Freshers’ outrage over private taxis

Students have taken to the ‘University of Sheffield Firmers 2014/2015’  Facebook page to express concern over an increase in dodgy taxi’s.

Many claim to have been duped into hailing private cabs rather than City or Mercury cars, resulting in hugely inflated prices and scary experiences with ogreish drivers.

Drivers have been reported to charge extortionate fares, lock students in taxis and verbally abuse customers.

Overall Sheffield is well-known for its good value nights out, and generally taxis come into this bracket as well.

£6 to Leadmill, Plug or Corp from first year accommodation is usually the maximum taxi fare a student can expect to pay.

Students have been charged up to double the amount you’d expect from other companies

Many drivers have more than doubled fares for students, forcing students to fork out the remnants of their loans on taxis.

One student was also overcharged, paying £10 to get to the Union. She was then was abused by a driver for not paying in small change.

Is a union night ever worth that hassle?

Some have even resorted to the desperate tactic of serenading taxi drivers

She reacted in a pleasingly creative way though, by serenading the taxi driver.

Other students have had to deal with taxi drivers locking them in, in an attempt to squeeze out some more money.

Drivers have been locking students in taxis in an attempt to scrounge more money

One punter even took a photo of an offending cabbie’s licence and put in on Facebook as a warning for her peers.

She also added that private taxis are “an absolute rip off”, urging fellow students to stay away.

Third year Psychology student, Lotty, agrees: “If you can deal with the arsey call centre workers,  firms like City Taxis and Mercury are usually a better shout, I’d rather walk up conduit than pay a tenner to get to the union”.

There you have it: Sheffield students have no need to ever hail a suspicious looking taxi on the way to or from a night out.

The recognised taxi firms are regulated, better value and the drivers won’t attempt to keep you hostage in a sweaty leather prison.