B737-700
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 101; Flight Crew Type 6900
Communication Breakdown
ATC Issue All Types; Conflict Ground Conflict; Less Severe
Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Airport; Procedure
For many years STL has held on to Ground Metering frequency even though their traffic level is negligible.  We are required to contact Metering when we are ready for initial taxi.  Very often Ground Metering will issue taxi instructions as they are also manning Ground Control; i.e. combined up.  This means you have aircraft taxiing in the same space on different frequencies.  This leads to confusion and potentially dangerous situations as one aircraft does not know what another aircraft said they are doing.  For example on our taxi out yesterday we were cleared first and a Company aircraft on Ground Control frequency was then cleared to taxi.  They did not hear our clearance first; so they were surprised to see us taxiing in front of them. Of course Ground also failed to tell Company to follow us; but the point is when aircraft on the same pavement taxi around on different frequencies it creates an unnecessary rise in the level of risk.Close Metering frequency; it isn't necessary.  It is almost always manned by the same person manning Ground Control. If they won't do that; then stop allowing aircraft to taxi on multiple frequencies.  It is lazy controlling.  Taxi is done on Ground Control; not Metering.
B737 Captain stated that the Metering frequency at STL has out lived is usefulness and caused confusion when used to issue taxi instructions; with a ground control frequency also in use.