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This mail was sent to the taxi driver web site. If this is the view of a person that uses the airport frequently what must be the thoughts of the other visitor to this facility.

They say that the people of Paris have a reputation for being unfriendly. If this City and the people who operate these first points of contact don't pull there socks up, we could gain that dubious reputation.

sir.
i'm led to beleive that since the airport took international status that it is supposed to have a taxi rank. i relise they have bristol international cars (a subsidery of first bus the present major shareholder in the airport)but as these are too expensive,as the council is a 49% shareholder couldn't pressure be put on the city council to supply a rank for the good of its citizens and free competition. incidently i saw a taxi clamped there the other week so even if i as a "fare" ordered a taxi from a bristol or north sommerset company it could be clamped while finding out if i had arrived in the flight arrivals hall. i am not against first bus but hate monopolies.

Thank you for your mail.
 You are quite right in your concerns over the facilities for taxis at the airport. I and my colleagues are having a problem when trying to contact our clients.
In the opinion of the operators of the airport they have solved the problem by giving taxis a pick up point. This has made the task of picking someone up, almost possible. A move in the right direction.
Unfortunately the pickup point is too far away from the terminal building for the client to see a name board and if the driver leaves his car to find the client he will be clamped. Having to sell his children into slavery to pay the fine.
When asked about this situation they come up with all kinds of excuses, like some one might plant a bomb in a car and leave it at the terminal building or the aviation authorities say they cant have taxis outside. But we all know the real reason and that is to make you use a bus and who runs the bus?. First Group
I did not know that Bristol International Cars were a subsidy of the same group but if you are correct the whole thing falls into place.

I used to think that world domination would come from a high tech computer company but now i can see that it will be a bus company.
With the help of our city council they have more influence in this city than any other business i can think of.
Hand outs from the city coffers, domination of the city streets, the city centre designed for the bus company, subsidies from the Government , Fuel Tax Rebate scheme and on and on.
Each time a minister stands up in the house and announces more millions for the bus companies i start foaming at the mouth.
It is our own money that is enabling this company to monopolise the bus transport system in this part of the country, go into rail , airports, buy the Hong Kong bus company, the American school bus company and god knows what else. So next time you get your community charge bill, just wonder for a min how much of this is going to the share holders of a multinational company. If you are a share holder it will make you happy, but for the rest of us it will make us bloody mad.

As for getting help from the council, I have learned one thing from my years attending meetings at the council house. Resistance is futile. First Bus have friends in high places taxi drivers have no friends in this council.

Sorry for the ranting but you touched a sore point

Thanks again Mike Maddock.