Taxi trips for drivers
 

In today's Bristol Evening Post is a write up about train drivers using taxi to get to the start of their trip. Now I know this is not new, but a 200 mile, 4 hour trip from Bristol to Penzance to start a days work is taking it a bit far. First Great Western will not comment on the taxi trips but the taxi firm has said that now and again they take a driver, TTI or guard to Penzance.
See the site below for the Bristol Evening Post Story

http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/displ...entPK=20009179

No wonder train fares are so expensive eh Syd.

I'm more worried about how tired a driver would be after a 4 hour ride in a taxi. I have driven from Bristol to Penzance a number of times and know that I would not be in a fit state to drive a train with loads of people on board. I also know that I could not react as quickly as I could had I been fresh. Just thinking how much slower my reactions would be coming to the end of my shift. FGW should have a driver on site and well rested before the start of a shift. If there no local drivers then one should be sent down the day before and put up in a B & B.

put up in a B & B.[/QUOTE]

In my company the agreement is,

If I am on a job that requires me to lodge away from home then it must be a 3star or better hotel.

If I was put into a B & B then I would turn and tell them where to go. We do not lodge for the good of our health.

Les

During my time on BR lodging was normal on long distance work. I'm afraid it was not 3 star, I dont think it was even 1 star. Times Change.

As long as its clean and comfortable that is all I would worry about. I would never take out a train if I was unfit to drive through being too tired. On the Rhodesian Railways we even had 12 days a year in which we could declare ourselves unfit. The funny thing was that the unfit days were never abused.

First North Western also used taxis for their drivers including taxiing them between Manchester Victoria and Manchester Piccadilly. First North Western used a problem with the taxi service as an excuse why many early morning trains were delayed or cancelled. I'm not sure if Northern Rail still use taxis.

Well, it's not so bad between Piccadilly and Victoria. It'd be a quicker journey on Metrolink, but when you've got to wait for one to turn up I can easily believe that a taxi would be faster.

Northern Rail are reluctant to use TAXIS for passengers who are stranded for more than an hour never mind for there Staff.

But if you have a connection to make and its your last train or you are booked on a connecting train then yo may be lucky and get a taxi on NORTHERN RAIL.

Merseyrail are quite good if you have a problem with the Rail Replacement buses ie dissabiltiy or in a wheel chair they will get you a TAXI.

One night i had to walk down into BOOTLE from ORRELL PARK by the sea to catch a TAXI to walking distance to wear i live cost me £5.50.

Put my comments to MERSEYRAIL and they sent me vouchers back for the cost of the TAXI fare.

But the trins relly should never fail nor shold the power as there should always be an alternative ie DESIL rescue trins like virgin should be employed or hired out from EWS.

"NETWORK RAIL NEEED TO KEEP UOTO DATE WITH THERE ELECTRICITY BILLS

I would say that in an average week I probably have about half a dozen taxis at work. This is because drivers usually book on at their home depot, and this isn't always where their first train is located. Our trains can't all be stabled at stations, so the taxi takes you to wherever the first service starts from (sometimes a maintenance depot, sometimes a carriage sidings). Obviously if you are driving the first train of the day, you can't get there by train !

Later on in the day, a taxi takes me between terminii because if I pass on public transport and I'm delayed it will cost the company £150/minute plus accumulated delay, so a £ 20 taxi is a worthwhile expenditure.

HTH
Foggy

I can understand a taxi within a city or 20 or so miles, but my point is a 4 hour trip of 200 miles is unacceptable. I have also been put on a taxi when my train arrived late and I missed my connection, but that was as a passenger not someone who was about to take a train out and travel at 100 + MPH with a lot of passengers onboard.

I work for EWS and we use taxi's all the time. Usually on local trips of just a few miles, but I have been in a taxi all the way to Healey Mills Yard and Rotherham from Tees quite a lot. The longest taxi ride I've had was from Toton near Nottingham to Tees, but that was cos I'd got there too late to catch the last train home.

The reason I mentioned Manchester Victoria to Manchester Piccadilly is because a taxi is probably 3 times the charge of a tram. Maybe a taxi should be used in an emergency if staff need to quickly transfer between stations. However, most of the time I wouldn't think it matters.

Would have thoght it would be quicker on the tram with all the traffic arround !

It would depend on how long you had to wait for a tram. I've had to wait half an hour at he most, so in those circumstances it'd be quicker to get a taxi. However, ther are times when you don't have to wait at all.

It's all well and good saying that drivers should try and take public transport instead of taxis,

What most people don't realise is the amount of kit a driver is supposed to carry around with him/her, let me tell you that it can weigh what feels like a ton when you have to carry it for a distance.

Les

There should be a tram between Victoria and Piccadilly every 12 minutes. However, most conductors would be capable of walking between St. Peters Square and Piccadilly (trams between Victoria and St. Peters Square should be every 6 minutes.

Why don't rail companys buy cars and employ their own drivers instead of using taxis, or would that be more expensive than hiring taxis.

It would cost far too much. Think of the running costs, then you would need three drivers plus some extra ones to cover days off, sick. holidays, hangovers etc. You would also need more than one car so as to cover servicing, breakdowns, accidents and two cars may be needed at the same time going to diffrent places. No a taxi or public transport is far cheaper.

Hi Syd but are cheaper options always the best.

I agree locojoe, but the as the managers have to answer to the share holders, they will always take the cheap way out and say 'look how much we have saved you this year'.

when I was down south I knew of a driver who had to finish his turn late at selhurst depot (South London) and because of engineering work would have missed the train connection home. he was given a taxi to Loughborough, Leicestershire.