Brighton and Hove taxi drivers fear for safety

2:10pm Thursday 31st January 2013 in News By Bill Gardner

Taxis outside Brighton Station Taxis outside Brighton Station

Angry taxi drivers claim they will be attacked by “drunk and drugged up” customers when citywide speed restrictions come into force.

Earlier this month, Brighton and Hove City Council approved widespread 20mph limits, claiming the move would reduce congestion and pollution while improving road safety.

Brighton and Hove City Council leader Jason Kitcat dismissed the taxi drivers’ concerns, claiming their arguments “simply did not hold water”.

But Mick Hildreth, secretary of the GMB union’s Hackney carriage and private hire section, warned drunken customers could turn nasty if they thought drivers were deliberately travelling slowly.

He also revealed fares were likely to go up after the limits were introduced because taxis would spend more time waiting at red lights.

He said: “When people get into a taxi, they assume the quicker it gets somewhere the cheaper it is. When this rule comes in, drunk customers are going to think that drivers are ripping them off.

“We will not sit back and let our members be physically attacked by drunk or drugged up customers, with the tacit support of the council leader who thinks a rational chat with people off their heads will reduce violence against taxi drivers.

Denied risk

“We demand Coun Kitcat immediately withdraws his comments and apologises to those drivers now in fear of an increased level of attacks solely down to his Green council policies.”

But Coun Kitcat defended the local authority’s move to reduce city speed limits – and denied risking taxi drivers’ safety.

He said: “I don’t condone violence against anyone. That’s why we recently introduced CCTV cameras into taxis to protect drivers. We have had so much support for this policy from across the city.

“There are already 20 mph zones in some parts of Brighton and Hove and this problem has not been reported.”

Talking point: To what extent do you agree with the taxi drivers? How do you think the 20mph will improve or cause problems for traffic in Brighton and Hove? Share your views by commenting below or email the letters pages letters@theargus.co.uk

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Comments(40)

BrightonHoveboy says...
2:20pm Thu 31 Jan 13

As usual, kitkat has no clue whatever. There is NO chance of reasoning with these people, especially when whatever they have been allowed to get so drunk plus whatever else so many people are on as well. It is hard enough just getting the fares out of some. Certain jobs I will not do without the cash up front as so many have tried it on and this only offends the genuine customer but why should I have to chase someone in the middle of the night just for my wages?

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Jimmy Stewart's Imaginary Rabbit says...
2:30pm Thu 31 Jan 13

Well the taxis will all be going slower so it will take longer to get from A to B. Consequently this will reduce the number of passengers that a cabbie can carry in a day, so individual fares will inevitably rise to cover for the reduced efficiency of the service.

However I don't believe this will see a massive increase in assaults on cabbies, but on the other hand I don't believe a blanket 20mph speed limit will make a major impact on traffic accidents/injuries - although I expect to be shouted down by the "if it saves one life" lobby.

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derekhunt says...
2:34pm Thu 31 Jan 13

I do not approve of the citywide 20mph limit but I really can’t agree with this argument that it’s going to have an adverse affect on the safety of taxi drivers.

If H&S is going to be randomly cherry picked to support various causes then it should at least be done with some thought.

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Pitviper says...
2:37pm Thu 31 Jan 13

They have door locks, the rest of us use them so why can't they?

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668 The neighbour of the beast says...
2:41pm Thu 31 Jan 13

Are these the same taxi drivers who I feel would take me from Brighton station to Brighton seafront via Eastbourne if they thought they could get away with it?

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Automaton says...
2:56pm Thu 31 Jan 13

Dosen't the taxi fare depend somewhat on how long the journey takes. So maybe they will have less journeys but each will cost more. Of course the punters will lose out with increase fares?

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DSummers says...
2:59pm Thu 31 Jan 13

Don't understand why they are getting their knickers in a twist, surely cab drivers will just ignore speed limits as they do now. Been on some terrifing journeys. Also, got a cab the other day from Ditchling Road and the cabbie had never heard of the Komedia and once I'd told him the street name I was suprised that he had to put Sydney Street in the satnav. He then proceeded to follow the satnav on a ridiculous long-winded route which I was then expected to pay for.

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NickBrt says...
3:09pm Thu 31 Jan 13

Their gigantic fares anger us, not the speed limits.

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ruberducker says...
3:18pm Thu 31 Jan 13

DSummers wrote:
Don't understand why they are getting their knickers in a twist, surely cab drivers will just ignore speed limits as they do now. Been on some terrifing journeys. Also, got a cab the other day from Ditchling Road and the cabbie had never heard of the Komedia and once I'd told him the street name I was suprised that he had to put Sydney Street in the satnav. He then proceeded to follow the satnav on a ridiculous long-winded route which I was then expected to pay for.
at the moment the police have said that they will not./or cant enforce the 20 mph limit..so yes most drivers will ignore it..if you were unfortunate to get a cabbie that didnt know were he was going take his number a report to the hackney office...and the komedia is in gardener street.

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qm says...
3:21pm Thu 31 Jan 13

"claiming the move would reduce congestion and pollution while improving road safety"

I care neither one way or the other personally because it doesn't affect me at all, however, fundamental common sense indicates quite clearly that quite the opposite to both claims above will be the case in no small measure. Providing the "Council" is prepared to fund the implementation and the consequences of the above from their personal pockets, I don't see an issue. If however this is to be funded from the public purse . . . . . . . . when the financial consequences are revealed, we will see a new meaning to the term "incandescent with rage"!

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DSummers says...
3:32pm Thu 31 Jan 13

ruberducker wrote:
DSummers wrote:
Don't understand why they are getting their knickers in a twist, surely cab drivers will just ignore speed limits as they do now. Been on some terrifing journeys. Also, got a cab the other day from Ditchling Road and the cabbie had never heard of the Komedia and once I'd told him the street name I was suprised that he had to put Sydney Street in the satnav. He then proceeded to follow the satnav on a ridiculous long-winded route which I was then expected to pay for.
at the moment the police have said that they will not./or cant enforce the 20 mph limit..so yes most drivers will ignore it..if you were unfortunate to get a cabbie that didnt know were he was going take his number a report to the hackney office...and the komedia is in gardener street.
Oh yeah - Gardener Street, that's what I said at the time, just had a bit of a brain splatt, he didn't know where Gardener Street is!

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Cgull says...
3:34pm Thu 31 Jan 13

Kitkat yet again proves why he isn't fit to lead this council. And he wants more money for it !!!!!!
Why can't the Tories and labour do the right thing and boot this green lot out?

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upsidedowntuctuc says...
3:49pm Thu 31 Jan 13

Has anyone tried reasoning ever with someone out of their heads on drink or drugs?
As to locks on doors how will this help if a driver gets attacked by a passenger?
Nice to see D Summers actually got off his bike for once.
Isn't this the same person who slates anyone on here who stereotypes cyclists as riding on pavements through red lights and wrong way in one way streets with no lights and dark clothes at night.
Just to cheer him up I saw several no hang on it's quicker to say I saw a cyclist with a helmet and bright clothes and lights last night waiting at a red light!
Still yet to see one on the Old Shoreham Road since it's lengthy completion.

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Terry K says...
4:16pm Thu 31 Jan 13

I never understand why the powers that be treat cabbies with such distain, they do a great job, how would you like some drunken bonehead who can't even remember where he lives getting in your car?, not to mention traffic stress and non paying bilkers, the running costs of cabs are horrendous, rip off license fee's, no back up from police or councils when trouble arrives, unsociable hours, high divorce rate, heart attacks, and all people door is moan about fares, yet those same people don't mind paying £5+ for a rip off bottle of beer on nights out. it's the cabbie who get's you home safe and sound (especially you ladies), they should be appreciated more, not taken for granted.

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nosolution says...
4:23pm Thu 31 Jan 13

DSummers wrote:
ruberducker wrote:
DSummers wrote: Don't understand why they are getting their knickers in a twist, surely cab drivers will just ignore speed limits as they do now. Been on some terrifing journeys. Also, got a cab the other day from Ditchling Road and the cabbie had never heard of the Komedia and once I'd told him the street name I was suprised that he had to put Sydney Street in the satnav. He then proceeded to follow the satnav on a ridiculous long-winded route which I was then expected to pay for.
at the moment the police have said that they will not./or cant enforce the 20 mph limit..so yes most drivers will ignore it..if you were unfortunate to get a cabbie that didnt know were he was going take his number a report to the hackney office...and the komedia is in gardener street.
Oh yeah - Gardener Street, that's what I said at the time, just had a bit of a brain splatt, he didn't know where Gardener Street is!
Shoot me down for being picky but isn't it actually Gardner street.Gardener street,if it exists somewhere,probably leads to allotments...

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DSummers says...
4:39pm Thu 31 Jan 13

upsidedowntuctuc wrote:
Has anyone tried reasoning ever with someone out of their heads on drink or drugs?
As to locks on doors how will this help if a driver gets attacked by a passenger?
Nice to see D Summers actually got off his bike for once.
Isn't this the same person who slates anyone on here who stereotypes cyclists as riding on pavements through red lights and wrong way in one way streets with no lights and dark clothes at night.
Just to cheer him up I saw several no hang on it's quicker to say I saw a cyclist with a helmet and bright clothes and lights last night waiting at a red light!
Still yet to see one on the Old Shoreham Road since it's lengthy completion.
I haven't got a bike - not sure if I've ever mentioned cyclists. I usually rant about trains.

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DSummers says...
4:40pm Thu 31 Jan 13

nosolution wrote:
DSummers wrote:
ruberducker wrote:
DSummers wrote: Don't understand why they are getting their knickers in a twist, surely cab drivers will just ignore speed limits as they do now. Been on some terrifing journeys. Also, got a cab the other day from Ditchling Road and the cabbie had never heard of the Komedia and once I'd told him the street name I was suprised that he had to put Sydney Street in the satnav. He then proceeded to follow the satnav on a ridiculous long-winded route which I was then expected to pay for.
at the moment the police have said that they will not./or cant enforce the 20 mph limit..so yes most drivers will ignore it..if you were unfortunate to get a cabbie that didnt know were he was going take his number a report to the hackney office...and the komedia is in gardener street.
Oh yeah - Gardener Street, that's what I said at the time, just had a bit of a brain splatt, he didn't know where Gardener Street is!
Shoot me down for being picky but isn't it actually Gardner street.Gardener street,if it exists somewhere,probably leads to allotments...
Brain still splatting!

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ruberducker says...
5:13pm Thu 31 Jan 13

we are all being led up the GARDEN PATH by the green's.!

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Spx says...
5:21pm Thu 31 Jan 13

Just do 20mph, if you need to get somewhere quickly leave earlier!

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lillylou says...
5:44pm Thu 31 Jan 13

NickBrt wrote:
Their gigantic fares anger us, not the speed limits.
Yes fares are dear but don't use them I don't,but an average cabbie who doesn't own there cab is on about £40 on a 8hour shift so I think there wages are disgusting so if their fares were cheaper they'd be on under minimum wage !

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angrymonkey says...
5:56pm Thu 31 Jan 13

as if they ever take note of the speed limit anyway.

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gusset snatcher says...
6:06pm Thu 31 Jan 13

If the taxi drivers weren't so fat they wouldn't use so much fuel in the first place and they'd be able to fit more passengers in

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Algeria Touchshriek says...
6:14pm Thu 31 Jan 13

Just wondering if the pathetic and ridiculous snot Greens consulted anybody with more than an O Level in science about fuel consumption.

My car, and about 90 percent of other vehicle INCLUDING buses will burn more fuel at low and idling speeds than at a decent road speed.

Whilst the odious, scruffy and incredibly stupid Kitekat is too busy planning his next hateful Marxist march, perhaps he should read up on basic fuel economy.

What a pathetic and stupid party and anybody who voted for these in the city centre, then I hope you are prepared for even MORE pollution in your homes.

By voting for these eco-idiots you have in effect given your Kids a greater chance of cancer, asthma and various other pollutant related conditions.

Ergo Green voters = Kid Killers! FACT

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Automaton says...
6:21pm Thu 31 Jan 13

Spx wrote:
Just do 20mph, if you need to get somewhere quickly leave earlier!
How does leaving earlier make the journey quicker!

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PorkBoat says...
6:31pm Thu 31 Jan 13

I fear for my safety every time a B&H cab mounts the kerb, whilst taking a left turn without indicating, because the driver is too busy chatting on his **** phone. And there's the ones that go through red lights....while chatting on their **** phones. ****, the lot of them.

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PorkBoat says...
6:36pm Thu 31 Jan 13

Oh yeah, and learn what hazard lights are really for, you bunch of pig ignorant ****.

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taman says...
7:17pm Thu 31 Jan 13

were all going to pay for this greens waste of public funds.at a cost.of four million pounds .. disgusting in these tough times, why else are they defying the central government by raising council tax 1.99% this year and denying all of us a local vote by swerving the 2% threshold set out by the coalition... its all about them they dont give a **** about anything other then there own egos they were elected to serve us not to force there own looney plan on us

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imnotpc says...
7:53pm Thu 31 Jan 13

Everyone knows that nobodys going to stick to this stupid limit anyway lol So just carry on as usual thats what everyone else will be doing hahahaha never heard anything so stupid in all my life

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tradebooker says...
8:53pm Thu 31 Jan 13

Councillor kitcats arguement of a) there are other 20mph roads in the city and nothing has been reported and b) there is so much support across the city - absolute rubbish. a) there's a tiny handful of 20mph roads currently! We're talking about long roads like kingsway, dyke road, goldsmid road etc where cars need to go at 30mph to travel normally! b) well only 53% voted for it on the councils consultation 47% against. Hardly a lot of support. Whole thing is a joke.. It's impossible unnatural uncommon-sensible slow more expensive etc etc etc to go at 20mph on most of the long out of the shopping centre area roads. Joke of a policy - another bright idea from our joke of a party. VOTE THE GREENS OUT IN 2 YEARS!

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Pebbles says...
8:57pm Thu 31 Jan 13

So no apology from Mr Kitkat then...

BBC Radio Sussex 20 mph interview with the Brighton & Hove Council Leader Jason KitKat Tuesday January 15 3012

Neil Pringle: Have you any sympathy for the taxi driver who says that he thinks that it is actually going to be dangerous because there will be people in the back of his cab getting angry that the taxi driver is driving at a speed which is so slow.....

Jason KitKat: I’m sorry, I dont have a lot of sympathy for that argument. I mean if we look at the city centre which is where the first area this is rolled out the average speeds are below 20 mph anyway in the day time so .....

Neil Pringle: So when the pubs kick out.. the clubs kick out ... two o’clock in the morning and here’s a taxi driver going through the central area at 20 mph when there is no other traffic on the road... he says.. he is going to get a lot of jip...

Jason KitKat: I think if it is very clear it’s a 20mph city then people will understand that.

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tradebooker says...
9:01pm Thu 31 Jan 13

To show your support for voting the greens out go to the latest magazine website and click on vote. It's important the thousands of people that are sick and tired of their beloved Brighton being used as a pilot for a load of pilot policies from a joke of a party that claim they are green and yet want to build on green belt, they claim they are for the people yet want to increase council tax in when most people are struggling to keep a job or taking pay cuts, that claim they have common sense yet spend millions slowing down traffic with empty cycle lanes and 20mph blanket city policies.. They are not from Brighton, they came down and got in on a student transient and lazy vote. We need to get rid of them to save Brighton before there damage is irreversible! Vote here: http://thelatest.co.
uk/brighton/2012/11/
06/the-vote-who-woul
d-you-vote-for-today
/

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guitarmanzz says...
10:20pm Thu 31 Jan 13

tradebooker wrote:
To show your support for voting the greens out go to the latest magazine website and click on vote. It's important the thousands of people that are sick and tired of their beloved Brighton being used as a pilot for a load of pilot policies from a joke of a party that claim they are green and yet want to build on green belt, they claim they are for the people yet want to increase council tax in when most people are struggling to keep a job or taking pay cuts, that claim they have common sense yet spend millions slowing down traffic with empty cycle lanes and 20mph blanket city policies.. They are not from Brighton, they came down and got in on a student transient and lazy vote. We need to get rid of them to save Brighton before there damage is irreversible! Vote here: http://thelatest.co.

uk/brighton/2012/11/

06/the-vote-who-woul

d-you-vote-for-today

/
Well said tradebooker,i wanna sign this petition but i cant seem to find where this is..which magazine website do you mean?i dont want my kids breathing in the pollution that THEY have created with their poliferation of traffic lights and insane schemes like the Lewes road fiasco and i hear they want to do Grand parade next...what will that be then? i guess they will make it one lane for everyone when there are four now including a bus lane...its ok now it works leave it alone Kitkat and Davey crazies...dont create any more of your purpose built jams please we beg you.....

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Kate234 says...
5:00am Fri 1 Feb 13

Trying to reason with Jason Kitkat is like trying to get intelligent conversation out of a marmoset at a zoo.

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Spx says...
8:05am Fri 1 Feb 13

There seem to be only 5 or so people against the Green policies and they post regular nonsense on here under different names. 20 mph is going to be fine, taxi driving is a risky job without the limits anyway, back to black cabs with divider windows!

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Skidrow says...
8:32am Fri 1 Feb 13

Well for the 5 posters against the loony green 20mph policy I can only see you in favour...

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inadaptado says...
9:10am Fri 1 Feb 13

Cgull wrote:
Kitkat yet again proves why he isn't fit to lead this council. And he wants more money for it !!!!!!
Why can't the Tories and labour do the right thing and boot this green lot out?
You are completely right. After all, who wouldn't want to rule a council you could be removed from at any moment by your opponents because you **** off the commenters of a newspaper?

You don't know much about politics, right mate?

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truescouser says...
2:49pm Fri 1 Feb 13

Brighton taxi drivers (in my experience) are very dodgy at the best of times. They do take long routes to try it on and get a higher fare. They are whingeing about nothing, really, because it will even itself out in higher fares for the punter. Maybe they have been threatened by people before because they simply do not take the quickest route on offer ?

I ,personally, would not get a taxi as a rule because they cost a lot in the first place and if some idiot with either a very limited grasp of the english language and the geography of a small town like brighton cant get me to my destination without going on a mazy journey then they dont deserve our custom.

Shouldn't they have a knowledge exam or something before they can have a licence ?

By the way - I see there are lots of Torygraph patrons on this site - what miserable bile you do come out with !

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Wooton Basset says...
3:07pm Fri 1 Feb 13

Mr KitKat ..He said: “I don’t condone violence against anyone. That’s why we recently introduced CCTV cameras into taxis to protect drivers.

We were forced to get cctv which cost me £800 of which im still paying off. then he uses this as a Forward Thinking measure to combat this 20mph argument. as though he paid for it. Thats just twisted and dishonest in my view.

He has not employed Taxi Marshalls on the Taxi ranks for nothing, these people need taken home asap. before they turn nasty.

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davyboy says...
5:30pm Fri 1 Feb 13

taxi trips are measured on distance in general, with a small amount of 'waiting time' added for x amount of minutes at traffic lights etc. trust the cabbies to find something else to moan about. all it is is the fact they don't stick to any limits now, and they will have to in future. whether it takes 10 minutes or 15 minutes for your journey, if it is 1 mile the cost will be the same. i think that if you check with the council, the average speed through the city is less than 20mph on a regular basis anyway. we have had these limits in oxford for a while now, and most are ignored. the police claim that their cameras are not accurate enough at that speed(20mph), and if you use their formula, then 20 becomes 24,2mph anyway.

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Resident in Hanover says...
10:27pm Mon 25 Feb 13

BrightonHoveboy wrote:
As usual, kitkat has no clue whatever. There is NO chance of reasoning with these people, especially when whatever they have been allowed to get so drunk plus whatever else so many people are on as well. It is hard enough just getting the fares out of some. Certain jobs I will not do without the cash up front as so many have tried it on and this only offends the genuine customer but why should I have to chase someone in the middle of the night just for my wages?
Take a break Kitty Cat

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