one of your cabs!”
by Yellow Cabbie and Proud Of It!, Derby
Monday, February 15 2010, 3:22PM
“YellowCab Hater...looks like you're a chad driver or you must have tried to do a runner and paid the price as just to enlighten you, our customers are happy with the service and use us regular and by the way Chads can't carry wheelchairs!”
by tricky micky, derby
Monday, February 15 2010, 2:26PM
“where does your car tax go? it dont go on re-surfacin the rds thats for sure. in stead they spend it on widin the motorways,, which some of us dont even use. i own a 4x4 discovery which should be used to the riggers of off roadin but i have to curse when i leave the exit rd from the pentagon to join the a52 its full of pot holes.i think its disgraceful ya have to pay so much rd tax and dont see it put back into the rds where needed. its a long winded affair to try and claim suspension damage due to the increase of the potholes,, you have to prove it was them thats caused it.. the council want to pull there finger out and sort it out asap.”
by YellowCab Hater, The long way round
Monday, February 15 2010, 2:25PM
“I must make a note to send the council my bill for my car damage, seeing as the taxis are doing it!!! I have no sympathy, i never use yellow cabs, not since they drive the total long way round where they can, one took my disabled mum somewhere last week and after going the long way round it cost her nearly £3 more than it should have (and also £3 more than the taxi back again!!!) The amount of times ive made a taxi driver go "my way" cause they like the scenic route, drives me mad! Stick to Chad Cars....loads better and i bet they're not claiming for car damage!!!!”