* Ping * Forummers in Coventry

[Speicher]

What do you know about the taxi strike?

I could look this up on the Evening Telegraph, but I would prefer to know the facts.

My elderly mother lives in Coventry and she is very reliant on taxis to get out and about. She says she usually books one of the smaller taxi firms for her journeys. She is now also saying that she does not want to book any taxis at all because the smaller taxi firms are in trouble with the larger taxi firms for continuing to take passengers.

I would appreciate the forummers in Coventry shedding some sensible light on this. If the strike carries on, she will not be able to avoid booking a taxi. She has very friendly, helpful neighbours, and I would like her to know if she can use taxis when she needs to.

 

[ColinJ]

What do you know about the taxi strike?

I could look this up on the Evening Telegraph, but I would prefer to know the facts.

My elderly mother lives in Coventry and she is very reliant on taxis to get out and about. She says she usually books one of the smaller taxi firms for her journeys. She is now also saying that she does not want to book any taxis at all because the smaller taxi firms are in trouble with the larger taxi firms for continuing to take passengers.

I would appreciate the forummers in Coventry shedding some sensible light on this. If the strike carries on, she will not be able to avoid booking a taxi. She has very friendly, helpful neighbours, and I would like her to know if she can use taxis when she needs to.

Oh, I hadn't heard about that. I might be needing taxis in Coventry myself soon so I'd like to know too.

I knew that there was a lot of anger about the number of taxi licenses being issued in Coventry. There are too many taxi drivers fighting for the business.

Looks like the strike has been called off - one report and another report.

 

[Cheule]

I'm in Coventry but all I know is that the strike ended Tuesday. To be fair the first clue I had that something was going on was when I commuted to work one night at 9.30pm and passed the Coventry Central police station only to find it surrounded by taxi cabs

I have a friend at work who also works as a cabbie here, he's not in work till Monday now but I'll see if there's any more to it than just limited parking spaces.

 

[Speicher]

I can see now where she was getting confused. She usually rings up the taxi firm three or more days ahead, and books a taxi. Whereas the limited amount of parking spaces refers to Hackney Cabs, ie stroll up at a Taxi Rank and get in the cab.

I was puzzled as to why she thought it affected the big firms and not the small firms. I will try and explain the difference to her, but that will be easier said than done.

I take it there is a taxi rank by the Railway Station, and somewhere near Broadgate. Are there any in Corporation Street and whereabouts? I know where Ikea is, is there one near there? Once every five years or so, I end up in central Coventry, though I usually use the Park and Ride service.

 

[ColinJ]

I take it there is a taxi rank by the Railway Station

Yes - I've used it many times. Literally, straight out of the first door on your left. There are usually about 15 taxis waiting at any one time.

 

[Speicher]

Thank you Colin. I like to know these things just in case I have to urgently get there by train.

 

[Cheule]

They are at it again, its all over todays telegraph. They are blockading the city.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

They are at it again, its all over todays telegraph. They are blockading the city.

They were blockading the ring road yesterday tea time, driving round it very slowly, and, as others have said, its mostly about too many licences being issued.

 

[Black Sheep]

There have been arguments between taxi drivers and the council as the council are still issuing taxi licenses when the drivers claim there are not enough ranks in the city to accommodate the taxis.

this causes them to park in stupid places and then complain when they get a ticket.

I would have sympathy for them, except I work on trinity street which has a rank where you would fit between 15 possibly even 20 taxis on, across the road from Sainsburys but the only time i've seen taxis in that is when they'd parked up to go on strike!

that and one taxi who was still working on the day of the strike told me to watch where I was going (I was on the bike) as he pulled out in front of me while he was texting!

the strike tends to be a day or two of strikes and then back to normal.

 

[Black Sheep]

I can see now where she was getting confused. She usually rings up the taxi firm three or more days ahead, and books a taxi. Whereas the limited amount of parking spaces refers to Hackney Cabs, ie stroll up at a Taxi Rank and get in the cab.

I was puzzled as to why she thought it affected the big firms and not the small firms. I will try and explain the difference to her, but that will be easier said than done.

I take it there is a taxi rank by the Railway Station, and somewhere near Broadgate. Are there any in Corporation Street and whereabouts? I know where Ikea is, is there one near there? Once every five years or so, I end up in central Coventry, though I usually use the Park and Ride service.

there is a rank opposite Ikea (by the market) and there are a few places in and near broadgate (round the back of cathedral lanes shopping centre)

corporation street is a bit thin on the ground, there are ranks but the paint is very faded and they are un-used, not sure if thats because they are no longer ranks or not.

 

[Speicher]

Ikea is one of the few shops that I know the location, though I have not been in it. On the rare occasion I am in Coventy, I usually end up just opposite Ikea, in that little arcade of small shops.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Ikea is one of the few shops that I know the location, though I have not been in it. On the rare occasion I am in Coventy, I usually end up just opposite Ikea, in that little arcade of small shops.

I've been in once, for work when they were doing a presentation and hadn't got enough crockery for the visitors, once was enough, I don't plan to go again.

 

[Speicher]

I am fairly certain that I have not been inside an Ikea shop shed in the last seventeen years. I do not think I could cope with the "one-way" system that they appear to have.

 

[Black Sheep]

There are shortcuts through the store to get from section to section.

most of our furniture came from Ikea.

the one way system is so you don't have bulky trollies fighting for right of way - I actually find it easier to look round than the furniture section of B&Q or Homebase

 

[Black Sheep]

Went for lunch yesterday from work, taxi rank full outside, joked with my manager that they must be on strike

yes they were!