I am a taxi driver in Reading. AMA

What time do you finish?

🤣

A normal Wednesday evening. By that, I mean nothing special. Things pick up from Thursday to Saturday.

Cars from Fareham, Portsmouth, Maidenhead and Windsor, Slough and TFL are most likely Uber drivers. Cars from South Oxfordshire on a Hackney License are able to drive as Private Hire in Reading and use some of the bus lanes. Although this has changed recently whereby hundreds of Reading-licensed PHV drivers lobbied the Council to give access to certain bus lanes.

I've even seen the odd Wolverhampton-licensed car in Reading, although that should not be a surprise considering they give PHV licenses to just about anyone.

Every company needs to have one. It's just the way it is. I use Gett and Freenow, which is what taxis can use. From the Private Hire perspective, I guess if a company did not invest in an app or online dispatch system they would eventually die out.

I would recommend having one as your go-to, then maybe 1 or 2 in reserve in case they let you down or there are any issues,

I agree with you, tailgating is stupid. It serves no purpose yet I see it all the time with taxis and cyclists. I guess the driver is in a rush, or as is the case these days, a typical MGIF (Must Get In Front) driver. Whilst my driving is not perfect, I do give extra attention to cyclists and pedestrians, especially around the town centre.

I would personally report any bad or dangerous driving to: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) along with the vehicle reg, license number (normally on the back of the car) as well as maybe video evidence if you have it.

It was ticking over slowly. Things pick up from Thursday to Saturday.

Thank you for the kind words. I find there is a lot of negativity surrounding taxi drivers in Reading; some justified, some not. I was trying to restore the balance.

Agreed, appreciate the detailed replies. Great thread

50 hours per week, give or take. With regards to earnings, no driver is the same. Some live in their cabs, others only do a few hours per day if they have a pension or something to help them. After all my costs (diesel, insurance, vehicle maintenance, etc.) it's slightly above minimum wage.

There are, of course, ways to make more money, such as a school contract or working into the early hours of the mornings of weekends.

Yes, a few times. Mainly my fault for letting them in. Payment is not a problem, they do pay. It's just a bit awkward having to listen to the noises coming from the back. Even if I turn the microphone off I can still hear them.

My rule is only talk to the customer if they start or initiate the conversation. Seeing as most people are on their phones after getting in or have headphones on I can't say I have recognised or picked up anyone famous. Sorry.

They're nice, but hideously expensive. Brand new with finance they are between £80,000 and £90,000 depending on your deposit level. The average cost per month works out to be £1k per month for 5 years, then the balloon payment if you want to keep the car or give the car back and start another finance agreement.

Second hand they start from £35,000 but most likely will be out of warranty. Unlike the current TX4, the LEVC TX has expensive replacement parts and you cannot go to your backstreet mechanic, it needs to be LEVC main dealers.

The electric range on the LEVC TX is 70 miles in summer, 55 in winter. Once this is depleted the petrol range extender kicks in. Back when electricity was cheap the running costs were offset against the higher price. But now with the increase in electricity prices and VAT being charged on public charge points, it's sometimes cheaper and quicker to drive around on the petrol generator instead.

By October 2028 all taxis in Reading need to be Zero Emissions Capable (ZEC). Unlike Private Hire Drivers who have a wide range of cars to choose from, I only have one choice. The company has a monopoly on the taxi market and there are no signs of any manufacturers wanting to produce a rival. Towns like Wokingham, Bracknell, Newbury and Basingstoke allow drivers to buy pretty much any Hackney vehicle they want, such as Fiat, Peugeot, Ford, etc. Those councils do not demand that the cars have to have the turning circle of 8.45 metres or look a certain way. Unfortunately Reading Borough Council follow London when it comes to taxis and this is why we are in this predicament.

London also has the problem of only having 1 suitable car to use as a taxi, but the earnings potential is significantly better so it is easier for them to afford. I know of 2 drivers from Reading who did the Knowledge of London test and now drive in London.

I drive a TX4. We have 2 MOTs per year. My main things which get destroyed on the taxi are steering components, tyres and springs. The rubber bushes on the upper control arm do not last long at all, maybe 6 months tops. The bottom ball joints which support the weight of the car also take a hammering on our roads and need replacing frequently. Front tyres do not last long due to the sharp turning circle and increased suspension and steering wear because of sub-standard roads. Rear tyres can last 30k miles.

The car has a service (fluids and filters) every 6k miles and if something is worn our of broken I will hear it or feel it.

I do not take shortcuts on vehicle maintenance, but I do understand that it is common. My old taxi reached 450,000 miles and there was nothing wrong with it. Only reason was due to emissions, as it was Euro 3, so it had to be scrapped.

I normally find that if you look after your car, it will look after you.

If I am at a taxi rank and someone who is drunk approaches my vehicle, I will not take them. In the past I used to but I have had issues with them not knowing where they are going, vomiting, being loud, and even as you have suggested, falling asleep and then not getting out.

Sometimes I have a group of people who bring their drunk friend and expect me to take their drunk friend home. I always tell them that one extra person should come with the drunk friend to ensure I get paid and to ensure their friend gets inside safely, and after that I take them back to the town centre for free. Many times I have had people tell me they can't because they need to get back to the pub or club, so I refuse. I try to be fair, but you have to draw the line somewhere.

I have only had it once where the person fell asleep. It was a Saturday night and she was a young girl, probably late teens. It was from outside The Purple Turtle. Her friend asked me if I could take her home. She gave the address and paid me up front and her friend got in. Instantly she fell asleep but I did not realise until I got to the destination. She was in a deep sleep and, realistically, there was no way I could pick her up or help her get inside. So after shouting through the microphone and clapping near her face to try to wake her up, I rang the doorbell on the house number I was given. No answer. So I phoned the police. They said it was a weekend night and no-one was free, but I should physically remove her from the vehicle and help her get inside. I thanked the police for their time and ended the phone call. At this point I was unable to decide what to do. A few doors down there was a light on so I rang the door. They answered, I explained my situation and asked if there was a female to help me get the young girl inside, which resulted in the door got closed in my face fairly quickly.

At this point I walk back to my taxi and look at the young girl blissfully asleep in the back, unaware of the drama she has caused me. I try talking to her but it's not working. I'm standing there thinking what to do when a car passes me and parks up a few spaces ahead. A lady gets out and is about to go inside when I ask her if she can help me. She comes over, looks in the back of my cab and starts laughing. Apparently they were friends and so, after taking a few photos of her sleeping, she helps her get out of the car, unlocks her front door and gets her inside. In the end the above took just over an hour from me arriving at the destination to her finally leaving the cab. If it wasn't for her friend, I genuinely don't know what I would have done.

It's based on mileage. If you have the exact mileage I can give you a price. Ballpark estimate: £60-65.

Oxford Road from Bedford Road until Norcot roundabout. London Road by Cemetery Junction. London Road by the Kendrick School. Bath Road between Liebenrood Road and Fords Farm - All these areas will get worse in terms of traffic because Reading Borough Council plans to develop bus lanes here

London Road heading to Sidmouth Street.

The 2 lanes which lead to the merge-in point by the Reading black history mural to join London Street, made worse by the fact that nobody knows how to merge-in.

Christchurch Road by the parade of shops.

Shinfield Road by the poorly-times lights at the Shell garage.

Elmhurst Road.

Upper Redlands Road junction with Elmhurst Road.

Anywhere near a school.

A33 near Costco.

These are the only ones I can think of from the top of my head. During rush hour I find these are the worst.

Lost property in my cab is very rare only because I tell customers to make sure they have their belongings before they leave. I also inspect the rear of the cab at the end of my shift and if there are any belongings left they will go to the police station the following morning.

The last person to leave something behind was during Reading Festival.

Furthest journey is either Cambridge or Coventry, both seem to be similar in terms of distance. Both due to train problems. Once I drop them off I have to drive back to Reading empty.

I work evenings and nights so the Reading that I see may not be the Reading that you see. But if I compare things when I started to now, definitely much worse. Traffic is worse, the roads are worse, the number of homeless people is up, the town centre is dying, the town centre was always congested but now with all the flats and other works happening in this area everything is now more cramped.

And the big one: post-COVID people have become worse.

I have no preference. Some people want to sit in silence on their phones or they have headphones in, others want to talk. I always let the customer initiate the conversation, I do not start it myself. Talking with other people does help the time go by quicker, but every person is an individual so I respect that. There is probably nothing worse than someone who just wants to sit back and relax and yet the taxi driver will not stop talking.

I am not too sure about the exact reasons why Uber was refused an operators license because I do not follow the politics as much as the other drivers, but I am led to believe it was several reasons, which were:

• Surge pricing, which the Council did not like

• A lack of suitable office. This was because there was not enough provision for parking spaces for drivers when waiting for a fare, and also because the office was only going to be open from 9AM-6PM

• Strong opposition from the Reading Taxi Association, which represents taxi drivers in Reading

Even after their license refusal they still operate in Reading. A lot of the cars are licensed by different places in Hampshire, such as Fareham, Portsmouth, etc.

Poor traffic light management. Lack of road planning. Unreliable buses. Not enough done to promote cycling.

Unfortunately the way things are going, it will only get worse. All it takes is a few sets of temporary traffic lights and Reading comes to a standstill.

If the fare is something like £6.40 or £6.60, they might do similar to u/Basso_69 and round up. If the payment is by card, the chances of a tip are very low unless the customer specifically says to make the fare higher.

As long as I have the metered fare I'm not fussed about a tip. But it is nice when people do it.

I do. Sometimes it's more of 'rounding up' but always pay over the meter.

Which app/company is that? I normally cover jobs on Gett and Freenow if I am in the area.

I prefer to stay within the borough. Some drivers love going out of Reading, others hate it. I am indifferent, mainly because I cannot decide where my next fare will take me and secondly, I cannot refuse unless there is a valid reason. So I just take what I am given. I find this is the best way.

This was many years back but I was driving past The Three Tuns back into Reading. It's around midnight. I got past the junction for Holmes Road and there's a guy at the bus stop who puts his hand out. I stop, he says to take him to the town centre. He puts £10 through the partition and sits back. So far so good. As we get past The Palmer Tavern he tells me to take the next right into the car park for the Palmer Park Stadium. I thought it was a bit odd seeing as it's dark and no-one's around. I took him in and he tells me to leave him at the top of the car park. I stop the meter and count his change to give back to him but he's already making a swift exit. I look back to see a man wearing nothing from the waist down run into the darkness in the direction of the park. I phoned the police to describe what had happened but I did not hear anything back.

I don't know if things have changed since then, but at that time the entire Palmer Park area had minimal lighting. Next time I drive past I will check.

Apart from that I have been threatened a few times by mouthy drunks and a one of them was racist, but I let it slide. Apart from that I can't say I've had much trouble. In this job if you go looking for trouble you will find it. I do not work as late on the weekends like I used to do when I was younger. On a Friday or Saturday night I try to finish around 2AM. Before COVID I was out until 4.30AM.

There are taxi ranks directly outside both entrances. Your fare will be on the taximeter, but last time I went to the Greenlands campus it was £37, but that did include some traffic on the way. Depending on the time of your journey it could be less if it's not during rush hour.

All taxis take card payments. There can be an issue with getting a mobile data connection in the Greenlands campus due to it being in the countryside and maybe not as strong coverage, but it should go through. If not, just drive around in the car park slowly until it regains connection.

Before getting in the taxi go to the front passenger window and tell the driver where you would like to go. Confirm if you can pay by card. If there is any hesitation or excuse, walk to the car behind.

Taxi fare from Greenlands to Heathrow is 23 miles, so £100 is a bit steep. Gatwick is nearly 60 miles, so factor that in when looking at taxi prices. I am led to believe that the Greenlands campus have their own preferred taxi company so you could also ask them. Do shop around.

Take the RailAir coach from Heathrow to Reading Station, then you can take a taxi to your final destination. Pre-booked round trip on RailAir is about £30. Not sure about Gatwick. Besides coaches, trains and black cab taxis, there are also private hire services such as Premier Cars which do airport transfers.

Not really. But I know of some drivers who do.

The way I see it, we're there to provide a service. We shouldn't judge someone based on how short or long their taxi journey is. If I've been in the taxi rank over an hour and when I get to the top it's a £5 or £6 fare, I'm not annoyed. It means I can get back to the rank quicker and wait for the next fare.

My shortest fare ever was from the station to Novotel hotel on Friar Street. She was an old lady and had luggage. This was back when the taximeter started at £2.40. When I got her outside the hotel it was still £2.40.

The average waiting time is about 35-40 minutes. There will be the odd few hours or so when it's less, mainly with the commuter trains. Outside these peak times it's closer to an hour.

I'm not too sure. I can only guess that it's because the barriers to entry were and are still low. It's a job that gives you flexibility in terms of when and how much you want to work. But honestly, I don't know. I'm assuming once the original few Pakistani drivers joined the job and found it to be better than working in a factory or some other similar job, it gave others a reason to move there too. I'm only hypothesizing, so I could be wrong.

A very high amount pay by card, around 90%. Apps like Gett only let you pay by card, where as before gave you the option of cash or card. Cash is pretty much non-existant now.

Sometimes if a driver says his machine is broken, it could be a valid reason. I normally carry 2 machines with me for this very reason.

Always better to confirm with the driver before getting in if you can pay by card. The vast majority will say yes, it's the odd few who give the rest of us a bad name.

Since 2017 or 2018 Hackney, Private Hire and School Transport drivers have been required to attend and complete a training course on safeguarding children and child sexual exploitation (CSE) on every badge renewal. In the past they would give stickers to put in the vehicle stating: no smoking, no eating or drinking, no human trafficking. Although I think they have stopped issuing these stickers.

The reason behind it? Most likely the scandals a few years back up in Rochdale and in West Yorkshire involving taxi drivers and underage teenagers.

All taxis in Reading take wheelchairs. You can find them waiting in taxi ranks around Reading or you can request them through Freenow and Gett.

The beginning of the week has been fairly quiet. Yesterday was OK, until about 11.30PM. After that went back to being slow. I'm not expecting much from tonight, as Friday's are not normally busy at all. Depending on how slow tonight is I might have to do extra hours on Saturday to cover it.

If by 'taxi cartel' you mean the Reading Taxi Association (RTA), it's a group set up by drivers, for drivers to help bring the trade together. They are the main group that consult with the council about taxi matters such as fare increases, taxi ranks, etc. Not all the drivers are part of the RTA, I think around 40% of drivers are members.

Your second part about why Uber did not get a license to operate in Reading has already been answered in another reply, but Uber are operating in Reading and have been doing so since 2016.

The roads get worse as the years get by. Just look at Caversham Bridge and how they had to resurface it twice within the space of 6 months. Potholes the size of craters, sunken manhole covers which never get pulled up, patching up potholes which end up breaking a few months later... it's all a joke.

Something from one of the.big construction sites? Maybe a warning horn for a crane operator or something?

Possibly an alarm test, years ago Broadmoor used to blast out a siren at 10:00 every Tuesday, if you heard it any other time then a prisoner had escaped. Might still do it tbh

I don't work mornings, apologies. Maybe as u/Junior-Hunt-5071 predicted, it's from the Station Hill development.

Now.

In fairness, this is a problem associated with all road users, not just taxi drivers. But you are correct, as professional drivers we should drive with more consideration. If it helps, I use mine.

I'm not sure about Newbury, I am in Reading. Apologies.

I would assume West Berkshire Council did not grant them an operators license.

Mainly around £8-£9 within the Reading borough.