Restriction on Taxi

[Muttbutt]

I'm sure I will catch some opposition for this but I would like to suggest a limit on which vehicles can take player taxi calls. 

I'm in the process of restructuring and restaffing big hawk taxi service. It's incredibly frustrating for a driver who bought a taxi and is trying to rp correctly shows up to a taxi call and someone in a beater is taking taxi calls.

I'm not saying everyone should have to come work at BHTS but I think there should be restrictions on vehicles used.  There is decent money to be made if you learn how to pick up locals and put yourself out there to players. If it doesn't have a taxi marquee I don't believe you should be able to take taxi calls.

You can't pick up trash in a mule. Or do full vehicle repairs at burger shot. Or tow in a Caddy. So why can you do taxi in any vehicle you want ? It's just money grabbing with little to no rp.

Added note : I think players would enjoy when they call a taxi they actually get a taxi. Taxi drivers can be good sources of info and help to newer players as well. I find myself helping new players all the time. 

 

Edited August 9, 2022 by Muttbutt

[Muttbutt]

And I include myself in this. Just spend over 80k weenie Dynasty taxi with marquee and I'm competing with people who aren't rping at all. I

[Sammi]

I'll give a slight +1 to this. I taxi'd a bit during my first bit in the city, I got a great deal on a Dynasty. But also there is a cheaper taxi for around 10k. If it was called Uber or something like that, would be fine with any vehicle being used, but of course it's a TAXI service. So slightly agree but don't think there is really any way to enforce this.

[Frank Frost]

I agree fully. Especially if the meter works correctly. In my multiple times in a taxi I've found it works for some settings, but the distance one doesn't work. I compensated a bit by setting the time one higher to make it appear.. well, closish

 

[Muttbutt]

The meter has always been weird. It's not in the dynasty. And I know there is a cheapo taxi I have one of those as well which I'm probably giving away to the next new hire.

[George Doors]

Maybe have taxi companys, You can only purchase a taxi if your employed by said company. You have to clock on in a room which is behind a locked door which is only opened by staff who work there. Then you wont get random people just picking taxi driver and using what ever vehicle they want. instead youll get a couple new competing businesses who can run the taxi side of things in the city. Could also merge this in with events, using special expensive vehicles for transport (to save headaches with all the cars at the big events). Maybe if they speak to Blaines county hawks you could even work on a aircraft taxi for events which whichever companys livery on it. Just a thought

[Muttbutt]

I would be fine with Taxi being a private thing. I think competition is good. However, anyone will come to find there isn't a lot of money to be made for the company itself unless you tap into your driver's profits 

[Denver]

Maybe the solution would be to have both a taxi and a uber job

Edited August 11, 2022 by Lion_Luke

[Frank Frost]

I've done Taxi work several times, the money is awful compared to basically everything else, UNLESS you happen to get lucky and run across a big tipper.

Even at peak times I've seen very few calls coming in, and at non-peak it's scarcely worth clocking in. If you aren't driving a cab to get the ai pickups, then you might as well do, well, anything else

[Frank Frost]

I have to re-echo the request for restrictions on Taxis. Anyone trying to drive an actual taxi properly, particularly if they try to obey the road laws, has 0 chance of beating non-taxis to the clients. Most clients won't care who gets there first, but for any drivers that respond they may need to race to get there, especially since when a call is accepted I think it's still visible for all drivers.

The solution which covers both groups would be to add a Uber system the same as the taxi one, except it doesn't require a taxi to work. Taxi drivers basic pay could be raised slightly to make it more attractive to do the role properly.

[Muttbutt]

I think doing a whole separate job is a lot. I don't know a great solution but it's not okay that there is a dude doing trucking and taxi at the same time. At this point It is borderline failrp.  You're exactly right on the unfairness of vehicles vs taxis. New hires for Big hawk are instructed to drive an actual taxi now. Its good for RP and they can make decent money with taxi missions non player based . I think if someone wants to run an independent Uber / transportation thing they can run ads / get on badbiz / twitter. Maybe a screen pop to remind drivers to be in a taxi when they clock in. Cops have to be in police cars, ems in ambulance vehicles, tow truck drivers tow truck, truckers in truck. I think an update to city rules could also be a solution. 

Edited August 23, 2022 by Muttbutt

[Muttbutt]

The taxi missions are paying 200 to 2200 per job now. People who know how to balance it can make good money 

[Nick Underwood]

hey just wanted to pitch in as a newbie/oldie here. (back from a while ago). started a cab co myself Royal Cab just two days ago and want to weigh in my thoughts. 

 i 100% agree with you can only accept and do local jobs in taxi certified vehicles as stated above as long as it has a taxi marquee then it would be allowed to do player and local jobs. 

with this i think taxi drivers should get a "bonus" to the passive money earned as a taxi driver would make it better. Honestly personally I like doing it for the interaction and meeting new characters and people. However it would make it nice to have that restriction in place. if i called a taxi and a motorcycle pulls up.... I would expect a certain formality. I mean it costs $10,000 for a taxi... i thought it used to be like 25k or something and I've almost tripled my money. locals pay stupid and people honestly tip nice. Do it for the rp and you will be rewarded but you can sorta make a little cash doing locals if you know how they spawn. pretty easy just have to be familiar of you surroundings. 

remember this is a roleplaying game. taxi drivers arn't living large. But role play as a taxi driver. i understand this is public which is why slight changes like this help weed out those who won't/don't want to take that seriously. Now don't think tho i don't like to earn money. But sometimes i like to drive to spots where someone might need a lift, hospitals, free bike spots, public housing areas which is why the increased passive income would be nice but that's my take. i could add more and could have left more out but just adding another thought  cheers guys 

 

[Muttbutt]

Your head is in exactly the right place. I hope Randy runs into this new taxi company . Competition can be fun ( and dangerous )

[Tucker Bell]

And in addition to this... I called a taxi the other day. Taxi pulls up and goes: "Just want to let you know I charge a flat fee of $2000." I literally wanted to go maybe 6 blocks away back to the apartment. I didn't say a word, just got out and left.

[Muttbutt]

The meter is not great so most people should disclose rates up front. I honestly do 500-800 in city 1500 to sandy 2000 Paletto. Most of the BHT drivers operate very similar. They've also been instructed to be helpful and understanding of brand new players. 

The city needs to read and consider this. I'm having nightly reports of people in non taxis taking rides , kidnapping, robbing, and harming fares. I responded in my big hawk taxi to a call last night and there was a person there to pick up the guy in a random vehicle with two people in it both with masks. The fare said screw that you're not a taxi and got it in with me. This is straight up failrp and rdm and should not be allowed to continue. I'm to the point of filing player reports when this happens 

[James]

I've honestly used the meter in the past and not had that much of a problem with it. I think it adds to the immersion, and the fact you can change both the rate per mile and time is awesome, it just has a learning curve with figuring out the right amount for both of those.

Also hate when people turn up with anything other than a taxi, I know uber is a thing, but it seems very low effort, and its annoying when you call a taxi for more people than just yourself and someone turns up in a 2 door sports car.

Edited August 31, 2022 by magicUK

[Harold Gray]

When it comes to taxi I have been a long time Big Hawk employee and have enjoyed running taxi you get to meet people and learn a lot about the city but when it comes to other things I have invested in limos and even a helicopter and have tried to use them for different events and stuff even put out adds and everything and people still just drive them selves so there is a lot of work that could be done for taxi but it’s stuff that may not be plausible it is one of those things where people actually need to choose to use taxi vs running or something else. Another problem is when people call for a taxi and you can’t get there as soon as you accept you drive across the map and they are not there it happens a lot so there has to be some sort of patience or at least a way for the taxi drivers to know if the person has left the area already. 

[Merr Khan]

I will agree, you start with enough money to buy the vanilla taxi at pdm, you can even haggle it down some. So a player doing the taxi job should at least have that. 

However sometime you don't have time to go get the taxi. Like ^ poster said, you get there too late and they are gone. Either they walked, or another cab got em. 

But more often then not, I find myself signed in as taxi for hrs, with no calls. It's not a problem, as I am not solely doing RP taxi for money, but more to be "available" for RP content on demand. 
I actually use my passengers as a way to buy items that are limited in stock to players per/day, kind of trade for ride, if you catch my drift. 
Also as a way to meet contacts, and yes you do make good money as people in need of a taxi are usually at their last resort. But this is normally around/after restart then it's dead for hr's. 

I would not expect a rule or code to stop players that have nicer/larger vehicles, or other none signed in jobs to do simultaneously, while being a taxi service to stay in a taxi car the whole time. 

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This is a problem I see that can and should be solved in RP, a hear a good Taxi war coming. This does not mean inherent violence, but good marketing, and targeted (but tasteful) smear campaigns on competitors. 

You can see who, and how many taxi services responds to the call, and I have found if you call the person directly, and talk to them, using ^ above mentioned technics, you can get them to wait for you, as you put in the extra effort in RP, and told them the other taxi is a serial killer....... And if they don't F'em, they don't want to RP anyway. 

 

It's also a little on the players who call a taxi, I myself would hold out for a potential RP scenario, over a plain jane/joe car/taxi ride. 
however it's all about what is presented at time of arrival.

take this for example (https://clips.twitch.tv/ThankfulColorfulCheeseDatSheffy-LcIgyilweZjBS2pq)

Not a taxi car, but i can assure you, that guy had a fun ride, for 20 beeks.

 

There is no 1 solution to any 1 problem. But.......?

Taxi would be great if the dev's add a code that once a player calls a taxi and the taxi accepts, it locks the player in place for 5 min. lol