Hi

I really wish I knew which firm this was but, for the first time after a night out I didn't use a black cab to get home last night. I had been waiting long enough and my friend assured me I'd be ok by popping me into a normal private cab.

When I got in and told him exactly where I needed to be, he started driving and told me that the journey would cost me £23

My response...?!! "You must be joking mate, I think you better let me out here then because there's noway it costs £23..." but he carried on driving.

I told him again and said "Look I am serious you better let me out now because I am not paying £23 to get home.. it doesn't cost £23 so I will not and cannot pay, so let me out.."

His reply "So how much have you got?" I said "Never mind how much I've got, just let me out."


He then asked me how much it usually cost me to get home and I told him never more than £12 - he was trying to double my bill!! He told me he'd set the metre and see what it came to at the end (it started at £4 which is more expensive than a black cab to start with).. again I told him that if it came to anymore than £13 I wasn't going to pay the extra. So, he set his sat nav and off we went...

£12.85 it came to... £12.85 WHO THE HELL DID HE THINK HE WAS?!!

I wish I had got the details of the taxi... it was a yellow sticker onthe side of the car, like asemi circle with black writing, anyone know who that is?! I think I'd remember if someone could jog my memory for me, not that it's much good without his licence plate etc, but he made my blood boil.



ALSO... on top of that, he was having a race coming along Halifax Road with another taxi, almost collided twice swapping from lane to lane behind each other... total nightmare. Next time no matter how cold it is, and how long I've waited, I either ring for a cab or get in a black cab!

yellow back ground with black writin is express taxi. noramly good and reliable but a lot of young ****** work for them as well.

yellow back ground with black writin is express taxi. noramly good and reliable but a lot of young ****** work for them as well.
Reliable, thats for sure - never had one not turn up; I've also had one of the scariest journeys in my life in one of their taxis. 70mph down through shiregreen, straight over the mini roundabouts, 100mph along wooley wood bottom and all because he wanted to finish quickly.

Reliable, thats for sure - never had one not turn up; I've also had one of the scariest journeys in my life in one of their taxis. 70mph down through shiregreen, straight over the mini roundabouts, 100mph along wooley wood bottom and all because he wanted to finish quickly.

lot of drivers turn up stinkin of weed as well

Isn't it also illegal for him to pick you up on the street without you having called the cab firm?

Isn't it also illegal for him to pick you up on the street without you having called the cab firm?

it is but to them a fairs a fair

Isn't it also illegal for him to pick you up on the street without you having called the cab firm?

Depends on his licence- there are (I believe) some cars that aren't normal black cab shaped, but with 'hackney carriage' licences, which means that they can pick up on the street.

If his licence is a standard 'private hire' licence then yes, it's illegal for him to pick up in this way, and there are consequences for the passengers too, like if the car was involved in a crash while taking you somewhere you're likely to find that his insurance company will disown him and refuse to pay any compensation that you could otherwise claim from them.

Yes, it is illegal. NEVER EVER FLAG A 'NORMAL' CAB IN THE STREET.

I saw an article in the Star some time ago and apparently because it is illegal, there is no insurance so therefore if anything happens, any passengers are not insured to claim for injuries etc. Also, they can, as you found to your dismay, charge whatever they like and their company won't know about it.

My advice is if you have a problem with a taxi take the number off the plate on the back or his registration number and report them to the police or the the licensing authority (I think that is the Council).

At the end of the day it is better to wait for a black cab and be safe rather than be sorry.

Depends on his licence- there are (I believe) some cars that aren't normal black cab shaped, but with 'hackney carriage' licences, which means that they can pick up on the street.

If his licence is a standard 'private hire' licence then yes, it's illegal for him to pick up in this way, and there are consequences for the passengers too, like if the car was involved in a crash while taking you somewhere you're likely to find that his insurance company will disown him and refuse to pay any compensation that you could otherwise claim from them.

This is common in other cities, but they have to have a light on top, to show that thay are for hire

Depends on his licence- there are (I believe) some cars that aren't normal black cab shaped, but with 'hackney carriage' licences, which means that they can pick up on the street.

If his licence is a standard 'private hire' licence then yes, it's illegal for him to pick up in this way, and there are consequences for the passengers too, like if the car was involved in a crash while taking you somewhere you're likely to find that his insurance company will disown him and refuse to pay any compensation that you could otherwise claim from them.

That sounds like Rotherham. In Sheffield, you can only flag a black cab, they are the only ones licensed to be flagged down. All others are private hire and work/have to be booked through companies.

find a reliable firm, with good drivers, and stick with them. personally I like phoenix cars, they get me round town no bother.

Depends on his licence- there are (I believe) some cars that aren't normal black cab shaped, but with 'hackney carriage' licences, which means that they can pick up on the street.

If his licence is a standard 'private hire' licence then yes, it's illegal for him to pick up in this way, and there are consequences for the passengers too, like if the car was involved in a crash while taking you somewhere you're likely to find that his insurance company will disown him and refuse to pay any compensation that you could otherwise claim from them.

the only taxis that can be waved down in sheffield are black cabs and if you look on the licences on the back of all cabs all are hackney carriage

Isn't it also illegal for him to pick you up on the street without you having called the cab firm?

OP doesn't state whether it was on the street or not - it may have been a taxi rank in which case it would have been legal.

Yes, it is illegal. NEVER EVER FLAG A 'NORMAL' CAB IN THE STREET.

I saw an article in the Star some time ago and apparently because it is illegal, there is no insurance so therefore if anything happens, any passengers are not insured to claim for injuries etc. Also, they can, as you found to your dismay, charge whatever they like and their company won't know about it.


I'd say that the cab driver is not insured, but that wouldn't have any bearing on whether or not you as a passenger could sue them if they got you into an accident.

Of course, because they wouldn't be insured they may not be able to pay out anything, but that's another story...


At the end of the day it is better to wait for a black cab and be safe rather than be sorry.

Yep.

As a rule I would never have got into a 'normal' cab... only ever use the black cabd unless I have pre-booked it.

I had been waiting and waiting on West Street for a black cab to come past with it's light on but they were all going past full... it was too cold to wait around any longer.

I realise I should have got his details... but one of those things I guess... totally outrageous though. NEVER AGAIN!

yellow back ground with black writin is express taxi. noramly good and reliable but a lot of young ****** work for them as well.
A lot of the taxi drivers these days are young xxxxxxxxx .

yellow back ground with black writin is express taxi. noramly good and reliable but a lot of young ****** work for them as well.No sir!! Express are at least Sheffield based and not as bad for illegal pick ups as some other cross border cowboys.
This is almost certainly a Northeast Derbyshire (Dronfield) licensed "NETWORK" car, that should not have been working in Sheffield. They are the only ones with a yellow oval shaped sign on doors. Recently four of their drivers and one Sheffield driver were caught at Woodseats when Police ran a sting opperation to weed out these illegal taxis.
The problem is that Network used to have an office in Sheffield and people are familliar with the name, but their licence was revoked by Sheffield City Council (they have no more Sheffield legal licensed cars) and now only opporate from across the border in Dronfield. If you don't book a cab then you realy have no place to complain if something goes wrong. To put it in context, for what that driver did in picking you up he would have had a £350 fine plus six penalty points on his driving licence.
Sheffield council are chasing them but they often they make excuse of just came in to drop off but realy it's us the cutomer who needs to be aware of what we are getting into, personally I think black cabs are more convenient. This is the type of danger http://17.freebb.com/sheffield/sheffield-article521.html

Could this have been a Network Taxi pretty sure they have yellow oval shaped signs with black writing

OP doesn't state whether it was on the street or not - it may have been a taxi rank in which case it would have been legal.
No it wouldn't, not unless it had a hackney licence.

I always, without exception, call for a cab. Black cabs cost more than private hire, and I'd certainly never flag a private hire down.

Ill bet it was a Network cars cab which makes it even worse! They will not even be licensed to pick up in sheffield as they will hold a North East Derbyshire licence and ply illegally in Sheffield! Dodgy as anything as NED council are not as strict with requirements for either driver or vehicle and many of the drivers have already been knocked back by Sheffield. All the drivers who sit outside Netto and the Big Tree in Woodseats all do so illegally (also what used to be Safeway in Meadowhead).

My advice - WALK! You will be a whole lot safer!

The posts above are correct about Sheffield only licensing London Style cabs as Hackney carriages so only flag these ones down but these also have a yellow plate inside displaying the number. I always take a mental note of this just incase I have any problems then to call the licensing section who can take any action necessary.

Depends on his licence- there are (I believe) some cars that aren't normal black cab shaped, but with 'hackney carriage' licences, which means that they can pick up on the street.

If his licence is a standard 'private hire' licence then yes, it's illegal for him to pick up in this way, and there are consequences for the passengers too, like if the car was involved in a crash while taking you somewhere you're likely to find that his insurance company will disown him and refuse to pay any compensation that you could otherwise claim from them.

Boundaries are important here. In sheffield Hackney carriages are all your typical Black cabs. In other boroughs there are different rules. IIRC Cardiff uses normal cars which are painted black except for the bonnet, roof and boot, which are painted white.

So neighbouring boroughs may have different rules, often the more rural the more likely the hackney carriages are not black cabs.

But hackney carriages can only pick up fares in their borough, unless pre-booked, in which case the journey must either start, finish or cross the borough the taxi is licensed in. That's a national law.

If he breaks the law he is uninsured.

Also it's worth checking the taxi has road tax. Many of them don't. They are uninsured also.

If it's not a black cab and you were picked up from the street, you do not have to pay anything.

Definately Network. My friend got a Network taxi at about 5.30am the other day and the taxi driver fell asleep at the traffic lights on Queens Road - she had to wake him up!
About a year ago I had to report a Network "taxi" to the police. I gave the police the registration number - they said that it didn't exist! I did give the correct one because I saw the taxi again a few days later - the driver also said he had just got out of prison :rolleyes:

OMG I am soooooooooooooooo shocked by all of this. I have NEVER liked getting in taxis alone at the best of times, and have had a couple of terrifying encounters before in the past with two different drivers of the same company and they were both pre-booked taxis too, I didn't flag them down.

I am very shocked about this company being based in Dronfield and driving/picking up in Sheffield. I wish I'd got his details but sadly I didn't I was just so relieved to get home!

I think you deserved what you got because people entertain this type of behaviour by getting into private hire vehicles expecting cheaper fares....

I hope these rogue traders wud start charging these customers triple the fares just to teach them a lesson...

theres plenty of black cabs on the roads these days for you to flag down...

I will try and clear this up. 1, This WILL have been a North East Derbyshire vehicle and (Supposedly) working for a firm called Network, based in Dronfield, we have recently prosecuted 6 drivers from the North East Derbys for the same offence, PLYING FOR HIRE without the appropriate licence, My Advice is never ever get into an un-booked private hire vehicle, of any area Sheffield or otherwise, please note that it will more likely than not invalidate the insurance of the vehicle, and DRIVERS only do this for one thing and that is to RIP OFF the punter. allways use a black cab, where the meter should be on when you enter the cab etc and you can see the mo9ney adding up.

PLEASE PLEASE DONT USE AN UN-BOOKED, if you have had any recent experiences of this nature please contact Sheffield CIty Council Licensing Section (2734005) Town HAll Sheffield S1 2HH, if we get sufficeint evidence we will prosecute any driver for illgal plying for hire.

REMEMBER ALLWAYS USE A BOOKED PRIAVTE HIRE OR A HACKNEY CARRIAGE (LONDON STYLE CAB IN SHEFFIELD WITH YELLOW/ORANGE LIGHT TO FRONT) IF YOU HAVE BOOKED A PRIVATE HIRE VEHICLE THE DRIVER SHOULD ALWAYS HAVE A BADGE ON (WERAING IT) AND SHOULD BE ONLY TO PLEASE TO SHOW IT YOU BEFORE YOU GET IN, HACKNEY DRIVERS SHOULD ALSO BE WEARING A BADGE. PRIVATE HIRE VEHICLES HAVE CURRENTLY WHITE PLATES WITH BLACK WRITING AND NUMBER AND HACKNEY HAVE BLACK PLATES WHITE WRITING AND NUMBERS, NEVER GET IN A VEHICLE WITH A YELLOW SMALL PLATE ON TEH REAR UNLESS YOU HAVE BOOKED THROUGH THE OPERATOR IN DRONFIELD ALSO BE AWARE OF DPH WHO OPERATE FROM DRONFIELD AS WELL.

HOPE THIS CLEARS IT UP

OMG I am soooooooooooooooo shocked by all of this. I have NEVER liked getting in taxis alone at the best of times, and have had a couple of terrifying encounters before in the past with two different drivers of the same company and they were both pre-booked taxis too, I didn't flag them down.

I am very shocked about this company being based in Dronfield and driving/picking up in Sheffield. I wish I'd got his details but sadly I didn't I was just so relieved to get home!

The difference is when you book it, and have a 'terrifying' encounter, is that you can report the driver, because there is a record of it.
I hope you reported both drivers, otherewise it's pointless complaining.

i was just gonna say its definetly NETWORK heard lots of bad reports bout them

I will try and clear this up. 1, This WILL have been a North East Derbyshire vehicle and (Supposedly) working for a firm called Network, based in Dronfield, we have recently prosecuted 6 drivers from the North East Derbys for the same offence, PLYING FOR HIRE without the appropriate licence, My Advice is never ever get into an un-booked private hire vehicle, of any area Sheffield or otherwise, please note that it will more likely than not invalidate the insurance of the vehicle, and DRIVERS only do this for one thing and that is to RIP OFF the punter. allways use a black cab, where the meter should be on when you enter the cab etc and you can see the mo9ney adding up.

PLEASE PLEASE DONT USE AN UN-BOOKED, if you have had any recent experiences of this nature please contact Sheffield CIty Council Licensing Section (2734005) Town HAll Sheffield S1 2HH, if we get sufficeint evidence we will prosecute any driver for illgal plying for hire.

REMEMBER ALLWAYS USE A BOOKED PRIAVTE HIRE OR A HACKNEY CARRIAGE (LONDON STYLE CAB IN SHEFFIELD WITH YELLOW/ORANGE LIGHT TO FRONT) IF YOU HAVE BOOKED A PRIVATE HIRE VEHICLE THE DRIVER SHOULD ALWAYS HAVE A BADGE ON (WERAING IT) AND SHOULD BE ONLY TO PLEASE TO SHOW IT YOU BEFORE YOU GET IN, HACKNEY DRIVERS SHOULD ALSO BE WEARING A BADGE. PRIVATE HIRE VEHICLES HAVE CURRENTLY WHITE PLATES WITH BLACK WRITING AND NUMBER AND HACKNEY HAVE BLACK PLATES WHITE WRITING AND NUMBERS, NEVER GET IN A VEHICLE WITH A YELLOW SMALL PLATE ON TEH REAR UNLESS YOU HAVE BOOKED THROUGH THE OPERATOR IN DRONFIELD ALSO BE AWARE OF DPH WHO OPERATE FROM DRONFIELD AS WELL.

HOPE THIS CLEARS IT UP
Welcome "Sheffield City council man" Thankyou for your input. Good sound advice and I hope people pay some attention. Only too often we complain without following up the complaint usually because cab was unbooked private hire anyway with no record or come backs.

Welcome "Sheffield City council man" Thankyou for your input. Good sound advice and I hope people pay some attention. Only too often we complain without following up the complaint usually because cab was unbooked private hire anyway with no record or come backs.

Well said. There are enough warnings about getting in rogue taxis.
Rather than posting 'outrageous taxis' as in here, I'm astounded that people still jump in cars based on the fact that the car has a sticker on the side.

Though in fairness, I'm pleased that I'm typing in a thread complaining about a rogue taxi driver over-charging a lone woman, rather than a thread about a lone woman being murdered by a bogus taxi driver.:)

I am far from the dumb person you're clearly trying to make out that I am here, and it has been the first and last time I have and ever will do this. As for there being plenty of black cabs... there were NOT. I was stood, with friends on West Street and they were all full. We started to walk down towards Fitzallen Square where again, there were no taxis in the taxi rank and we were stood in the freezing cold for the best part of an hour until I decided to go in this taxi.

I immediately made a phone call home as I always do when I get a cab alone, which makes me feel safer whether it means I am or not.

I too am glad it isn't a case of **lone woman being murdered by a bogus taxi driver** of course I am... but at the end of the day this thread was to raise peoples awareness more than anything at this outrageous behaviour.

Please do NOT make anymore digs towards me!

Thank you!


Well said. There are enough warnings about getting in rogue taxis.
Rather than posting 'outrageous taxis' as in here, I'm astounded that people still jump in cars based on the fact that the car has a sticker on the side.

Though in fairness, I'm pleased that I'm typing in a thread complaining about a rogue taxi driver over-charging a lone woman, rather than a thread about a lone woman being murdered by a bogus taxi driver.:)

The difference is when you book it, and have a 'terrifying' encounter, is that you can report the driver, because there is a record of it.
I hope you reported both drivers, otherewise it's pointless complaining.

YES both encounters reported thank you!

YES both encounters reported thank you!

I was not having a dig at you at all. And I'm glad you reported the drivers that you booked, too many people phone up taxi companies to complain about things, but aren't prepared to phone the council and report them, which is the only way drivers can be punished for anything.

I too am glad it isn't a case of **lone woman being murdered by a bogus taxi driver** of course I am... but at the end of the day this thread was to raise peoples awareness more than anything at this outrageous behaviour.!

I thought your original post was to raise people awareness about being ripped off. Sorry:)

I always seem to stick with RCA as they have always been reliable whenever my sisters or I use them. One of my sisters use them regularly for her journey home from work.

I always check the taxi licence plate on the back of the car expecially when I am out on the '****' or on my own as sometimes 'fake' taxis turn up. (they pinch a taxi company sticker and look round town for work - as an aquaintance of mine once discovered when the police pulled her taxi on the way home!)

The drivers 'ID' is usually displayed in a visible place inside the vehicle as well.

I used to live in Eckington and sometimes when flagging down a cab they have tried to charge me over £20 when the fare was usually around £16! :rant:

Network!

Once a taxi driver said to a friend of a friend etc... whilst I was in the taxi, I will knock a £5 off of the fare if you give me a snog.....which I am disgusted to say the girl took him up on his offer! :| :gag:

But still - what a professional approach from the taxi driver!!!!!!:suspect:

I am far from the dumb person you're clearly trying to make out that I am here, and it has been the first and last time I have and ever will do this. As for there being plenty of black cabs... there were NOT. I was stood, with friends on West Street and they were all full. We started to walk down towards Fitzallen Square where again, there were no taxis in the taxi rank and we were stood in the freezing cold for the best part of an hour until I decided to go in this taxi.

I immediately made a phone call home as I always do when I get a cab alone, which makes me feel safer whether it means I am or not.

I too am glad it isn't a case of **lone woman being murdered by a bogus taxi driver** of course I am... but at the end of the day this thread was to raise peoples awareness more than anything at this outrageous behaviour.

Please do NOT make anymore digs towards me!

Thank you!
I would think some people might have learned something about taxis from your post. I would agree with djash's comments that discussion has veered towards general rather than personally targetting yourself. I am glad though that we got it from the horses mouth in that "sccman" came on to post a response from the council, so it shows authorities are aware of the problem and are prepared to do something about it. If at all you felt we were picking on you then appologies for giving that impression. There clearly is a problem and we can help by taking just taking a little extra care.