There's been a lot of discussion about the pros and cons of pop up ranks.
A few weeks ago, there was a problem with Taxi picking up a fare on a certain App, (who pay commission to the concierge for booking a Taxi using their app). Trouble was there were half a dozen Taxis waiting outside with their lights on at the time.
Drivers who use the app point to the fact that there is no official rank outside this hotel.
Whereas drivers outside the hotel say pop up ranks actually show a need for a rank and many times in the past, a rank has subsequently been allowed.
This week on Facebook, an article caused a bit of a stir (later deleted) when a driver complained that a driver had picked up, immediately after dropping off at the Praed street exit to Paddington, while there were half a dozen Taxis with their lights on outside the Hilton.
It seems the idea that the Taxi trade are a 'band of brothers' who abide by a set etiquette... has now been replaced by a dog eat dog attitude.
The pop up rank proved to be very effective fight back tool, against private hire ranks (using the satellite office regulation, bought in under the STaN report) that sprung up outside every club, bar, restaurant and hotel, roundabout 2007.
This trade, this band of brothers, this hit squad....stood our ground and in many instances we won the day.
Let's remind ourselves of the pop up ranks that preceded official ranks:
Cranbourne Street (Mr Ali's), Stringfellows, Hombre's, Jalouse (Hanover Sqr), Tiger Tiger, Fabrics, Nobu, Novikov's, Quaglinos, Forge/Abacus, Hakassan, Swallow Street, Heddon Street, Brewer Street, Sketch, ToyBox, Victoria Sporting Club, Charing Cross Road, Coventry Street, The W Hotel, Russell Street, Sushi Samba, Toast, The Arts Club, etc...
All these ranks stared out as pop up ranks, the drivers banding together, fighting back at the lines of Minicabs illegally ranking. If drivers hadn't popped up and ranked at these places, the official ranks wouldn't be there today.
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