Taxi.....Taxi.......

[pullock]

I arrived in Sydney airport this evening from Cairns, intending to actch a taxi to my nearby home. Not such an outrageous idea I thought, but I was very wrong.

Down stairs at the Qantas taxi rank (peoplised sheep gates) there was queue of about five hundred people and not a taxi to be seen.

Thinking myself smart I thought that I would go upstairs to beet the crowd and see whether I could hail a cab that was dropping off, but of course none of the drivers would take my fair as they aren't allowed to pick up from the departures section for fear of big fines from SACL.

Next I went over to terminal two to see if I could get a cab there as it's upstream toward the taxi staging area at Sydney Airport. When I got there I found the situation was far worse as the few taxi's that were at the airport were driving straight past the low cost terminal 2 favoring Qantas. The only taxi I saw go in to pick up at T2 was one that the taxi attendant waved in by standing literally in front of it and forced it to go there!!

Next I thought I would go to the staging area and try to get a cab there only to find the taxi staging areas COMPLETELY EMPTY.

In the end I was picked up by my good wife and finally got home. WHY CANT SYDNEY AIRPORT ORGANISE TAXIS TO MEET THE TRAVELLING PUBLIC??

I did note a sign that said that a $2.00 surcharge was being effected from the first of this month on taxi fares at the airport, and I suspect that this is the cause of this malaise.

Greedy SACL strikes again. Reason 3567 why airports should not have been privatised Mr. Howard.

If anyone says it's SACL's right to charge this ridiculous fee, then I say OK then I should have the right to choose to use their competition...........

This never happened in the past ten years that I have been using Sydney Airport as a traveller, and the problem lies squarely with SACL's "kerbside management".

Kerbside MISSMANAGEMENT I say.:sad:

[one ball]

see if I could get a cab there as it's pustream Some penicillin will help cure that.

[smokestak]

Geez,

How did you convince your wife to pick you up ..........................


Smotstak has seen the errors of his ways and is permitted to play with the children again.......

Woomera

[OzExpat]

Oh dear... it even happens on a thread like this. :sad: :(

[Woomera]

Mr smokestak will be taking a rest on this thread

[spinout]

SACL are charging every commercial operator into the domestic terminal area a fee, the hotel courtesy busses as well as taxies, I don’t think it will be long before everyone will be charged … they say the government have made them responsible for the roads etc into and out of the terminal area

[Sunfish]

Welcome to the world of privatisation. If Macquarie Bank could find a way to charge you for the air you breath at that airport, then it would.

[dude65]

Good one Woomera

SMOKESTACK- That's a pretty tragic way to start your weekend

[Ultralights]

its called planning, book a silver service cab to pick you up, give them the flight number your on before you leave, and they will pick you up from the airport, as an added bonus, tell them to wait at the Hire car wash area as it will save them the $2 fee! and the rate is the same as a normal cab.

they have been there Every time i needed a cab, no waiting! and the 300 mtr walk is good for the legs after sitting for a while.

[pullock]

Thanks for the tip ultralights - I did notice a whole lot of silver service taxis in about that area. Funnily I thought that it would be a great idea to have a pickup just a short distance away that would solve the problem.

Yes mr smokestack you certainly blew it!! I can't understand what goes on in your head, but I just don't see that it's arrogant to be cranky in the reduction of quality and service at our airports. Perhaps you like to wait in taxi queues for taxis that never come.:ok:

I think arrogance is to milk every cent out of the public to make gross profit whilst at the same time reducing the service that you are supplying to the point that it no longer works.

[Metro man]

Shortage of Cabs caused by shortage of drivers. With the current good economic conditions there are plenty of unskilled/semi skilled jobs around paying +/-$20/hour plus superannuation ,sick pay ,holiday pay ,workers comp ,regular working hours etc.

Why would anyone drive a cab for +/-$12/hour , with no other benefits what so ever , working 60 hours a week including nights weekends and public holidays ? Not to mention the risks

Even if you had found a taxi the driver would probably have been unable to speak English or even know the way into the city ,as the only people who are willing to accept the working conditions are very recent arrivals or those who cannot get any other job.

Taxi fares are simply too low to provide a decent service.

[sinala1]

Taxi fares are simply too low to provide a decent service.
Taxi's here are considerably more expensive than a lot of countries I have been to! Singapore and Dubai for example, both have very cheap taxis, and there is *always* one when you want it - plus they generally seem to know where they are going! Not to mention the fact that (from my personal experiences) they are clean and tidy, and roomy too!

Too bad its not the same here hey...

[OzExpat]

Thank you Woomera, I was hoping that you'd do something like that. I have to agree that taxi service at Sydney Airport is the worst in the civilised world. The taxi service at Cairns Airport is, in comparison.... simply no comparison, as they are almost always there. Never have to wait for than a few minutes for one and have NEVER had to lift the phone to book one.

As for local knowledge of capital cities, I reckon you can't go past the London black cabs! :ok: There's nowhere that they can't get you to - and NOWHERE that they'll ask you about because, if all else fails, they have their own A-Z and know how to read it!

In Sydney, I'd love a quid for the number of times I've heard... "You show... me take"... :yuk: Professional taxi drivers? No, I don't think so!

[the wizard of auz]

Have to agree with the singa's comment. Always a taxi and they are cheap and clean. they were quite fast in Manilla as well, but you take your life into your own hands by getting in with them.............Damn scaryest ride I ever had.
Cheapest was in Dili, East Timor. US$1.00 after haggling for five mins in portuguese, Indonesian and English, to go about thirty five kilometers. It was damn clean too.

[OzPax1]

Ozexpat is right about London cabbies. The Black Cab drivers in London have to pass a series of tests at the London Pubic Carrige Office called collectively 'The Knowledge'. They have to know the quickest and/or most direct route bwtween any two points in London within six miles of Charing Cross Train Station. For this they get a green numbered badge and the right to pick up passengers from the street. Passing the knowledge and getting the badge usally takes most people 2 years on average.

The above means that the guy driving your black cab in London is never lost & never doesn't know were you want to go!

Further info here (http://www.tfl.gov.uk/pco/knowledge.shtml) . :ok:

[planemad2]

This "fee" has been in force for a long time at Brisbane Airport by the privatised BACL, was $1 now $2.

It is harder now to get a taxi there, not helped by a BACL employee recently issuing a taxi driver a $90 "fine" for leaving his taxi to help an elderly War Veteran into the Terminal. :(

BACL have also recently introduced a no stopping your vehicle policy anywhere on their roads, policed by security guards who issue $60 fines, to make you use their overpriced car park.

People used to wait at the side of the road, well off the traffic lanes, and wait for a call on their mobile to pick up an incoming pax, but BACL made nothing out of this.

The clue is now, the only place you can legally wait is at the Southern Cross exhibit.

Just if you are waiting there and the security patrol comes along, get out and look at the nice plane. ;)

[V1OOPS]

Terminal access aside, taxis in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, etc all seem to have drivers who know less about their city than the infrequent visitor in the back seat. I mean, if a Melbourne taxi driver can't find St Kilda Rd from the city and the next can't get me back to Little Collins, then something's wrong.

It seems only rarely I encounter a driver who does know his way in these capital cities.

Worse, I've been in a couple of cabs recently whose drivers wondered why the traffic lights didn't give them a green turn arrow through a couple of phases? I'm only an amateur driver, compared to their professional status (ha!), but I know stopping one car length back from the 'hold-short' line (and the embedded detector loop) doesn't help! I'm pretty sure they weren't smart enough to be simply delaying my journey and increasing the fare.

Give me a London cab any day!

[DirtyPierre]

Pullock, why not take the train? It's gotta be cheaper than a cab, even if you only get it into the city to go to a cab rank near the station.

The train service in Brissie goes every 20 minutes, and is $9. It's pretty good. If you're a pilot working at Brissie (or for that matter any airport worker) you can get a $10 weekly ticket. I often use it when I take the car in for a service than catch the train to and from work for that day. Not sure if the Sydney service is as good.

[Metro man]

Agree totally with the comment on Cairns Taxi service ,one of the best in Australia. It has mostly local drivers ,Cairns not being a major destination for new arrivals ,who can earn more than the Taxi average in Australia due to the different nature of the place compared to a big city.

My solution to the Taxi problems elsewhere is to pay the drivers a reasonable income with all benefits ,this would require fares higher than people are willing to pay so subsidise the cabs in the same way as buses and trains.

A better quality driver could be attracted to , and retained in the industry ,providing a better service. Turnover would be reduced and some of the idiots we have at the moment forced out.

Who knows they may even speak English ,and know where they are going!

[Jamair]

:D Jeez, youse fullas need to get out more:p

I've never had any trouble gettin Arthur (his genuine 1976 Kingswood Premier is Australias oldest registered cab) to be waiting to collect me on arrival from the main terminal at Cunnamulla........and Jocko the refueller is always happy to give you a lift into Thargomindah.....same goes at Innamincka, the homestay guy is happy to bring the truck over the creek to pick you up........ though there's been a few times I've had to walk into Longreach in mid-summer :eek:

[Sunfish]

Ahem, the "main" terminal at Cunnamulla? Is that international or domestic?

[Eastwest Loco]

Taxis in Bali (particularly the Bluebird Group) are excellent, clean, air conditioned and 4000 rupes (around 70c) flagfall including the 1st 2 kilometers and then 400 rupes per 225 metres. The drivers actually know where they are going and speak great English.

Not so Sydney.

Ah preferes dem turbahn thingies on mah airplane, not on mah drahvers heyid!!!

Best all

EWL

[Tinstaafl]

The Kingswood is still going? That would be the 'Flash Car Cab Company' then.

[Blastoid]

planemad2,
The clue is now, the only place you can legally wait is at the Southern Cross exhibit.

Not quite, there is the aircraft viewing area around near GA apron (take a left at the domestic roundabout) and there are plent of places to "view aircraft". Only open 6am - 6pm though.

As for parking on the side of the road awaiting a mobil call - in general have no problem with this, but in this case I think BACL have a point where the speed limit is 100km/h. Many times I have seen cars attempting to pull out into the continuous stream of traffic only to nearly cause an accident. It's just plain dangerous.

Still don't agree with fleecing people with exorbitant taxi/parking charges - they only do it because they have a ready-made user base who don't have a choice. Everyone knows carparks bring in more revenue than aircraft ... :hmm:

[DirtyPierre]

Just a small point about parking at the side of the road at Brisbane airport. In these times of international terrorism, you will make airport security nervous if you park;

- in a van near any building or under the railway
- near security sensitive areas like the Brisbane ATSC and tower complex
Also if you leave your vehicle for a wander.

You may find a quiet interview with airport security or the AFP will occur.

I do agree with Blastoid, parking on the side of the road then trying to enter a stream of 100kph traffic is very dangerous. why not go to one of the nice coffee shops at Ascot Road and wait for your phone call there. By the time you get to the terminal your pax will have got their luggage and be waiting for you at the 2 min pickup zone.

[Jerricho]

Oz and V1OOPS, what you fail to mention is that a large percentage of London Taxi drivers are some of the rudest individuals you will ever come into contact with.

As the London Terminal Control centre is only a couple of miles north of Heathrow, it's always cheaper and easier to leave the car there and get a taxi to the terminal. I need both hands to count the number of times I arrived back into Heathrow, got in a taxi and told the driver "West Drayton please" and was met with the utmost contempt. I have had drivers try and talk me into getting out of the taxi to catch another (big no-no as far as the licencing rules go). I had one guy who heard my accent and thought I didn't know where I was going try to take the LONG way there (until I pointed out I knew what he was up to and told him I'm sure the police on patrol at the place where he was taking me would love to hear what he was trying to do.) and a few spend the whole trip cursing me under their breath for such a short fare.

If you're really bored, you can hear some of the locals thoughts here (http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=115139)

[notmyC150v2]

The lack of taxis at SYD must be relatively new because everytime I've had to get one for a morning meeting from Terminal 3 there was always plenty waiting and the line was virtually nothing. The dual queue idea is very good.

Brisbane on the other hand is an absolute disaster. Even when there are literally dozens of taxis queued up and waiting, because of the rediculous queue system it takes forever to get a cab. One night I got back at 7.30pm and had to wait until 8.15 to get into a cab (the line extended beyond the end of the terminal). There were lots of cabs but they just could not deploy and collect fast enough. Stupid, Stupid, Stupid. :*

As for the no stopping rule, why not stop in the freight and business park, near the old international terminal, the GA Viewing area, the Kingsford Smith Memorial or anywhere down the east west arterial on the otherside of the Gway motorway. Let's not forget that very soon there is going to be a whopping shopping centre carpark to sit around in as well.

I agree with the previous posters who don't like the parking on the side of the road. Had one of those hero's pull out in front of me once and thank god it's a dual lane :ooh: :ooh::* :*

[OzExpat]

Jerricho...

Oz and V1OOPS, what you fail to mention is that a large percentage of London Taxi drivers are some of the rudest individuals you will ever come into contact with.
I invariably fail to mention things that I've never observed or heard about before. In fact, the only problems I've ever had with cabs in the UK was when I was stupid enough to use one of those mini-cabs in London.

They're a really poor excuse for a taxi. More like the Sydney cab drivers in that they don't know where they're going and hardly speak any English. They're complete pirates too.

[Duff Man]

Love the Silver Service (http://www.silverservice.com.au/index.htm) suggestion (13 number or book online). Pickups at SYD are best done from the departures level, where kerbside kommandants give you 120 seconds before the panzer tank comes in. Waiting area? None other than Krispy Kreme (http://www.krispykreme.com.au/index.htm) karpark - just don't eat the doughnuts.

The main problem with taxis anywhere is evening arrivals. Airport Link (http://www.airportlink.com.au/) is OK, but you're dealing with the shttyrail network. A single to the city is $11, a weekly $34.50... robbery even compared with Brisbane.

[Jamair]

Ah, Tinnie; see you're familiar with Arthur then.......:p Yeah moite, the Kingswood is still goin, but he got one of them newfella flash falcon jobbies too now eh.......:ok:

You blokes complaining about the cab service at BN domestic - try getting one to come down to the GA area! Then you will see what a REAL wait is like.

[tobzalp]

Taxi drivers are **** and that is an insult to ****.

[Jerricho]

Very constructive Plaz.

Oz, sorry mate. Not having a snipe at you there. Mini-cab drivers are even lower than Black Taxi drivers. However, you have to be very careful as there are so many illegal mini-cabs around London as well. We learn the hard way one night when we bailed out of a bar at 11:25 and couldn't get a Taxi for love nor money. This gentlemen of Asian disposition asked did we need a cab. Being new to the place (and more than a little inebriated) we said yes. The four of us jumped in and told the bloke where we wanted to go. He scratched his head and muttered something about "I think I know where that is"....never a good sign. One of us noticed as we took off there was no fare meter and asked how much it was going to cost. The reply "Oh, about 30 pounds". 45 minutes later, we were still going and the driver informs us "Oh, little further than I though. It's going to be 40 pounds". The scam was beginning, and as none of us were aware the guy was illegal, we didn't dare try to get out......until he told us "Oh, actually, it's more closer to 50 pounds". Next red light, we were out of the car and arguing with this guy about him ripping us off, and questioning the sexual practices of him and his mother.

We ended up having to walk the rest of the way.

[OzExpat]

Yeah Jerricho, I have my own horror story about an illegal London mini-cab. After driving me around for 1.5 hours, without even looking like getting anywhere near my destination, I'd had enough. Taking the dual advantage of a red traffic light and an adjacent taxi stand with several Black Cabs, I bailed out.

Pursued hotly by the driver, a gentleman of middle-eastern origin, I reached the protection of the taxi stand. All 3 cabbies got out of their cabs and came to my aid when they heard the somewhat heated discussion. He returned to his taxy, somewhat deflated, but followed me in the Black Cab, all the way to my destination.

By that stage, the cabbie had had enough of him and told him to disappear before he calls the cops! Said mini-cab driver evacuated rapidly! I can't say enough good things about Black Cab drivers.

[Jerricho]

I can't say enough good things about Black Cab drivers

I'll conceed that they're a little better than catching last tube home (and falling asleep and ending up in bloody Uxbridge or something)

[OzExpat]

And they're a god-send when you've missed the last tube of the night - and the next nite bus is still 59 minutes away from you! :}