Taxi Driver Online

Hello TDO
I am a hackney carriage owner driver in Milton keynes and i have been for last 15 years.
I bought my cab in 97 when i had enough of driving private hire, at that time when i bought my cab the numbers were limited at 78 but in 2001 they became unlimited meaning you could obtain a license from the council if you had a wheelchair accessible vehicle and since then work went down more taxis chasing after few customers.
Now 11 years after the numbers are reaching close to 300 and there is only rank space for less than a hundred meaning if all ranks are full you just have to drive around looking for fares or you just park up at the train station sometimes you'll go there and you'll be waiting behind over a hundred vehicles and waiting hours for a fare.
But someone told me something i didn't know and wanted to know if i can do that, that's why i came here.
Basically i drive a wheelchair accessible hackney carriage licensed by Milton keynes council meaning i can pick up off the street, ranks of Milton keynes and also accept pre-booked fares.
But i heard i can also drive in another area as private hire using my Hackney carriage.
So if i go get a radio of a company from another area i can work in that area as private-hire but not as Hackney carriage.
Is this true?

You can work on a ph system in another area but not as a hackney in another area, you can also be flagged down from the street you don't have to be on a rank. There are others on here with far more knowledge than I have of HCs but I know those two ideas are correct. Btw welcome aboard

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

Hello toots
So your saying me as a Hackney carriage in milton keynes can go to another area and drive as private-hire and also be flagged down in the other area but just not allowed to rank up in that area?

You can't be flagged down in the street in another area, only your own area.

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Grandad,

But i can work as private-hire in another area? Yes?
Example. My Hackney carriage is licensed by Milton keynes where i can pick up off ranks, be flagged down and accept pre-booked fares aswell, but if i go to Bedford or Northampton and get a radio from a company based in those areas i can only pick up fares which i am given throu radio?

Yes you can.

A hack since 1997 doesnt know the rules?.....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1997

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

Yes i do know the rules verry much but just wasn't sure about me working in another area was legal or not.

You can't be flagged down in the other area. I guess that was my fault for not making it entirely clear. You can only be flagged down in your licensed area

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

Yes, as long as your council doesn't have a 'return to nearest rank' clause in your licensing conditions, and/or your council doesn't have a 'do you intend to work predominately in your licensing area' question on your re-license form.

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IDFIMH

in a previous life (whilst hack plated in area A) our base (well known in area B) simply took calls and had us wait for jobs at the border or (when busy) sent us to the next job, we wouldnt take flag downs

phone calls and radios dont stop at LA borders like they are some sort of force shield

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

Why not go on a radio circuit in Milton Keynes save all that travelling.
Is Northampton or Bedford any busier.

The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence

Why not attempt to increase your takings while staying on your own patch, get registered for school runs, join things like 118me, get a website, all of these wont cost £10 a week added together, a good school run alone could get you £400 a week or more, renting a radio is so 1990....

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

You most certainly can be flagged in another area. I have been many times.

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Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

Type a message, post your news,
Disagree with other members' views;
But please, do have some decorum,
When debating on the TDO Forum.

That's as maybe but you can't stop and pick them up now can you

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!