Tag Archives: income

Sweet Service Award goes to Babylonstoren; Sour Service Award goes to SANTACO Taxi Association

The Sweet Service Award goes to Babylonstoren, for its very efficient delivery service. Driving all the way from Franschhoek, the delivery is free, an estimated delivery time is communicated on the morning of the delivery date, the driver usually arrives ahead of this time (under promise, over deliver), and the drivers are friendly and professional.

The Sour Service Award goes to SANTACO Taxi Association, for its calling of a six day strike of its Taxi members in Cape Town and the rest of the Western Cape province. The Association is using the strike as a means of protesting against what it refers to the unfair impoundment of its members’ taxis by the City of Cape Town. The City and its Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis is taking a hard line against the taxis breaking road and driving City by-laws. Not only is every taxi driver not earning an income in the week ahead, but so too is every employed member of staff who cannot get to their jobs via taxi in this period.

The WhaleTales Sweet & Sour Service Awards are presented every Friday on the WhaleTales blog. Nominations for the Sweet and Sour Service Awards can be sent to Chris von Ulmenstein at chrisvonulmenstein [at] gmail.com. Past winners of the Sweet and Sour Service Awards can be read on the Friday posts of this blog.

Chris von Ulmenstein, WhaleTales Blog: www.chrisvonulmenstein.com/blog Tel +27 082 55 11 323

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New metered Taxi policy for Cape Town, without Tourism industry input!

Metered Taxis Cape TownGood news in a City of Cape Town weekly newsletter is the development of a by-law intended to regulate the metered taxi industry in Cape Town, which has got out of hand in the operation of its service.

The City’s by-law is intended to regulate fares, ‘pick-up conditions’, safety, vehicle standards, and to set minimum service standards, intended to be implemented over the next three years.  In developing the new strategy, the City of Cape Town consulted with the Western Cape Metered Taxi Council, and did a comparative study of international best practice in cities such as New York, Dublin, Sydney, and Nairobi.

The City had set a moratorium on issuing new taxi licences until yesterday, and now all new applications will be evaluated against the new metered taxi strategy.   Included in the strategy is addressing the following concerns regarding the industry: Continue reading →

Hotels in the crunch due to credit crunch

Statistics SA has confirmed what all in the hospitality industry have been experiencing – income from accommodation fell by 5 % in the April – June period compared to a year ago, reports the Weekend Argus.

Had the Confederations Cup and the British and Irish Lions Tour, and to a far lesser extent the IPL, not taken place in this quarter, the drop in accommodation revenue would have been even greater.  June showed positive growth of 6 % on average, compared to the negative growth in April and May, proving that the IPL did not live up to its promised contribution to the economy and protection against the recession!   June has been the only positive growth month this year so far.

In Cape Town RevPAR (revenue per available room) increased by 14 % in June, the first month in 2009 with a positive figure, based largely on two rugby matches in Cape Town, with rates having been increased to R 880 per room on average over the match days, and occupancy increased to 51 %, the first occupancy increase in the 12-month period.

Stats SA also records the “number of stay nights” to have decreased by 10 % compared to 2008, with hotel income dropping from R 1,99 billion in the second quarter of 2008 to R 1,86 billion in the second quarter this year, a 7 % decline.   Guest house income grew by 2 %, and that of caravan parks and campsites by 8 % in the same period.

Whale Cottage Portfolio : www.whalecottage.com