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Hi All,

I was recently asked how do Hackney Drivers make money if they are not part of a circuit because the ranks never seem to be busy (especially up North).

Although i am not a cab driver i have worked with them (for my sins) for a long time now and most are caught between the devil and the deep blue sea.

Those that simply rely on the ranks have smaller overheads but have to work longer and longer hours in order to make ends meat and those that choose to join a private hire circuit pay silly amounts in settle (radio rent). Hackney drivers that work private hire also get a raw deal because private hire owners and operators always look after private hire drivers!!!!

The company i work for provides cab to cab radio systems for groups of hackney drivers but as the credit crunch kicked in, more and more of our radios were being handed back. It was obvious why, the drivers couldn't afford a "chat channel" and as most of the ranks are now quieter the need to tell each other which ranks need cabs has also dropped off.

This is the reason why i developed CabCall. CabCall allows groups of hackney drivers to get together and compete with the private hire companies. How does it work? Well its quite simple, we supply the group with a memorable telephone number and when its called the call is put through to the longest waiting logged on driver. When the driver has taken the booking, he can either do the job himself or use the radio (which he has taken back on hire) and pass it to the closest available driver. The customers love it as well, they call for a taxi and get to speak directly to the driver, there's no more horrible base op lying about where the driver is with the stock answer "he's just around the corner love" when in fact he's on the other side of town!! The customers get a quick, reliable and accurate service and all of a sudden black cabs are driving around with customers in the back.

All the driver needs is a mobile phone to receive jobs and when he/she finishes for the day they simply call a number from their phone to log off the system and then back on again for their next shift. Its also really fair, the driver that's waited the longest for a job goes to the top of the queue.

The system has been designed for taxis, it has call-back, call recording, call reporting, regular customer lists and can also have customer menus, so when a disabled person calls for a taxi they are only connected with a wheelchair accessible cab, clever!

They system is built personally for each specific customer and is very, very cheap. You don't need an office, operating staff or telephone lines. We've worked it out and on average our customers pay £12.50 per driver, per month and receive on average 85 calls.

If any of you would like further information about CabCall or radios, please do not hesitate to contact me on 07909 828884.

P.S. We have also just rolled out a digital radio network in the North West. If you need cab to cab communications in Manchester, Liverpool and other towns in the North West, just give me a call. There only £20.00 per month plus vat including the radio and unlimited network access.