Taxi Driver Online

Taxi drivers welcome new limit on black cab licences in Wirral



WIRRAL taxi drivers have welcomed a new curb on the number of black cab licences handed out in the borough.

Councillors agreed on Monday to limit the number of licences to 289 – currently there are 286 licences “attached to a vehicle” – meaning they are in use by hackney cabs.

Drivers had urged members of the licensing, health and safety and general purposes committee to set the limit, arguing it would safeguard their livelihoods and stabilise the trade in challenging economic times.

Derek Cummins of the Unite union said many newcomers had signed up to £30,000 finance deals for their vehicle then found it impossible to make a living in a saturated market.

The decision follows the results of independent report commissioned by the council, which concluded there were enough hackneys to meet demand.

Councillors were shown figures comparing the plate numbers issued by the council with the number actually attached to vehicles.

On January 18 the highest plate number issued was 400 but just 286 are currently in use, meaning 114 are no longer on the road.

Bob Kelly of the Independent Wirral Hackney Drivers Association said: “We're pleased with the decision. The trade does need a period of stability and long-term managed growth.”

http://www.wirralnews.co.uk/wirral-news ... -30189580/

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

What's the relevance of that?

So where are they?

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

Not sure if you're being sarcastic gus, but presumably they've either moved on elsewhere, retired, or whatever, but the council has just continued issuing new plates in numerical order rather than using the returned plates.

But the argument demonstrates the trade's mentality - they think they should have control over the vehicles indefinitely and no plate should ever require to be handed back.

Which is fair enough I suppose from their perspective, but it's the fact that this kind of nonsense seems to sway councillors that's worrying.

Odd way to do it with our council you can't keep your plate number when you change a vehicle you get issued a "recycled" number so any not in use are just waiting to be issued to another vehicle

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

Indeed that seems to be the way most councils do it.

But if the alternative provides an argument to restrict numbers then obviously it's well worth it.

You couldn't make it up.

That's not strictly true that they just issued plates numerically. Plate 400 was originally issued years ago and what the council tend to do here is ask the driver what number they would like from plates that they already have 'in stock'. There was initially 400 vehicle plates issued when the council first derestricted but the numbers fell quite quickly when drivers realised they weren't going to make a living. I don't understand why they restricted again, the numbers haven't change much for years it seemed to me that the market did indeed find it's own level and contrary to the Halcrow report many think that limit was too high.

I've just spoken with one of the drivers and he said that there isn't much celebration amongst the drivers because now they are waiting to see what the Law Commission do

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

Thanks Toots.

Indeed for restriction to make much difference it depends on customer demand growing and numbers not keeping up, which of course has generally been the case over the last few decades where numbers have stayed restricted.

But the ship has sailed as regards rising demand for taxis, for a few years at least.

If numbers are not rising, this was a pointless exercise.
All it will do is encourage people to hang on to plates they would otherwise have handed back.

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

A much more interesting take on this would be if they legislated that each Individual could only own One Plate!

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Don't dream it ~ Be it.

Ermmm cabs been took back by the chuckie company?

What if somebody wants to rent a vehicle?

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

The other 114 plates were surplus to requirements.

It's simple logic, otherwise they would still be in use.

Capish?

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Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

Type a message, post your news,
Disagree with other members' views;
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Oh I get it now!!!

The councillors on the Licensing Committee in The Wirral were worried into stopping the issue of HCV licences by the Halcrow report that they themselves commissioned.

Well that's a new slant on re-restriction; worried councillors!!!



And even if they were worried, as councillors they have a right to be worried into re-restriction. They are elected into office by the electorate and have to act resposible as they see fit and within the law.

Which they did!!!

They also have the right to start issuing HCV licences some time in the future too!!

_________________
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.

Now that would be sensible.

_________________
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.