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PostPosted: Mon May 12, 2014 7:21 am 
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Taxi licensing rules to be revised as drivers say system is a ‘nightmare’



An association for cabbies is welcoming plans to slash red tape around taxi licensing, saying the current system is a “nightmare”.

The Keighley and Bradford Taxi Drivers’ Association is supporting a Government plan to get rid of many of the checks and restrictions that drivers and operators currently face, despite critics saying this could put passengers in danger.

Association chairman Shabir Ahmed said: “There has been an unjust and unnecessary level of bureaucracy implemented by the local authority at the expense of the taxi driver, be that in private hire or hackney carriage, for a very long period of time.”

He said he hoped the cost of the licensing fees would be the first thing to be cut, as drivers were having to pay hundreds of pounds a year just to be in the job.

He said: “It’s such a nightmare. We give them so much money and get nothing back for it. Every year it costs us about £300 just to be on the road – that is just for licensing and without insurance.”

The changes to the Deregulation Bill would: l Allow non-licence holders, perhaps a family member, to drive a private hire vehicle when they are ‘off duty.’ l Introduce three-year licences for taxis and private hire drivers – and five years for operators – scrapping annual checks in many areas.

l Allow minicab operators to ‘subcontract’ bookings to other operators in a different district, without the passenger’s knowledge.

The shake-up is designed to save an estimated £9 million a year.

But it has drawn fierce criticism from some MPs, who fear it will be easier for people to pose as licensed drivers, putting women at particular at risk.

Mr Ahmed, a Hackney Carriage driver who also works for First Choice Private Hire in Keighley, dismissed this claim as “nonsense”, suggesting critics did not fully understand the review.

He said: “It is just the scare tactics they use all the time.”

http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/n ... nce_rules/

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PostPosted: Mon May 12, 2014 7:34 am 
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He said he hoped the cost of the licensing fees would be the first thing to be cut, as drivers were having to pay hundreds of pounds a year just to be in the job.



I get the general feeling that Association chairman Shabir Ahmed hasn't actually read what the DfT are proposing ](*,)


Quote:
Mr Ahmed, a Hackney Carriage driver who also works for First Choice Private Hire in Keighley, dismissed this claim as “nonsense”, suggesting critics did not fully understand the review.


really? perhaps mr Ahmed could point us to the bit of the DfT proposals where they mention reducing licensing fees ffs ](*,)

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PostPosted: Mon May 12, 2014 8:54 am 
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captain cab wrote:
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Mr Ahmed, a Hackney Carriage driver who also works for First Choice Private Hire in Keighley, dismissed this claim as “nonsense”, suggesting critics did not fully understand the review.


really? perhaps mr Ahmed could point us to the bit of the DfT proposals where they mention reducing licensing fees ffs ](*,)

If the proposed rules come in re duration, and we still keep the old rules re fees, then if there isn't a drop in fees the law is being broken.

That's what's upsetting the licensing officers associations.

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PostPosted: Mon May 12, 2014 11:47 am 
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Sussex wrote:
captain cab wrote:
Quote:
Mr Ahmed, a Hackney Carriage driver who also works for First Choice Private Hire in Keighley, dismissed this claim as “nonsense”, suggesting critics did not fully understand the review.


really? perhaps mr Ahmed could point us to the bit of the DfT proposals where they mention reducing licensing fees ffs ](*,)

If the proposed rules come in re duration, and we still keep the old rules re fees, then if there isn't a drop in fees the law is being broken.

That's what's upsetting the licensing officers associations.

It is mentioned in the debate that drivers would be saved hundreds of pounds in licensing fees.

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PostPosted: Mon May 12, 2014 8:30 pm 
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Sussex wrote:
If the proposed rules come in re duration, and we still keep the old rules re fees, then if there isn't a drop in fees the law is being broken.

That's what's upsetting the licensing officers associations.


and in reality it wont make a jot of difference to the costs of the license - the major costs are the medicals and the CRB check - both of which have nothing to do with license fees but included by the confused and deranged

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PostPosted: Mon May 12, 2014 8:41 pm 
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Risk warning over deregulation of taxi operators



GOVERNMENT plans to cut ‘red tape’ for taxi operators in Bolton could put the public at risk, an MP has warned.

Julie Hilling, who represents Bolton West, has spoken out against the Deregulation Bill which is going through Parliament.

If made law, the changes would mean private hire firms could ‘sub contract’ bookings to operators licensed in a different area.

Opponents to the system say customers would be less able to choose a company that they feel is safer and more reliable.

In addition, anyone with an ordinary drivers’ licence would be allowed to drive a private hire car when it is ‘off duty’.

Ms Hilling said there was already too little regulation of the industry, and that further deregulation would not help protect the public.

She said: “We do not have national standards. When the system as a whole is fractured, there are all sorts of ways through it.”

At a meeting in April, Ms Hilling, along with MPs David Crausby and Yasmin Qureshi, joined forces with the Police Crime Commissioner, union GMB and the National Private Hire Association to denounce the plans.

Asif Bali, chairman of the Bolton Private Hire Operators Association, said his organisation currently has an arrangement whereby a call for a cab can be passed on to another company. But he added proposals to run ‘off duty’ private hire cars for personal use could put the public in danger.

http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/112 ... ?ref=var_0

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PostPosted: Mon May 12, 2014 9:40 pm 
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captain cab wrote:


Ms Hilling said there was already too little regulation of the industry.


Interesting, I wonder what she wants to change?

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PostPosted: Mon May 12, 2014 11:31 pm 
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Asif Bali, chairman of the Bolton Private Hire Operators Association, said his organisation currently has an arrangement whereby a call for a cab can be passed on to another company. But he added proposals to run ‘off duty’ private hire cars for personal use could put the public in danger.


I wonder what that arrangement is? To be quite honest it is the personal use when off duty that scares me more than anything else

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PostPosted: Tue May 13, 2014 8:25 pm 
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfuBREMXxts

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PostPosted: Tue May 13, 2014 10:30 pm 
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captain cab wrote:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfuBREMXxts


Wow, that brings back memories at The Cabin

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PostPosted: Tue May 13, 2014 11:16 pm 
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toots wrote:
captain cab wrote:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfuBREMXxts


Wow, that brings back memories at The Cabin



the newspaper shop in coronation street?

http://www.pitbullmusic.com/us/video/pi ... stop-party

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PostPosted: Wed May 14, 2014 10:35 pm 
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CaptainCab wrote:
the newspaper shop in coronation street?


Err, no a club in Liverpool :lol:

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