Taxi Driver Online

This is in quite a few news outlets today, but this is the official press release from the Manchester Combined Authority

Nothing particularly new here as regards the arguments, but again it's at least being discussed today at a high-profile meeting, and there's an amendment proposed to the devolution bill to stop all cross-bordering.

I suspect, somehow, that in reality any change will only come as part of wider package of industry reforms, and as part of specific legislation, as opposed to just an amendment to the bill on this particular issue.

And, as regards today's meeting, I think it involved Angela Rayner. So any possible wider media interest in cross-bordering would have gotten lost in favour of, er, other issues


Mayor raises changes to taxi licensing with Government, as MPs back Greater Manchester campaign

https://www.greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk ... -campaign/

• Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham to discuss end of ‘out of area’ taxi licensing at a meeting with senior Government ministers today

• Boost for the city region’s ‘Backing our taxis’ campaign, as MPs make the case in parliament for inclusion in new legislation

• An amendment to the new English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill could help address the current situation – where nearly half of private hire vehicles being driven in Greater Manchester are licensed elsewhere

• Mayor Burnham says decisive action is needed to fix a broken national system

Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has called on the government to put a stop to ‘out of area’ licensing at a key meeting with senior ministers this morning [Thursday 4 September].

He put the issue in the national spotlight at a meeting of the Mayoral Council, where England’s regional mayors discuss pressing issues with senior government ministers – including the Secretary of State for Transport. Mayor Burnham will say that an amendment to the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill – currently going through parliament – is needed to tackle ‘a broken taxi system’, where one local authority dominates licensing nationally, undermining local enforcement and accountability.

It comes as Greater Manchester MPs Josh Simons (Makerfield) and James Frith (Bury North), supported the cause for such an amendment in parliament this week as the bill received its second reading – a move also previously backed by Hazel Grove MP Lisa Smart.

It’s all part of the Greater Manchester-led campaign – Backing our taxis: Local. Licensed. Trusted – which aims for the city-region’s fleet to be amongst the safest and most trusted in the country. Launched in April, the campaign calls more local accountability to drive higher taxi standards, stronger public safety and safeguard the livelihoods of drivers.

Then, in June, the issue was addressed in Baroness Casey's national audit on group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse, with a recommendation – accepted by Government – to put an end to ‘out of area taxis’ and bring in more rigorous standards and enforcement.

Figures show that more than 11% of England’s private hire vehicles are licensed by one local authority, City of Wolverhampton Council, up from below 0.5% less than a decade ago. In Greater Manchester, nearly half (49%) of private hire vehicles are now licensed by authorities outside of its ten councils. The city-region’s out of area figure of more than 12,000 has risen sharply from just under 7,000 in 2023.

Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said:

“For too long, communities in Greater Manchester and across the country have been at the mercy of a broken taxi system that allows private hire vehicles and drivers to be licensed hundreds of miles away from where they live and operate. This is not just a matter of fairness for locally licensed drivers to protect their livelihoods - it’s a matter of public safety.

“Greater Manchester has led the call for reform, and it’s great to see that being backed by our local MPs. With the government having already accepted Baroness Casey’s recommendation regarding out of area licensing – further reinforcing the urgent need for change – this Bill provides an opportunity for decisive action to be taken by the Government.

“Avoiding unnecessary delay and acting quickly to address out-of-area licensing will allow us to restore trust and raise standards through a system that is safe, fair, and locally controlled.”

The government has previously committed to consult on changing where responsibility for taxi and private hire licensing sits. But it says legislative change is also needed to address the issue with drivers licensing in a different place to where they live and work.

In the meantime, Greater Manchester has run its own 12-week engagement with the taxi trade this summer. With over 5,000 responses, it aimed to get under the bonnet of the drivers’ experiences with licensing in Greater Manchester and explore how, under the current system, drivers could be encouraged and incentivised to license here. A report with recommendations on the longer-term visions for taxis and licensing will be considered by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority this Autumn.

I get the feeling Mayor Burnham wants a single license for the greater Manchester area.

This isn't exactly what the Baroness said in her report though is it?

She stated:

The Department for Transport should take immediate action to put a stop to ‘out of area taxis’ and bring in more rigorous statutory standards for local authority licensing and regulation of taxi drivers

As I've got into Wolverhampton licensed vehicles during my trips to and from Manchester Airport, I'm sorry to say those drivers were locals who went to Wolverhampton to get driver and vehicle licenses - the question is why?

Well lets start a list

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

the reasons are usually

1) money
2) financial
3) cost control
4) easier compliance standards
5) Commercial advantage
6) cheapo
7) fewer hoops to jump through

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

Well indeed, Edders. It's mostly about cost, convenience and efficiency etc

And I'd guess the scenario portrayed by many (including the baroness) of drivers flocking to Wolverhampton so they can more easily prey on girls and women, or because they've been refused elsewhere, only applies to a relatively small number.

(And I'd guess that if the problem of Wolves badging drivers refused or revoked elsewhere was ever a huge issue in terms of numbers, it's maybe not so much of a problem now, because the council has maybe learnt its lesson in that regard )

I suspect it's because no one has told him of any credible alternatives, which, in my view, there are.

It would be a lot easier doing it in the larger areas, such as Greater Manchester, but every area will have adjoining areas (other than those by the sea), so I'm not convinced that is the answer.

All that said, Mr Burnham's proposals have merit and, more importantly, have momentum.

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IDFIMH

regarding 7

our super dooper council dropped the local knowledge test in April.

We have something called Hadrian's Wall that begins in Cumberland and ends at Wallsend in North Tyneside, you might have heard of it, its quite famous.

Thousands of people come here to walk the length of it every year.

I got a job on Sunday requiring 2 cars - I was the first there and loaded 3 passengers to go to Bowness on Solway where the wall begins.

Leaving the other three blokes to wait for the second cab.

I set off and my passengers phone goes, he asks me what is the postcode for Bowness on Solway, so I told him from my PDA.

I ask the passenger why he wanted it, apparently the other driver didn't know where it was.

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

I think a Merseyside license has been suggested, however a North East one less so.

I guess it all depends upon who's in charge of the licensing, because if its the dumb sh*tes that currently license us, there's little point.

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

Out-of-area taxi ban supported by mayors - Burnham

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5y ... 5Bisapi%5D

Mayors across England support a proposed law to ban out-of-area taxi licensing, Andy Burnham has said.

The mayor for Greater Manchester said the "broken" taxi system meant more than half of private hire vehicles operating in the region were licenced elsewhere, posing a safety risk to passengers and making it unfair for locally-licenced operators.

He has called for a clause to be added to the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill currently going through parliament.

Burnham said he would propose the amendment to government ministers at a meeting with England's regional mayors. The Department for Transport previously said it was "considering options to improve the current situation".

Burnham said: "I've got [the other regional mayors'] support, everyone recognises there's a need for change.

"I want ministers' commitment to work with us to get that sorted."

The government previously said it was aware of the concerns and passenger safety was its "top priority".

A Freedom of Information request has previously revealed more than a third of Greater Manchester's taxi drivers were registered in Wolverhampton.

Burnham has claimed the main difference in standards related to the age of vehicles allowed, with Greater Manchester councils requiring newer vehicles to be used on the roads as well as more advanced background checks.

However, Wolverhampton Council denied it was "quicker and easier" to get a private hire licence with the authority.

Burnham said the proposed changes would be in line with recommendations about taxi safety in Baroness Louise Casey's report into group-based sexual exploitation.

"[The report] made the recommendation that public safety on taxis needs to be under local control," Burnham said.

"We were really pleased she made that recommendation."

Labour MPs for Makerfield, Josh Simons, and Bury North, James Frith, as well as Liberal Democrat MP for Hazel Grove Lisa Smart have also expressed their support for the amendment, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The BBC has contacted the Department for Transport for further comment.

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IDFIMH

of course we could always just bring in national standards ending the argument that out of town cars are not the same standard

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

However, we are a nation of diverse areas.

Would your local area wish to share the same taxi requirements as London?

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IDFIMH

They could take the Scottish laws on crossborder and adopt them which would resolve the problem overnight.