Javaid Alam was devastated following the accident in which dad Wayne Kerrigan was killed.
Mr Kerrigan, 28, stepped in front of his taxi in a poorly lit stretch of Rochdale Road, Collyhurst, after a night out with friends, an inquest into his death heard.

The coroner said Mr Alam, from Levenshulme, was not to blame for the death and there was no evidence to suggest there was anything wrong with his driving or his car.

But the dad, a taxi driver for 11 years, he has now been ordered to pay a £45 fine after being taken to court for having the dice and two air fresheners hanging in the car {ndash} even though prosecutors said they did not contribute to the cause of the accident.

The Crown Prosecution Service said the dice, which had been in the car for two years, had the `potential' to obstruct his view and charged him with failing to have a full view of traffic.

Mr Alam, 38, who pleaded guilty to failing to have a full view of traffic and has no previous driving convictions, said: "To pursue the furry dice seems so trivial when you think what the young man's family are going through.

"I was heartbroken when I heard he had died, but it is nothing compared to what his family must feel. In 11 years I have never been involved in an incident in my taxi and when my car has been in for tests no one has ever told me the dice could be a problem.

"Paying a fine doesn't take away the fact that someone lost their life."
The inquest heard that Mr Kerrigan, of Burgin Walk, Collyhurst, who had a young daughter Poppy, had been at a party at The Swan pub last September when he stepped in front of the taxi as he waved goodbye to friends.

He suffered multiple injuries and was taken to North Manchester General Hospital where he died three days later.

Mr Kerrigan's father Joseph, 70, said: "I will never know who was at fault. I don't think this man deserves to go to prison but less than £50 because of some furry dice does not seem like justice for my son's life. He was a happy go lucky lad. That night was the first time he'd been out in a while."

A CPS spokesman said: "The size and position of the dice was such that the driver's vision had the potential to be obstructed.

"GMP indicated that their normal practice would have been to issue a fixed penalty notice."

http://www.theasiannews.co.uk/news/s/1059214_cabbie_fined_for_hanging_furry_dice

Datuk Shahrir also said that the savings from reduced subsidies for the government this year now amounts to only RM2 billion instead of the initially estimated RM4.4 billion as the price of crude oil has gone up.

In other public transport fuel-related news, the government will be pushing for buses to use CNG (compressed natural gas) instead of diesel. This will increase the consumption of CNG in this country, currently used by NGVs consisting of 94% taxis, 0.4% buses and 5.6% private vehicles. It won’t be a “dream fuel” forever as the price for CNG is also expected to go up in the future.

UPDATE: Taxi drivers have been asking for a minimum charge of RM3 instead of the current RM2 when a passenger gets into the cab, and are still persistent in requesting for the higher charges despite the new petrol subsidy. Malaysian Taxi Drivers and Owners Association secretary Hiew Pow Man says this is because the new subsidy doesn’t do much to help taxis as most run on NGV.

http://paultan.org/archives/2008/07/18/720-litres-of-subsidised-petrol-a-month-for-taxis/

 MOST cab rides will cost 30 cents more from next Thursday, after Singapore's largest taxi operator ComfortDelGro yesterday announced its decision to levy a fuel surcharge on all trips.
The first of its kind for the cab industry, the flat rate payable regardless of the distance travelled comes just months after fares went up in December.

Most of the other cab companies are expected to follow the lead of ComfortDelGro, which owns Comfort and CityCab taxis. The industry giant was reported three weeks ago by The Sunday Times to be considering such a move.

ComfortDelGro said yesterday the surcharge is to help cabbies mitigate the unrelenting rise in fuel prices.

It noted that diesel pump prices have risen by more than 50 per cent in the last six months alone - to about $1.83 a litre after discount.

Mr Yang Ban Seng, chief executive of ComfortDelGro's taxi business, said: 'In the past six months, we have been absorbing a large part of the increase in diesel costs.'

He pointed out that cabbies get diesel dispensed at company-run pumps at $1.19 a litre.

In the first quarter, ComfortDelGro declared that it incurred a $6.3 million loss on diesel sale because it has been selling diesel at sizeable discounts.

Mr Seng Han Thong, adviser to the Taxi Operators' Associations, supported the move. Mr Seng had said that taxi firms could not continue to subsidise fuel indefinitely.

'We call on other taxi companies to continue to help their drivers cope with rising diesel prices,' he said.

Assuming that each cabby gets about 30 customers a day, the 30-cent surcharge will raise his daily takings by $9, which ComfortDelGro said will help to offset his bigger fuel bill.

Even with subsidised diesel, ComfortDelGro drivers pay about a $15 more a day, based on an average consumption of about 45 litres a vehicle.

To commuters, the surcharge amounts to a 2.6 per cent rise in fare for an average 9.3km ride.

ComfortDelGro said it will remove the surcharge when diesel falls back to $1.19 - the market price of the fuel in December 2007.

Asked if it would raise the levy beyond 30 cents if diesel continues to climb, spokesman Tammy Tan said: 'We've not come to that. This is a very new thing to us.'

Smaller taxi operators are following ComfortDelGro's lead.

Mr Johnny Harjantho, managing director of Smart Taxis, said: 'We will most likely follow.'

Mr Lim Chong Boo, managing director of Premier Taxis, said his company is also likely to implement the surcharge 'after consulting with our drivers'.

The exception, at least for the moment, is Mr Neo Nam Heng, managing director of Prime Taxis, whose fleet of cabs runs entirely on natural gas, which is cheaper than diesel.

'We should consider the commuters' interests. Our drivers have to accept it too,' he said.

Cabby Tan Soon Huat, 49, who has been driving a Comfort cab for 14 years, said: 'I think the 30 cents surcharge is quite reasonable. I just hope commuters see it that way too.'

Others added that the rising diesel prices have wiped out much of the higher takings they were starting to get from the December fare hikes.

Regular taxi user Tang Swee Noi, 33, a teacher, said: 'Much that I am unhappy about it, I still have to take taxis, or I will have to wake up much earlier to go to work.

'We all know the fuel price is increasing so I don't think there's very much that taxi drivers can do. For now, it's still cheaper than getting a car.'
 
http://www.straitstimes.com/Free/Story/STIStory_256847.html

Moaz Yusuf Ahmad presented an impassioned defence of our taxi drivers in which today's dire state of the service is attributed to the economic of supply and demand.

By the precise same reasoning, we should accept snatch thefts and burglary as they too are driven by the basic economics of supply and demand.

Easy money is hard to obtain and in short supply, but the demand is so high that some people are willing to break the rules in order to obtain it in ways which are not permitted.

There is no difference between theft and a taxi driver not using the meter and setting his own fare above that to which he is entitled. A taxi driver who does not use the meter is guilty of fraud in that he has advertised himself as 'Taxi Bermeter' when he is in fact not.

He is guilty of obtaining a permit by deception, guilty under the Consumer Protection Act of falsely advertising prices, and of breaching the regulations which apply to him.

We do not tolerate theft and therefore we must not tolerate the current actions by taxi drivers. I firmly believe that they should be hauled up before the courts in just the same way as a thief should and face criminal charges for their actions.

I further feel it would be advantageous for the government to make a clear statement that where the meter was not used, no fare can be requested and the taxi journey is entirely free of payment, and that such a rule makes any agreement whether verbal or written void. 

Likewise, where a ticket system has been implemented, it should be required that the meter is run in addition and the passenger pays the lower of the meter or the ticket value upon arrival, in order that ticket systems are not used to inflate prices above those to which a taxi driver is entitled.

In some areas, the number of taxis not using the meter is so high it makes it very difficult for passengers to wait for a taxi which does use the meter. 

I personally spent more than half an hour hailing cabs on Petaling Street one recent Saturday before giving up and walking to another part of Kuala Lumpur to find a taxi driver using a meter. 
Rest assured that I reported all those drivers and only regret I did not have a camera to add additional evidence.

I can assure the writer that I felt threatened, disappointed and under pressure to pay the over inflated fares quoted – which were all more than double what I know the meter rate would be having taken a metered taxi to Petaling Street just an hour ago.

It is important to remember that a taxi driver has a choice whether to accept the meter rates or not.  At any time, a taxi driver who feels he is not earning a fair wage for his effort is free to quit driving a taxi and take up another job which will pay him what he feels he is worth.

When there is a shortage of people willing to be taxi drivers, then and only then is the fare structure too low. Until that day, the continued presence of taxi drivers on the road is proof absolute that the fare structure is sufficient.
 
http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/86298

 MOST cab rides will cost 30 cents more from next Thursday, after Singapore's largest taxi operator ComfortDelGro yesterday announced its decision to levy a fuel surcharge on all trips.
The first of its kind for the cab industry, the flat rate payable regardless of the distance travelled comes just months after fares went up in December.

Most of the other cab companies are expected to follow the lead of ComfortDelGro, which owns Comfort and CityCab taxis. The industry giant was reported three weeks ago by The Sunday Times to be considering such a move.

ComfortDelGro said yesterday the surcharge is to help cabbies mitigate the unrelenting rise in fuel prices.

It noted that diesel pump prices have risen by more than 50 per cent in the last six months alone - to about $1.83 a litre after discount.

Mr Yang Ban Seng, chief executive of ComfortDelGro's taxi business, said: 'In the past six months, we have been absorbing a large part of the increase in diesel costs.'

He pointed out that cabbies get diesel dispensed at company-run pumps at $1.19 a litre.

In the first quarter, ComfortDelGro declared that it incurred a $6.3 million loss on diesel sale because it has been selling diesel at sizeable discounts.

Mr Seng Han Thong, adviser to the Taxi Operators' Associations, supported the move. Mr Seng had said that taxi firms could not continue to subsidise fuel indefinitely.

'We call on other taxi companies to continue to help their drivers cope with rising diesel prices,' he said.

Assuming that each cabby gets about 30 customers a day, the 30-cent surcharge will raise his daily takings by $9, which ComfortDelGro said will help to offset his bigger fuel bill.

Even with subsidised diesel, ComfortDelGro drivers pay about a $15 more a day, based on an average consumption of about 45 litres a vehicle.

To commuters, the surcharge amounts to a 2.6 per cent rise in fare for an average 9.3km ride.

ComfortDelGro said it will remove the surcharge when diesel falls back to $1.19 - the market price of the fuel in December 2007.

Asked if it would raise the levy beyond 30 cents if diesel continues to climb, spokesman Tammy Tan said: 'We've not come to that. This is a very new thing to us.'

Smaller taxi operators are following ComfortDelGro's lead.

Mr Johnny Harjantho, managing director of Smart Taxis, said: 'We will most likely follow.'

Mr Lim Chong Boo, managing director of Premier Taxis, said his company is also likely to implement the surcharge 'after consulting with our drivers'.

The exception, at least for the moment, is Mr Neo Nam Heng, managing director of Prime Taxis, whose fleet of cabs runs entirely on natural gas, which is cheaper than diesel.

'We should consider the commuters' interests. Our drivers have to accept it too,' he said.

Cabby Tan Soon Huat, 49, who has been driving a Comfort cab for 14 years, said: 'I think the 30 cents surcharge is quite reasonable. I just hope commuters see it that way too.'

Others added that the rising diesel prices have wiped out much of the higher takings they were starting to get from the December fare hikes.

Regular taxi user Tang Swee Noi, 33, a teacher, said: 'Much that I am unhappy about it, I still have to take taxis, or I will have to wake up much earlier to go to work.

'We all know the fuel price is increasing so I don't think there's very much that taxi drivers can do. For now, it's still cheaper than getting a car.'
 
http://www.straitstimes.com/Free/Story/STIStory_256847.html

Needless to say, the issue is hygiene. Most cab drivers here in Manila take this for granted. They go on their daily trips looking grungy and unpresentable. I have in many occasions rejected a cab on account of how the driver looks like. Well, not so much that they should look cute and young and hot (gee, who could resist the chance that next cabbie will be like that?) but simply that they should look clean and decent enough. I wonder if there are rules governing hygiene of taxi cab drivers and their cars per se here in the country. I wonder what happened to the announcement by MMDA’s Bayani Fernando that public utility vehicle drivers with body odor issues will be admonished.

United Kingdom. In Bournemouth, 100 taxi drivers got suspended for not taking required courses on personal hygiene and conflict management.
China. As part of the Olympics preparation, Beijing is banning smelly cabs.
UAE. Cab drivers of a taxi-operating company trains new taxi drivers not just on emirate routes, also on grooming and personal hygiene.
Hygiene is of course a personal decision that we hope these taxi drivers naturally get into their daily system of activities. It’s something they should’ve grown themselves with in the first place. It’s ridiculous how some of them actually attribute the cause of the problem to our country’s predominantly hot climate. Nice try, manongs! And the following suggestions are for you, if you happen to come across this page that is:
Take a bath. I mean, seriously, don’t be a cat and dip yourselves in some body of water. Lather on with some soap, rinse, dry up with a clean towel, get into a clean uniform and you’re prepped. How good and fresh does it feel? You will see how ten minutes can make a big difference throughout your day, not to mention your passenger’s day.
Wash the uniform. And since the uniform was mentioned, make sure to wash it everyday if you only have one set. You will only need to wash every other day if you have two sets, and so on. If you’re working long hours, wash it before you go to sleep with some detergent. Two minutes of scrubbing should be fine. Hang it. Then it should be dry the next morning. Less than ten minutes before you crash your hardworking ass on the bed.
Use a deodorant. Get a Rexona or use “tawas”, it works and it’s cheap. It’s most important if your cab’s airconditioning system is not well-functioning (like most old cabs in the metro). So if your car fails to help you with your body odor, go help yourself!
Look good, look clean. Clean body, clean uniform, dry armpits. Put them all together and try to look the best you can. You’re in a service industry. You deal and meet people everyday. Your job does not start and end in taking people from one place to another; your job also involves making that ride as hassle-free and as smooth as possible. If you’re going to take me as short a ride as from Paseo de Roxas to Makati Avenue and you reek of rotten vinegar, I wouldn’t spare even a peso.
I was inspired to write about this because I’ve encountered such cabs twice. And it’s unbearable. I was casually covering my nose with with my office ID or my finger just so I won’t appear rude. When we finally get to the front of the building lobby, everybody would be trying to get out of the car first, gasping for precious and fresh air. Then later, everybody will be laughing. But it’s not funny.

http://sublunari.wordpress.com/2008/07/12/on-taxi-driver-hygiene/

CITY cabbies have hit the headlines yet again for overcharging but the difference now is that they feel no guilt as they claim it is their only means of survival.

A check by StarMetro at 10 taxi hotpots in Kuala Lumpur recently reflected a state of lawlessness that seemed to have pervaded the city.

The situation became worse ever since the government raised the fuel price last month, triggering a free-for-all situation as more and more cabbies decide to do away with the meter and quote their own rates according to their whims and fancies.

 
Fixed price: Taxi touts seen negotiating with tourists at a taxi stand in Bukit Bintang.
 
The argument that NGV (Natural Gas for Vehicles) is cheaper and, therefore, the price increase does not affect them no longer holds water as they claim that it makes no difference at all.

Currently, NGV is offered at 68sen per litre while petrol is at RM2.70 per litre.

Taxi drivers claim that before the petrol increase, a full tank of NGV would cost RM8.30 to RM8.50.

“That would take us a distance of 150km to 160km. However, with the recent increase in petrol price, even NGV seems to have gone up in terms of volume,” taxi driver Rahim Kechik said.

Rahim said it now cost him RM10 to RM10.50 to get a full tank of NGV – yet the mileage remained the same.

Petronas Dagangan Bhd had recently clarified in a letter to StarMetro that the NGV price had not been increased.

The statement reiterated that Petronas conducted scheduled servicing of its gas processing plant as part of its periodic maintenance exercise.

This has resulted in a richer gas content, based on the reading from their Chromatograph Analyser. The statement said when gas content was richer, it had more weight and volume and, in turn, provideed better mileage.

 
Honest cabby: Khairuddin prides himself on using the meter but also respects those who don't.
 However, city cabbies insist the mileage remains the same.

“I wonder where the extra RM2 goes?” Rahim asked, adding that as far as cabbies were concerned they were on the losing end.

Cabbies also claimed that long queues at NGV stations were another problem and they wanted more NGV-equipped stations to be opened.

Khairuddin Shamsudin has been driving his taxi for over 20 years and prides himself with the knowledge that he is one of the few who still uses the meter.

“But I respect the ones that don’t,” he said.

“They are bold to do what they do – to wait at the taxi stand for hours like that. You must respect their patience,” Khairuddin said.

According to Khairuddin, at least 85% of cabbies in KL are not using meters. Cabbies prefer to wait at one designated spot and return to wait again. They charge a higher rate as they usually come back empty to the spot.

“They feel it’s a better alternative to being stuck in traffic for hours, burning fuel and adding to stress levels,” he said.

Khairuddin said in all his years of driving a taxi, this was the first time the situation had become critical for drivers.

“How do you feel when you’re stuck in a jam every day? Imagine doing it day and night. I have seen families broken, divorces and abuse on the rise because of this. Can you blame us for taking the easy way out?” Khairuddin asked.

Due to this state of affairs, more and more areas in the city are being “taken over” by rogue taxi drivers who refuse to use the meter.

However, cabbies not bold enough to overcharge are being bullied by these errant ones. One such person is Azman, who only started driving a taxi about six months ago.

“If I don’t follow their rule, they threatened to smash my windscreen,” Azman said.

“I was told that if I wanted to join their queue at the Lot 10 taxi stop, I had to follow their rates and not use the meter. If I don’t like it I have to find another spot to operate,” Azman said.

“They are everywhere now as most of the city has become a black area,” he added.

 
Sign of the times: A warning notice outside KLCC advising commuters to use metered taxis.
 
To the people at the Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board (CVLB), these black areas are called hot spots.

Traditionally, hot spots in KL used to be at Puduraya, Chinatown, and KLCC, but, today, almost every shopping mall has been taken over by touts.

Taxi stands controlled by touts are the ones in front of Berjaya Times Square, Lot 10, KL Plaza and the Pavilion with the exception of Sungei Wang Plaza and Mid Valley - thanks to the management’s efforts in controlling the situation.

Another soon to be black area is the KL Sentral in Brickfields where, despite having a coupon system, customers are still being swindled by errant cabbies.

“There is nothing we can do,” said Mohamad Noor Abdul Rahman of Puncak Holdings Sdn Bhd, the company that manages the coupon counter at KL Sentral.

“Two of our traffic wardens were beaten up by these rogue drivers recently when they tried to instil order. One of them has since resigned,” Mohamad Noor said.

Customers who buy taxi coupons are guaranteed a taxi since they are paying a slightly higher rate than usual. But there are times when they have to wait at least 20 minutes to an hour for a taxi.

The reason? A group of rogue taxis drivers have set up their own counter at KL Sentral and are quoting a more exorbitant rate and even have the audacity to issue their own receipts.

Many honest cabbies have succumbed to the temptation.

“Get used to it because this is survival,” said Khairuddin.

“The fuel price hike this time around is the worst ever and I fear that more drivers are eventually going to do away with the meter,” he said.

http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2008/7/7/central/21751355&sec=central

Their representative, Anuar Mohd Noor, said about 15 per cent of 240 taxis at the airport were unable operate because of the RM1.28 hike per litre from 2005 to June 4 this year.

“We have to accept the increase because it is a global phenomenon but at the same time we want the government to sympathise with us.

“Since 2005 this was the fourth increase with too high a quantum. The situation is very critical and affects us all,” he told a press conference here today.

He said each driver lost about RM650 to RM700 per month because of the latest price increase and also the rising maintenance cost.

“We appeal to government to give us subsidies between 40 and 50 litres of petrol daily so that at least we can operate as usual,” he said.

http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Monday/NewsBreak/20080707181310/Article/index_html

The fares would then be increased to five baht per kilometre for the second to twelfth kilometres, 5.50 baht a kilometre for the 12th to 20th km, six baht a kilometre for the 20th to 40th km, 6.50 baht a kilometre for the 40th to 60th km, 7.50 baht a kilometre for the 60th to 80th km, and 8.50 baht a kilometre beyond that.

Bangkok Mass Transit System Plc (BTS), which operates two elevated train lines in the capital, expects its ridership to increase as some Bangkok commuters shun taxis after the fare rises.

Since the beginning of this year, high oil prices have encouraged motorists to stop using their cars and opt for BTS service, said Anat Arbhabhirama, an advisor to the BTS board of directors.

The skytrain's ridership now stands at 440,000 to 460,000 on weekdays, up from the average of 400,000 per day last year, and 370,000 on Saturday and up to 300,000 on Sunday, he said.

"Some people are travelling and shopping less often at this time. But for those who decide to make a trip, they are often choosing the BTS," Mr Anat said.

Bangkok Metro Plc (BMCL), the subway operator, said its passenger total could also rise from the current average of 190,000 daily.

"The taxi fare hike might help push our ridership up but probably not significantly because the current subway network does not cover all the areas Bangkok commuters want to travel to," said Chartchai Praditpong, corporate relations director of BMCL. "So they choose taxis to go to places the subway does not reach."

BMCL operates a 20-km line with fares from 15 to 39 baht. It received Transport Ministry approval to raise fares to a range of 16 to 40 baht from yesterday, but has delayed it until January. "We think the current high oil prices mean consumers are not in a position to afford higher fares," Mr Chartchai said.

BMCL's ridership is up 5% from last year and it believes it can reach a daily average of 200,000 by year-end, he added. 

http://www.bangkokpost.com/040708_Business/04Jul2008_biz32.php

The planned reregulation of the industry, envisioned to take effect in 2009, may provide temporary relief for taxi businesses hit by the double whammy of dwindling customers and soaring fuel costs.

In the plans, released Wednesday, the ministry said it wanted to submit a bill on revising the Road Transport Law during an ordinary session of the Diet to be convened early next year.

The ministry's move, however, may be open to criticism that it runs counter to the government's basic policy of pushing ahead with deregulation.

Should the taxi industry choose to ignore the need to improve the quality of services by making use of the new regulations, firms will doubtless see further shrinkage in patron numbers.

Shriveling income

A Tokyo taxi driver in his 50s said: "The number of people using taxis for both short and long journeys has decreased significantly. I think there should be some curbs on the current taxi count."

Although he works 20 hours each workday–from 8 a.m. to 4 a.m. the following morning–his wages have continued to dwindle.

As of fiscal 2006, there were about 12,000 taxi companies throughout the country. This figure is a 70 percent increase from fiscal 2001, one year before industry deregulation was introduced.

During this four-year period, the number of taxis increased more than 14,000, reaching about 270,000 in fiscal 2006.

In 2005, taxi drivers' average annual income was 3.02 million yen, down from 3.34 million yen in 2001, according to the ministry.

In Sendai, known for having a particularly large number of taxis, it is not uncommon to see taxis waiting in extremely long lines to try to pick up customers.

There were 2,927 taxis in the Miyagi prefectural capital in fiscal 2006, an increase of 50 percent from fiscal 2001.

During and after April 2007, the ministry approved fare hikes in various parts of the country, with a view to helping taxi firms in financial straits.

However, the number of people using taxis has continued to fall.

Tokyo saw a rise in taxi fares in December 2007. But operating revenues on a per taxi basis for May this year were down 2.9 percent compared with the previous year, registering the sixth straight monthly year-on-year decline since December.

Step to curb competition

The ministry's planned regulation is designed to offer a helping hand to the taxi industry, which has been hit more severely than anticipated following deregulation.

Six years ago, the ministry lifted a rule restricting the maximum numbers of taxis for particular service areas. This had customer-friendly results such as lower fares and vehicles equipped with nursing care apparatuses.

However, as a result of cutthroat competition and falling revenues, many firms started calling for a cap on the number of taxis for each region.

One of the factors behind the slump in business is that most taxi users in large cities pick up taxis on the street. This means firms with lower fares and unique selling points have little competitive edge over their rivals, industry observers said.

However, if the planned reregulation benefits the taxi industry at the expense of the customer, this will merely serve to further weaken business strength within the industry in the mid- to long term.

It is therefore crucial that the issue be examined from the standpoint of consumers.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/business/20080705TDY03102.htm