Taxi Driver Online

It's really not about how much I would pay for mine, I certainly wouldn't have been happy paying £1,800 for what I did to get my NVQ & Btec and I had a decent provider. I was lucky my Btec/VRQ, NVQ, AI and Ptlls cost me nothing. When you think of the content of a Ptlls certificate you can get for £180-£500 I wouldn't expect the NVQ to cost much more tbh.

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

If you're as qualified as me then you didn't pay did yer?
But then you got all the answers so none of us should need worry about the LC, it's all in the safe hands of the usual suspects.........

If people are point us towards the Select Committee they cant have noticed what the select committee actually stated.........presumably if the law commission had taken the stance of being opposed to cross border and in favour of numbers control they would have been our best buddies?

Buts lets look at some of the recommendations of the select committee, even though they have been subbed at half time by the government.

Recommendation 11. We recommend that it should be permissible for taxi and PHV licences to include a condition that the vehicle must principally be operated in the licensing district. A similar provision should also be permitted in relation to driver licences. (Paragraph 30)


This is already the case and has been permitted since the Berwick Court Case........indeed if you scan through TDO you might find that Shropshire Council have been regularly refusing applications for those licensed outside their area. Numerous councils now ask the question on application forms.

So in respect of a recommendation......its a rather crap one?

Recommendation 12. In addition, new legislation should permit local authorities to issue fixed penalty notices to out-of-town drivers where there is evidence, for example, that they have worked, or sought to work, for a specified period of time in that district. Local authorities should also be enabled to prosecute operators in other districts which are routinely sending cars to work in their area. (Paragraph 30)

Anyone agreeing to the above recommendation is an absolute buffoon.

Recommendation 13. In our view it is essential that local authorities justify their approach to the use of these controls in local transport plans, alert drivers and operators in neighbouring districts to their intention to use such powers; and provide adequate warnings to drivers and operators before issuing fixed penalty notices or initiating prosecutions. (Paragraph 31)

Just to prove that the select committee are quite mad, they appear not to realise that in many areas licensing authorities are not responsible for local transport planning or LTP's.

Of course the government response to the recommendation was in many respects equally mad, but we already know that.

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

That's a bit of a harsh assessment and I did say I never paid for any of my qualifications. I don't claim to have all the answers either but I do know there is no simple solution to this consultation because everybody has their own version of what they believe is right and many have agendas of their own

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

It's fair to say that the Trans Comm didn't fancy cross border hiring much, and tried to suggest ways forward to stop drivers working predominately away from their licensing area.

Now Mr fatnuggit has shown that the DfT weren't best please with that.

However this was the same DfT that weren't best pleased about the Trans Comm having a pop at them over the OFT report.

But did the DfT win that battle? The answer is no.

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IDFIMH

The DfT response shows them to be equally stupid though

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

At no point do I disagree.
However, firstly, I can and will justify to anyone my reasons for why I do training. I'm a cabbie with 20+ years experience and I'm a very good Assessor(according to my past and present providers), and take pride in my work. When people criticise me for it I will defend myself. Whether those people like it or not is up to them.

Second, I am a member of Unite, but not active in branch anymore, I've been ostracised by them for the second time in 3 years, because I like to represent all drivers, that is members and non members(who are potential members). As a trade Unionist/Socialist, I believe that a well educated workforce is a priority. The majority of cabbies are poorly educated people, unfortunately. I believe that all workers should have representation with regard to their Pay and Conditions(H&S etc). I also believe that workers should have a say in how thier Pay and Conditions are arrived at.
This is why I keep on about the LC and how important it is for all organisations to mobilise their members and use all resources available to them, to try and get as many submissions in before the deadline.

Thirdly, I come on here because the information I see is of great interest, ie: the minutes of the LC meetings. As a Unite member I get none of this info because my face doesn't fit.
Yet on this forum, there is a more open approach, in fact you guys are miles ahead, your knowledge is greater than mine and your ideas are more forward in their thinking.
I'm on your side, yet the s**t I've been getting cos I do training, not driving is just distracting to be fair.

The fact that we all have our own agendas is the whole point really, as I said in my lead article(which will also be run in TaxiTalk Sept issue fingers crossed)self employment is divisive in it's nature, it is one of the ways that enabled politicians to break the workforce. Therefore logic will tell us that no matter what Unite want, it will almost certainly be denied.
My argument with Unite began during the campaign, when I stupidly said, "What if the campaign fails? What then? Shouldn't we have more than one submission so that if one fails another may succeed?" I was told no, they knew best you see.
So I did my own submission, SAFE, a trial of which is now in operation, wait for it, in Liverpool, home of, you guessed it, Unite 6/680! F**king unbelievable.
At the time of the submissions for the TSC, I proposed that all active members submitted as individuals, different, yet important issues, so that a few might be recommended, under the radar, while the main branch fought for the 'big one', CBH. It seems that I may have been on to something, as my SAFE idea has become a reality. By the way it's on the same rank that Unite's chairman and National Organiser used to work as well! No doubt he will be taking the credit for it.

While I am still a member, mainly to rub a few people up the wrong way, let me tell you our trade is in the hands of a few, small minded, capitalist individuals who are posing as trade unionists. They are far from it, in fact it's the only trade union branch I can think of that is run by employers.

I am NOT liked for these views, but it's the truth.

So please fellers, you may disagree with me and you may think that i'm just on the NVQ gravy train, but this LC consultation is a real opportunity and anyone in a position to help drivers to submit, should organise and do so. Process can work if it is organised, things such as the survey you posted are great ideas, the e-petition too. A copy of your submission should also go to your MP and MEP. Always keep up the pressure.

Sorry for the rant but I do feel I've been misunderstood and all this squabbling is just a distraction.

Off for a lie down.

It would be extremely boring if we all hold the same view .. and rants are good .... I think a lot of us on here have a great many more years in the trade than 20 ..... so you can imagine for us it's a bit like being lectured to by Our grandchildren ..... But Nice to have you on here.....

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!