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Old 04-07-2016, 12:33 PM   #1
Otto-matic
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Calgary cab drivers say they are the ones paying the price of new lower taxi fares.

At least two taxi companies have announced they're lowering their fares.

And while this is good news for those who take taxis, cab drivers say the break is coming out of their pockets.
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"They all agree we got to be competitive and we've got to do more for less and we've got to get more people to use taxis instead of other forms of transportation," he said.

But according to longtime cabbie Narinder Tunber, that's not the case.

"It's the wrong way to go," he said.

The 30-year veteran driver has been driving with Associated for the last four years. When he heard about the fare decrease, he went to talk to Richard, asking him to decrease the rent drivers pay for the cabs.

"I asked, 'If you went and decreased the meter 12 per cent, the rent should be decreased too,'" Tunber said.

"I told him, 'If you're not going to take the rent down, I am just going to keep the same meter rate,'" he continued.

"[Richard] said if you're going to keep the same meter, then he'd take that car away from me."
For anyone who is going out this weekend, keep this in mind when booking cabs.

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Delta Cab, too, will lower its rates. Mayfair Taxi and Checker Yellow Cab have said they are considering their options.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgar...524920?cmp=rss
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Old 04-07-2016, 12:47 PM   #2
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can't say that this is overly surprising. seems like the guys in power in the cab industry are a deplorable lot that make lots of money off of their drivers
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Old 04-07-2016, 12:50 PM   #3
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At this point, I wouldn't be surprised if we found the names of the guys in charge of the cab industry in the Panama papers.
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Old 04-07-2016, 12:51 PM   #4
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Consumer pressure (uber) resulted in lower fares.
Driver pressure should result in lower cab rent fees.
One is not connected to the other...he is barking up the wrong tree.
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Old 04-07-2016, 12:52 PM   #5
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Driving a cab for Roger Richard (or any other Calgary cab company for that matter) strikes me as being the closest thing to indentured servitude that you could 'legally' sign up for in this city. And while I have absolutely no sympathy for the cab companies who operate in this city, I truly feel sorry for this city's taxi cab drivers.
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Old 04-07-2016, 01:05 PM   #6
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Update : Another #yyc taxi company drops rates. April 11th @CheckerTaxiYYC rates reduced by 15%. Break down below. #taxis

I agree the taxi drivers should see a reduced rental rate though.
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Old 04-07-2016, 01:15 PM   #7
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Why haven't we seen some hard hitting local investigative journalism into the power brokers and license owners behind the Calgary taxi business?
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Old 04-07-2016, 01:19 PM   #8
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The concentration of plate ownership in Calgary is one of the reasons a lot of the drivers will tell you they are looking forward to ubers arival as it would provide competition for drivers and lower rent on cabs.
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Old 04-07-2016, 01:28 PM   #9
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Originally Posted by Frequitude View Post
Why haven't we seen some hard hitting local investigative journalism into the power brokers and license owners behind the Calgary taxi business?
Why the hell is there such a thing as a cab licence? If your car is safe and you have a valid drivers license anyone should be able to start a cab business.
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Old 04-07-2016, 01:44 PM   #10
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Driving a cab for Roger Richard (or any other Calgary cab company for that matter) strikes me as being the closest thing to indentured servitude that you could 'legally' sign up for in this city. And while I have absolutely no sympathy for the cab companies who operate in this city, I truly feel sorry for this city's taxi cab drivers.
Amazing there isn't a huge revolt over this(maybe there will be) it's a 12% paycut for the most important employees in the company, I assume dispatchers,mechanics and other staff stay the same, and lets not forget the millionaire owner.

As for Mr. Richard, he is so far up this city's politicians arses it's strange his cars haven't turned brown, his company grew because of bigotry towards drivers and when that had to stop he raised the rental rate for new drivers hoping they would stay away. and I wonder how many brown envelopes full of cash it took to get the city's approval to only have his trash service at the airport.
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Old 04-07-2016, 01:47 PM   #11
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The cab industry is seriously scummy. Was it on CP I got the link to a newstory about how corrupt the system is in TO?

Basically it is a bunch of scummy people who own all the medallions/plates and they prey on immigrants, typically east indians, and it is basically like one big mafia. They essentially hold entire families hostage and screw over their employees. The plates have become people's retirement plan because they are so valuable but as long as the drivers are getting screwed when it comes to the car and their pay, unless they own the taxi license they are basically slaves.

We may complain about the drivers and their lack of knowledge or their habit of trying to take the long way but honestly they are just a cog in an insanely corrupt system.
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Old 04-07-2016, 01:51 PM   #12
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What am I to keep in mind when I take a taxi this weekend?

Not like I will be tipping more.
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Old 04-07-2016, 01:52 PM   #13
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Don't worry. Ride sharing will kill the taxi industry.

These industry revolutions cannot be stopped. I don't think there has ever been a case of a Uber/Taxi, Netflix/Blockbuster, Mp3/album like situation being successfully stopped. You either suck it up like the music industry and adapt or die like blockbuster.
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Old 04-07-2016, 02:14 PM   #14
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Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger View Post
The cab industry is seriously scummy. Was it on CP I got the link to a newstory about how corrupt the system is in TO?

Basically it is a bunch of scummy people who own all the medallions/plates and they prey on immigrants, typically east indians, and it is basically like one big mafia. They essentially hold entire families hostage and screw over their employees. The plates have become people's retirement plan because they are so valuable but as long as the drivers are getting screwed when it comes to the car and their pay, unless they own the taxi license they are basically slaves.

We may complain about the drivers and their lack of knowledge or their habit of trying to take the long way but honestly they are just a cog in an insanely corrupt system.
I remember talking to a cabby in Vegas about the plate "system" and he said if anyone tried to make changes they would be resting in a desert grave ala Casino(movie). It's probably corrupt in ever major city in NA if not the world.
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Old 04-07-2016, 02:15 PM   #15
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Don't worry. Ride sharing will kill the taxi industry.

These industry revolutions cannot be stopped. I don't think there has ever been a case of a Uber/Taxi, Netflix/Blockbuster, Mp3/album like situation being successfully stopped. You either suck it up like the music industry and adapt or die like blockbuster.
Is Uber now operating in Calgary?
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Old 04-07-2016, 02:18 PM   #16
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Originally Posted by Weitz View Post
What am I to keep in mind when I take a taxi this weekend?

Not like I will be tipping more.
I think he meant which cab companies will be lowering their rates. Keep them in mind so your not paying more.....
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Old 04-07-2016, 02:22 PM   #17
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Originally Posted by TomLeeMC View Post
I think he meant which cab companies will be lowering their rates. Keep them in mind so your not paying more.....
Ah I thought it was more of "lets tip the drivers more"
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Old 04-07-2016, 02:23 PM   #18
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Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger View Post
The cab industry is seriously scummy. Was it on CP I got the link to a newstory about how corrupt the system is in TO?

Basically it is a bunch of scummy people who own all the medallions/plates and they prey on immigrants, typically east indians, and it is basically like one big mafia. They essentially hold entire families hostage and screw over their employees. The plates have become people's retirement plan because they are so valuable but as long as the drivers are getting screwed when it comes to the car and their pay, unless they own the taxi license they are basically slaves.

We may complain about the drivers and their lack of knowledge or their habit of trying to take the long way but honestly they are just a cog in an insanely corrupt system.
Slaves? If the money wasn't or isn't good they can always get another job.

Why is the taxi industry drivers more special than the guys who work at warehouses? Construction? Guess what happens when they aren't happy with their job? They find another job. Someone will take their spot and if they aren't happy they'll find another job as well, the circle of work life.

If you don't own your tax license you aren't being screwed you're working for someone, and making money off their license.

McDonald's employees aren't being screwed by the big bad Ronald McDonald.
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Old 04-07-2016, 02:33 PM   #19
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Slaves? If the money wasn't or isn't good they can always get another job.

Why is the taxi industry drivers more special than the guys who work at warehouses? Construction? Guess what happens when they aren't happy with their job? They find another job. Someone will take their spot and if they aren't happy they'll find another job as well, the circle of work life.

If you don't own your tax license you aren't being screwed you're working for someone, and making money off their license.

McDonald's employees aren't being screwed by the big bad Ronald McDonald.
If anyone could start up a cab company like any other business I'd agree, but the Cab business is a cartel, if McDonald screws you there are thousands of other resteraunts you can apply at, if a cab company screws you there are three other companies and ****** cabs will make damn sure you ain't getting a job with them.
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Old 04-07-2016, 03:55 PM   #20
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Driving a cab for Roger Richard (or any other Calgary cab company for that matter) strikes me as being the closest thing to indentured servitude that you could 'legally' sign up for in this city. And while I have absolutely no sympathy for the cab companies who operate in this city, I truly feel sorry for this city's taxi cab drivers.
Generally speaking I agree.

However there are also many ######bag ####head cab drivers that I have no feelings of sympathy for.
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