Sussex wrote:
JD wrote:
The city council has decided that from August no new licences will be issued for white saloon-car vehicles. Drivers of existing white taxis will be able to replace them but anyone entering the taxi trade must buy a larger vehicle, such as a London-style black cab which can carry a wheelchair.
Mr GMB North have you taken note?

I think most agree that Mr Gateshead Angel is not the sharpest knife in the draw and that he has a propensity to mislead and present untrue statements. Such as the time he reduced Gateshead's population by half in order to make the statistic fit his point of view. He then recently presented the true population statistics of gateshead which were double the statistics he gave several years ago. Its a good job we have all this information to hand because it exposes the failings of these people.
In respect of Carlisle and Mr Gateshead Angels remarks in reference to me being the possible architect of Saloon car reduction, I think I should remind him that the Carlisle Taxi association are the true architects of saloon car reduction as can be seen by their involvement in asking for and achieving a wav only policy for future vehicle licenses.
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To the Chairman and Members of the Carlisle council Regulatory Panel 24th January 2007
INTRODUCTION
Carlisle Taxi Association (CTA) represents approximately half of the Hackney Carriage owners (Taxis) licensed with this Authority. Correspondence has been received from the Association who are asking the Council to review their policy with regard to the licensing of Hackney Carriages. These details were last discussed at the quarterly meeting between the CTA and the Licensing Manager on 12th December 2006. Members are being asked to consider four areas relevant to the licensing of Hackney Carriages (Appendix 1A-1C).
1.1 REQUEST FOR A DEMAND SURVEY
The Association would like the Council to suspend the issuing of any further Hackney Carriage licences as they believe the market has reached saturation point. With the current number of taxis operating in Carlisle (207), they are sure that there is now “no unmet demand”.
In order for the Council to suspend the issue of any further licences a ‘Demand Survey’ would be required now and every three years thereafter. This survey would cost in the region of £12,000 and would have to be financed by the taxi owners.
This could be achieved by increasing Hackney Carriage licences by approximately £20 per year. Should the survey indicate that there was “no unmet demand” the Council could stop issuing any further licences but would not be bound by the findings of the survey.
1.2 RESTRICTING NEW APPLICANTS TO WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE VEHICLES
Should the members be minded not to commission a “demand survey” or not to suspend the issue of any further licences, the Association would like the Council to only issue any additional licences to Wheelchair Accessible vehicles which meet the Councils specification.
As the Association considers that there are currently an adequate number of taxis to meet public demand, they believe that another way of restricting entry into the trade would be to require a “major commitment” from new applicants. As relatively new wheelchair accessible taxis cost in the region of £20,000, only people with a real interest in the trade would pursue this course of employment.
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