Taxi Driver Online

I think you're wrong theres been consultation for months on this.

CC

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

I do the same Brum, There is a garage in Stow, Milburn gararge, its on the web, its owned by a race enginer and his team, a total full service is carried out in less than an hour on my Skoda, I have sat and watched them do it, I had to get a new Cv joint, it took 10 mins to replace
Its like watching a rally team go to work, uses OME and he is the cheapest in the whole of the Borders

What like inviting the drivers to turn up for a meeting, providing a room with forty seats and when over 200 hundred GMB lads turn up they cancel the meeting? Don't arrange another meeting! Do you call that consultation? Until this trade learns to stick together like the lads in Leeds, it will continue to get shafted.

Regards
BB

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Mick Hildreth (07814 032002)
GMB PDB P39 Southern Region Branch Secretary
mick.hildreth@gmbtaxis.org.uk
www.gmbpdb.org.uk

I think you're mistaken (thats polite for wrong ), I suggest you check back on Leeds City Council website, there were licensing reports and meetings prior to the GMB becoming involved.

Dare I suggest your members havent been forthcoming with the whole story?

CC

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

Leeds Cabbies Win Year Cut In Car Age Limit

8th July 2009

An 11th hour U-turn by licencing bosses means the new age limit on Leeds taxis will drop to seven years rather than the expected six.

Hundreds of drivers packed into Leeds City Council's main chamber yesterday to hear the controversial proposals debated.

After two hours of heated discussions, the panel voted by a majority to change the limit to seven from eight years.

Controversy has raged over the proposals which would have meant rigorous additional tests for cars over the new limit.

Many drivers said the policy would lead to additional costs, and said too many of the test criteria were unnecessary.

They also said Birmingham and Liverpool have higher age limits, and Kirklees and Calderdale have 10-year limits.

The tightening of the rules came after tests of hundreds of Leeds taxis found only 27 out of 115 Hackney carriages were fit for service and just 138 of 740 private hire cars passed a council MoT test.

The new seven-year rule was tentatively welcomed by some drivers but many insisted the new policy was unnecessary.

Bill Chard, from the GMB Leeds Private Hire Association, said: "People are not over the moon but it's a compromise and it's welcome. They listened to people's voice and that voice has been channelled."

Paul Landau, who chairs the Unite Leeds Hackney Badge Holders Association, said the council should return to doing its own annual MOT-style tests at its own vehicle licencing section.

During the meeting, Mr Chard told the licencing panel they were at risk of using "extreme measures...to combat minor faults".

"It's classic overregulation, like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut," he said.

However, Des Broster, head of the council's Taxi and Private Hire Licencing section, said the policy was about "sensible risk management" and "ensuring both the public and drivers are protected".

Khaliq Ahmed, who represents the City Cabs Association and the Joint Taxi Council, said they still rejected the policy.

"There is no compelling evidence in this report that the safety of the public is at risk."

After the meeting, drivers said it had been a "small victory" for the trade and "lessons should be learned" for the future.

Source; yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk

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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.

They make it sound like there was nothing wrong with their vehicles. If the majority had passed I'd go with the drivers but this doesn't seem the case. I think the council have had to do this to ensure that the drivers look after their vehicles and keep the public safe. The best way to avoid tightening of regs is not to give them a reason to do it

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

I find this quite amusing, if you look at the attached PDF you'll find that the original suggestion was 7 years

http://www.leeds.gov.uk/files/Internet2007/2009/16/mins%20of%20ph%20forum%2029.5.08.pdf

Dare I suggest to bruvver BB that the above minutes count as consultation

CC

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

No they are not!!

The councillors are exercising their Duty of Care, as they should do!!


No compelling evidence with those figures??

Mr Ahmed; your having a giraffe!!


No they won't be!!

_________________
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.

_________________
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.

That would have been so much better if I had sound

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

As the saying goes;

Women should be seen & not heard!!

_________________
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.

Well the trade look well wound up.

Don't know who started the stirring.

That said, as one of the lads said, what's the difference between a 7 and a 8 year limit?

Why is one better than the other?

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IDFIMH

The perfect woman 'No sound'



It gives them a year longer to drive around in their shed before they have to buy another one

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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 age criteria situation has been a joke in my opinion, I have attended a few of these meetings including the one on 7th July.
Javed Akhtar the GMB Private Hire representative hasn’t got a clue its all about who can get the most votes for the next general election.
In one meeting I attended he said that taxi drivers do not need to be able to speak English unless they are picking up from the train station.
In yesterdays meeting after telling the panel how they could not afford to replace a saloon car which they can put on second hand up to 5 years old at a cost of say £5000, he then went on to say he agreed with the local disability group that it was about public safety of the disabled and they should be carried round in newer vehicles, WAV’s should be replaced more often.
Well I suppose it is easier to replace a £25,000 to £30,000 WAV which doesn’t include the private hire.
I know we could put a second hand WAV on as well but to be honest most people get rid of them when they are at the end of their life.
The GMB will claim victory over this although they never mentioned 7 years, the trade reps have been working with the council over this for 2 years or more.
The age limit is not 7 years, you will be expected to have your vehicle thoroughly inspected each year once it gets to that age. The age limit was said to be indefinite in the meeting but I believe that may have been a misunderstanding and the maximum age limit is 10 years.
The Asian community seem to have been brain washed into believing that once their cars are 6 years old then that’s it you will not be able to licence it again which is not the case.
They applauded when some one suggested bringing back 6 monthly inspections once the car was 4 years old but aren’t happy about having 6 monthly inspections from 6 years old.
Although there were a few other points regarding proof of regular services I can’t see a problem any one in their right mind will have their vehicle regularly maintained, it’s our lively hood

Didn't one of the taxi trade reps object in the same way as the GMB chap?

Why don't all the sections of the trade aim their fire at the lack of proper enforcement by the LOs?

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IDFIMH