Black cab drivers are threatening legal action over what they claim are anti-competitive practices at Manchester Airport.
Manchester Cab Committee claims that Leeds-based private hire taxi company Arrow Cars has been given preferential treatment at the airport which restricts rival companies.
It has recruited taxi law specialist Peter Eatherall at Manchester-based Howards Solicitors as it battles to fully open up business to the trade at the airport.
The complaints focuses on Manchester Airport’s website booking facility for taxis, as well as its booking kiosks in the three main terminals, which it says favour Arrow Cars at the expense of rivals.
Committee chairman Sean Kenny said: “We have no problem with competition.
“We do take issue though when a private hire office opens next to the taxi rank and misleads customers by calling themselves 'Taxi Private Hire'.
“In addition it has vehicles illegally ranking and what can be considered unbalanced promotion by Manchester Airport.”
Former taxi firm operator Mr Eatherall said that unless the Council was prepared to sit down with the Committee and address its concerns, he would apply for a judicial review of the operating licence which it has granted to Arrow Cars with the aim of forcing it to modify how Arrow operates.
He said: “The Committee will argue that the way that Arrow Cars are allowed to operate is outside the law.
“There is significant case law on the points that we are raising that we believe support our case.
“Manchester City Council has not said it is willing to sit down with us, and in the absence of any negotiations then we have no option but to proceed down the legal route.”
He added: “The Council does not believe that there are any issues that need to be radically addressed, but many, many voices within the trade in Manchester believe that there are.”
The Manchester Cab Committee is made up of the GMB Union, Taxi Owners and Drivers Association, Airport Taxi Association and taxi firms Mantax and Taxifone.
A spokesman for Manchester City Council said: “Our licensing officers regularly monitor the activities of private hire firms based at the airport and we have no evidence to suggest that licensing laws are being broken.
“We have provided a response to Howards Solicitors, and have asked them to clarify which parts of our response they are unhappy with. We are waiting a response.”
A Manchester Airport spokesman said: “All forms of public transport are available to our passengers including private hire taxis, black cabs, buses, trains and we await the addition of Metrolink. We would not favour one over another as choice is something that our passengers continually request of us.”
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The simple fact is that the black cab taxis at Manchester Airport are rip off merchants. Private hire companies are a much better bet.
What a cheek! the quicker we see the disappearence of the black cabs from the airport the better.
Whenever i arrive at M/cr airport from holiday i need a taxi to take me to my parents in Heald Green (where i leave my own car). You're either told "sorry mate, i'm not taking you there the journeys not worth my bother" or they charge you £20+ for a 3.5 mile journey.
I would like to add my support and comments to this article and one printed on Thursday 21st of July with regards to Manchester Taxis. Though I’m riding on the back of two well written articles, I hope my additional comments will add weight to the issue raised. When is a Taxi not a Taxi? When it’s a Private Hire (such as arrow cars; street cars, etc.) minicab; minibus or limousine. There seems to be a wrong perception within the public’s understanding about Taxi and Private Hire differences. In the view of the Manchester Taxi owners and drivers association (TODA) and the trade, this is not helped and may even be encouraged by the licensing department’s lack of enforcement with regards to Private Hire, illegally plying for hire and illegally advertising themselves as TAXIS. Over recent years the TODA and the taxi trade through other trade organisations have constantly requested better enforcement to protect the public from illegal private hire and rogue drivers, MANCHESTER CITY COUNCIL LICENSING DEPARTMENT. We have been told it’s NOT THEIR PRIORTY (by a senior manager), one of the reasons a lack of money, umm, would you be happy if your daughter was attacked under that reason? So you have to ask yourselves is it a wonder why the public think that a private hire Car in Manchester, is a taxi. It may even be the reason why in the recent story of a female in Manchester getting raped by a rogue driver posing as a private hire, could it be that the female thought she was getting into an official taxi. Whichever way you look at it her safety was put at risk, whether though not knowing the difference between a taxi and private hire; lack of enforcement to deter illegal private hire or a rogue drivers or even, to balance the argument so the licensing department does not think we are just having a go at them, by her own choice.
The taxi trade does not have a problem with the LEGAL private hire activities, only illegal ones, such as touting for example asking members of the public if they need a taxi (see, taxi – private hire call themselves taxis) such as outside Manchester 235 casino; booking the fare by using their own phone or company radio; a line of private hire cars being an illegal rank, and adverting themselves as ‘TAXIS’ such as at Manchester airport.
Please remember that if you or your love ones get into any private hire that has not been PREBOOKED BY PHONE or by attending their official office, that driver has committed a criminal offence and if that driver is prepared to commit a criminal act such as that what else is he prepared to do? Certainly he has no regard for your safety. All private hire drivers know that they are only allowed to take work from their radio company that has been pre-booked by the customer (if no radio company still pre-booked by the customer).
We would like to see a far better enforcement regime with regards to this issue, and we have tried, O HOW! WE HAVE TRIED. We are not giving up on your behalf though, but you can help yourselves and your love ones by becoming aware of what is and what isn’t a taxi. So in conclusion when is a Manchester TAXI a TAXI, when it is a public carriage London style BLACKCAB.
Garry. C.
(2010/2011 chairman of the Manchester Taxi owners and drivers association (TODA))
I have no issue with 'black cabs' per se... just a substantial number of drivers who operate these vehicles - specifically at night-times and weekends.
Through work, I 'socialise' and use taxis to get home from the city centre.
It is seldom an enjoyable experience, with many of the drivers surly, inarticulate, and, on occasions, with no idea as to where they are going. (I'm the passenger, the bloke that pays, why should I have to be their satnav?)
Licence, documentation and 'person' checks should be the city council's priority... they are not. There is a laissez-faire attitude to what taxi-operators do, and it tarnishes Manchester.
I further believe that Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC), should be more proactive in assessing taxi drivers - for whom receipts are an avoidable nuisance - to ensure everyone pays their way, because they sure as hell currently don't... bring on the cashless society.
If Manchester wants to allow a free-for-all when it comes to cabs, fine, so be it, but let the public know so it can make alternative arrangements.
Maybe if the Black Cabs were happy to take any fare, there wouldn't be the need to highlight a private hire firm for passengers to use. I have lived within 2 miles of the airport for most of my life and whenever I got a Black Cab home from the airport it was like a roller coaster ride. Presumbably the drivers were unhappy taking me as they were hoping for a long fare to Liverpool, so drove like madmen in their frustration. They need to take the rough with the smooth.
Needless to say I now try to arrange a private hire cab in advance to get home.
Black cab drivers are against uncompetetive practices are they?
Is there anything more uncompetetive than only black cabs being allowed to pick up on the streets?
I for one am more that happy to see the Arrowcars booking desks arriving in the terminals at Manchester. As a frequent business traveller 2-3 times per week, I have had to endure the attitudes and poor customer services from black cab drivers for years. Living within 3 miles of the airport I need the convenience of a cab/taxi/vehicle to take me when I get off the plane. In the past I have been given a volley of abuse by a driver because he waited "3 hours" for this job, driven at 50 mph in 30 zones and driven irractcally by the drivers, overcharged... I could go on. I believe that if the black cab trade had looked after the work that they have had then they wouldn't be in the position of the airport laying on another provider. I can now book at the desk, pay up front, wait under 3 minutes and my car arrives... It's fair competition in my eyes and well overdue.
Craig Siddall do only the able bodied deserve to have "fair competition"? Try getting a wheelchair accessible vehicle from Arrow, as my friend did today for a journey to Liverpool. He was told "sorry we can't take your booking" Perhaps it has something to do with the £30,000 - £40,000 it costs to purchase one, compared to £5000 for a good second hand Mondeo.
Craig Sidall is it only the able bodied who deserve "fair competition"? Try booking a wheelchair accessible vehicle with Arrow as my friend did today only to be told "Sorry we can't take your booking" perhaps that might have something to do with the £30,000-£40,000 cost compared to £5000 for a good 2nd hand Mondeo.