Is it this bad anywhere else in the country?

I suspect it is somewhere.

Maybe you should arrange a lottery to reduce taxi numbers.

Put all the plate numbers in a hat, then pull out half the numbers, and those not pulled out will have to hand in their plates.

Will solve your problem, unless you are one of the unlucky ones.

That sounds like a plan But arent you all for anyone and everyone getting a plate ?

Can it get any worse in Milton keynes?
since the council had deregulated taxi numbers times have gone from bad to now worser than ever,
First few years after we got deregulated its was ok as there was still a little work to go around but now its worser than ever as we have not many rank spaces and there are just too many cabs now.
Last year when the survey was done December 2011 there was 217 hackney carriages operating in Milton keynes with rank spaces of 80 now 1 year on theres are now 304 Hackney carriages all fighting for work.
We have a rank outside Mcdonalds in the Centre for 10cabs but youll be waiting around a hour to get a local £4 fare.
The train station is the busiest rank but has space for 100cabs and during the day if you park there you can be waiting 2-3hours+ for a fare you just cant make a decent living anymore were litrally dieing with more cabs coming on the road day by day as people who loose a job just start driving taxi and numbers just keep increasing and increasing.
Currently in working 16hours a day and honestly not even making 50 quid and after fuel and expences not left with anythink.
Is it this bad anywhere else in the country?

I suspect it is somewhere.

Maybe you should arrange a lottery to reduce taxi numbers.

Put all the plate numbers in a hat, then pull out half the numbers, and those not pulled out will have to hand in their plates.

Will solve your problem, unless you are one of the unlucky ones.

give in and rent a radio, advertise your own number, get a website, joine "Quoteme"

just sitting on a rank is so 1960's....

So wannabe great masterplan is too pay money too be on a radio circuit , then give discounts and end up working for someone . Ranks are so finished

It's just as bad in sheffield,a lot of the trouble stems from the fact that we didn't negotiate with the LA when we really ought to have.We were loath to put 1 more cab on just in case it cocked up the price of the plate.The majority of cabbies were and are selfish.Consequently the price went down to zero.It has crept up a bit recently but,then nobody is earning enough to buy 1 even at a lowly figure.In my patch it's dog eat dog even if you are related, which a lot are.
You can earn money but,you have to pay the MAN,ie;radio.I assume you have to earn 150 pounds or more before you start making any of your own money.Then you have to Earn to pay your costs. I am trying to keep away from the mad house(Sheffield)as much as possible by doing my own work localy. I'm not earning more as yet but,I'm not earning less.

they will all just apply for a private hire plate will they not?

Isnt sheffield deregulated?

Why not set up your own circuit for the hackneys and try getting some of the work from private hire? Maybe get cab:app as well or taxicall. There are other options to just rank work that don't involve you being attached to a private hire circuit.