Local taxi prices

[Sue]

I was charged ?9 for a Greyhound cab from King's A&E to around North Cross Road, around 7.30am on a weekday morning the day before Christmas Eve.

There was virtually no traffic.

That seems really excessive to me (which I did say at the time, and got a receipt (of a sort) after the driver faffed about and obviously hoped I would just give up).

Is that really the going price for such a very short journey? The cab was called from the landline red phone in A&E.

[Blah Blah]

I think that is the local average min price Sue for any journey. I seem to pay on average ?10 for short local journeys. Those private cabs have to pay huge amounts to the companies they work for as well - even though they are using their own cars. They don't make a very big income at the end of the day sadly.

[DulwichFox]

Some friends of mine got a cab from Grove Park (Downham) not Camberwell on Christmas morning

to the EDT and were charged just ?13.00

So ?9.00 on a normal day from Kings to North Cross is outrageous.

DulwichFox

[aquarius moon]

I was charged ?9.30 from Nunhead to North Peckham on Boxing Day. They said this was a fare and a half which would make it about ?6.00 normally.

I reckon your journey would've been a bit further so maybe it's about right. Guess it depends on the cab company.

[Sue]

The last local cab I used was from The Ivy House in Nunhead to the North Cross Road area, with three people, a guitar and luggage, past midnight on a Friday night, and only cost about ?6.

Different cab company.

That's why I thought the one I posted about seemed expensive.

[Cloudberry]

I paid ?9.50 for a cab from King's A&E to not far from Sue's destination at 7 a.m. on the 25th. That was with Keane Group, the Greyhound cab I booked via the hospital freephone having failed to turn up. Keane told me in advance how much it would be and that that fares were double-rate over the "holiday period" - which is fair enough (if annoying) but ?9 seems a bit excessive for the 23rd. Worth checking whether it's a holiday or not when you call! I normally pay around ?5 going from home to Camberwell with Keane.

[Sue]

Thanks Cloudberry.

Yes, I thought it would be about a fiver.

I should have asked, but it was on some kind of automatic system unless you wanted to speak to somebody. It took blooming ages to come, as well, and when I phoned to chase it I was told it was "just arriving and the driver will come in and find you" - which he didn't.

Went out to find him sitting in the cab outside with some sort of stopclock showing seven minutes on it already and ticking up.

When I mentioned this to him on questioning the fare, he said there was no clock (??)

Don't think I would use Greyhound cabs again if there was a choice.

[aquarius moon]

Mine was from close to the Ivy House to Queens Road which is probably about the same distance from there to your house so ?6 is about right.

I have used the Keane group for years and never even consider anyone else as they have always been reliable and reasonably priced.

[????]

Uber, just sayin'

[Sue]

???? Wrote:

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> Uber, just sayin'

No idea what you mean but probably just as well :))

[maxxi]

https://www.uber.com/cities/london

Just don't tell your friendly local black cabby

[Sue]

Ah yes. DUH :))

[edcam]

I don't think you'd find a minimum fare with a local dab firm of less than ?6 or ?7. ?9 does seem too much but Uber are cheaper for local journeys (although the jury's out on whether they are at all honourable as a company.

[Otta]

There is a lot of difference between firms. Christmas Eve I paid ?8 from penge to Whateley Road, same firm said time and a half Christmas day. Unfortunately couldn't get a cab with them Christmas day, and paid ?18 for Panther to take us from the very top of Underhill Road back to Penge.

[Otta]

Still gave him a score though. It's Christmas innit.

[seamod]

Hi guys,

Need to get from Lordship Lane to Liverpool Street tomorrow morning at 5:15 am. Uber is quoting me ?13-16 pounds which is really good compared to other cab companies!! I suspect it might be even lower at that time of morning.

However, you cant pre-book with Uber so I could be stuck if no Ubers are available at that early hour!

Anyone know what Uber availability is like early morning in East Dulwich? Thanks.

[Baggs]

I have used uber at 5am isn and there were cars within 10mins at that time. I would give yourselves 10-15mins to be safe but my bet is that you would be OK.

[titch juicy]

Rye Cars from The Gsrdens to St Pancras, ?20 fixed fee at 10.30am on a week day morning.

I think that's very reasonable.

[Sue]

Otta Wrote:

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> There is a lot of difference between firms.

It seems so.

So why are King's using an apparently relatively expensive firm when they have a captive (and sick) customer base in A&E? Is the taxi firm paying King's for the privilege of being at the end of their "red phone"?

Many people (including me) use taxis very rarely - so probably won't have numbers stored on their mobiles - and if they've spent the night in A&E probably won't want to look other options up, when the hospital just tells you to "use the red phone in reception" :(

[Jeremy]

TBH Camberwell Cars charged ?7 from my place to Kings, which is a slightly shorter journey than North Cross Road (Peckham postcode), so it's not much different.

It's a lot of money, but consider how many jobs they do a day, how much it costs to run a car and pay for petrol, insurance, etc... and how much cut the agency will take... I don't think they're exactly coining it in.

[CocoC]

My parents in law took several Uber cars over the Christmas period as sadly we didn't have room for them here. They were staying in Greenwich, near to the Cutty Sark. Their most expensive fare was ?14 (because the hotel was hard to find so there was a bit of aimless driving around) and the cheapest ?9- that was the one they took on Christmas Day!

[Sue]

So for ?9 you can either go from Greenwich to East Dulwich on Christmas Day - or Denmark Hill to East Dulwich not on Christmas Day :))

Jeremy, you make a fair point about running costs etc, but still ......

[Jessie]

I paid 6 quid from kings a&e red phone back to ed grove back in July, but perhaps they've put them up since then

[numbers]

blimey I remember being charged 6 quid from Franklins to the Gardens (taking ill friend home...) and so thought your fare wasn't that bad Sue! Maybe I was ripped off....

got taxi once from dog kennel hill to hindmans costing 7 quid during the afternoon thought that was pricey at the time but maybe not. (i had lots of bags before anyone thinks I was being lazy).

[Mason]

The thing about some cab companies they know that they have got a lucrative position, and a place to order cabs where they know there are not many options. Unfortunatly for the driver although the miniumum fare may be ?6.00 as it is with many firms the drivers have to reimberse the company of the extra ?3.00 as commission to their company, on top of this they are charged a weeky rent that can be in excess of ?150.00. So this is very hard on the drivers. I used to work for one of the companies mentioned and know for a fact how it all works. The special holiday rates started on Christmas day (usually double fare), Boxing day (fare and a half). New years Eve (double after a certain time of the day to 06:00am) then New Years day (fare and a half). This is generally the norm for all companies. However it must be remembered on these days the drivers have to pay an excess on their usual weekly payment to work these days. Total exploitation. One would think they are raking it in but believe me they are not, there are really much jobs on these days that are cash, mainly account work that for example the company charges on a normal day ?40.00 for a job to LHR yet they pay the driver ?28.00. So in all respects the driver is at a loss. As with the company that serves King's, they used to serve Dulwich Sainsbury's, but they did not get the contract it was taken by Forest Hill Cars. Even there the drivers got ?5.00 of the ?6.50 that was the minimum + rent to pay.