Taxi Driver Online

Hello,

This is Richard Percival from the Law Commission. I've noticed that our consultation paper has led to a great deal of discussion on this forum, and I'd like to take the opportunity to invite you to share your views with us by making a formal response. We can't participate in discussions on this or other forums, and we can't take blog posts into account as formal responses, but your views are important to us and I would encourage you to make a formal response. You can do this by emailing us at tph@lawcommission.gsi.gov.uk. If you have any queries about our project, you can contact us at the same address.

I'd also like to stress that this is very much a consultation document - the proposals it contains are provisional, and we are open to changing our minds on the basis of what we are told during consultation. It is really important to us to engage with as many people as possible, particularly those within the trades, and your contribution would be much appreciated.

We look forward to hearing from you.

I think Richard is making a valid point.

We can all moan and groan on TDO, about this, that and the other, including the flawed maths used, but people need to respond with their views direct to the Law Commission before the 10th August 2012.

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IDFIMH

Agreed.

I do hope that Sir Richard continues to monitor us, and if he does, I would like to ask if the Consultation period can be extended.

I appreciate that there has to be a chop point at some time, but, speaking for myself, I will be responding personally, as a regional secretary of a trade body and I will contribute to the local association submission.

For myself I foresee no major hurdle - I will make the time to get it done.

As to my regional hat, it is extremely difficult to calculate the time that my colleagues will require to digest the mighty tome that has arrived on our desktops. Then I need to get a regional meeting together, take the minutes and finally produce the response in unbelievably short order. I hope to have a meeting in late June, complete the submission and then send it to delegates for correction (because it has been known for me to make mistakes) or amendment before dispatching to the Law Commission.

The Local Association is no less difficult, but at least the finished article is not down to me.

Most regional members, including me, are Taxi drivers (Used advisedly, we are not open to the Private Hire Trade) and the ongoing necessity of earning a living in the current financial climate, is taking precedence over reading a huge consultation document.

I hope I am not misconstrued, but it seems to me that Local Authorities have paid staff who can dedicate large parts of their working day to the response. Disabled Groups are also well provided for - they also have staff who can provide full time assistance to input from their members. Other user groups may not be so lucky I fully realise.

I would dearly love a further Six weeks before the consultation period ends, I would even settle for an extra month.

I will be attending the NALEO organized Law Commission Roadshow on 3rd July 2012 and this may mean that even more changes are required to all three submissions to the Law Commission.

I do want to say however, Sir Richard, thanks for taking the interest in coming on this forum.

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Chris The Fish

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gdlyi5mc ... re=related

Is he a "Sir"?

I'm just glad I havent mentioned the fact that theyre going to kill us let alone deployed the window licker argument at this early stage.

CC

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

I don't know why, but I had it in mind he is a Knight.

I fear I am wrong.

If he gets us an extension he should be Knighted.

If he doesn't he should be benighted.



(I really hope the Gentleman has a sense of humour as I am begging.)

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Chris The Fish

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gdlyi5mc ... re=related

I'll second that request.

Considering that the initial law covering Hackney Carriages is some 165 years old now, what will an extra six weeks or a month matter after all that time.

Let's try and get it right after all this time; the extra consultation time would benefit us all, including the Law Commission.

There's a lot of knowledge about the cab trade out here. Listening to as much of it as possible would be a good idea.

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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.

I think you have a fair point, apart from your obvious grovelling.

The implications of this major change in the taxi and private hire industries need fair consideration by all.

If these provisional proposals by the LC are as they say, a provisional view it is reasonable to suggest they have learned little about the taxi industry during their first year. To take on a document such as this it will take at least a document of similar size questioning their prognosis's - that will take months.

They cite things such as greater enforcement powers, fines against drivers and a multitude of other things, they even say they will permit cross border hirings - yet they say precious little about funding.

In short after reading the documents I cannot see what vision the LC actually has for the licensed trades - now that is a distinct worry.

Things like wedding cars and limousines have also been cited - yet the law as it is at present includes those vehicles and proprietors if they are used outside of those sole purposes - for an act which was designed to reduce burdensome legislation - it seems they are about to bring a whole waft of meddlesome regulations in!

The zoning issue - and i actually commend the LC for bringing this thing back - is actually pointless unless there is some type of regulation of numbers - to this point the LC contradict themselves within the document....but i'll leave that for others to find.

By seemingly ignoring the ranking issue - they seem to be working to the belief that a taxi can stand for hire on any street - which of course they cannot.

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Haven't we got months?

I see all the points being made, and have a degree of sympathy (if that's the right word?) with members of the trade wanting an extension.

However I'm not sure a three year extension would help, as most of the trade are blissfully unaware, and even if they became fully aware I'm not convinced they could add to what will be sent in within the three months limit.

All that said, I wouldn't be surprised if there was an extension, but that's not for our sakes.

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IDFIMH

Yes, but some of us who are going to be doing the responses will be writing a all new version of war and peace (with equal amounts of war, but not so much peace).

The way the consulation has been designed bases certain presumptions.....the biggest being what they interpret as a fact isnt the same as what many others see as fact. (ffs they've lost 1Billion quid)

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

I don't know about if the gentlement gets it wrong being benighted because personally I feel he is going to get it very wrong. In fact I believe it's going to be so wrong in days of olde one could expect to be hung, drawn and quartered. Having met Mr Percival I wouldn't dream of suggesting such a punishment and like you I dearly hope he has a sense of humour

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

didnt the axeman get a shilling off the bloke on the chopping block?

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Could captaincab please explain what kind of hackney plated vehicle he drives.

i think we have a thread running that'll answer that

but whats the relevance

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

You should read more

It's a HC plated Skoda with a dodgy gearbox.

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http://wingsoverscotland.com/ http://www.newsnetscotland.com/