Taxi Driver Online

If evidence was ever needed about how the drivers of the UK view these two firms, the £5 in the last two days gives us complete clarity.

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IDFIMH

Well that's three day since that last £5 donation, so it's still stuck on £230

If it carries on like this then looks like my £1,000 guesstimate will be optimistic

But unless something big is happening behind the scenes, they'll be lucky to raise £500, never mind the £500,000 target

Bolt sends £200m warning to Reeves ahead of Uber VAT ruling

https://www.cityam.com/bolt-sends-200m- ... certainty/

Ride-hailer Bolt has sent a stern warning to Rachel Reeves over government inaction on a possible 20 per cent VAT hike for taxi firms.

City AM understands the mobility firm has written to the Chancellor warning it has withheld £200m of investment in the UK over the last three years as ministers dither over the so-called “taxi tax.”

Cab, minicab and private hire operators have been left in limbo in recent years over a possible 20 per cent additional VAT charge on fares.

The hike stems from court rulings that concluded taxi firms rather than individual drivers are responsible for contracts with passengers.

Critics warn such a tax increase would result in higher fares for consumers and hit driver earnings, while Uber says it wants “consistency” across the system. The San Francisco-based ride-hailing giant was already forced to raise fees after a separate court ruled its operations in London could be viable for VAT.

It is seeking a fresh ruling on contracting arrangements at a Supreme Court hearing in July, which would impact whether VAT hits private-hire operators outside London.

In addition to the impact on investment, Bolt’s letter is understood to warn the looming Uber ruling could make private hire services more expensive and less accessible.

The Treasury launched a consultation into the problem last summer, but Bolt believes it has been allowed to drift since without a resolution.

Bolt argued in the letter the current system was a “postcode lottery,” where VAT is applied at varying rates depending on business models and geography.

Emily Dalton, head of UK operations at Bolt, said: “The continued uncertainty over VAT on private hire journeys is harming the UK’s economic growth – holding back vital investment and innovation in the UK.

“The private hire industry is a key part of the UK’s transport network, relied upon by millions of people every week. If the Government presses ahead with this ‘taxi tax’, it will drive up fares, reduce transport options, and hurt those who depend on these services the most.”

The Treasury was approached for comment.

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IDFIMH

Still on £230.

You would have thought that the sheer embarrassment would make them take the crowdfunding request down.

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IDFIMH

Anyone seen that open letter sent to the Chancellor from "forty-five of the UK’s leading taxi and private hire vehicle operators", apparently co-ordinated by Veezu and Bolt?

(Can't be particularly open if, in the days of the internet etc, it can't be easily found.)

TaxiPoint has the most detailed article about it I can find, and some interesting features about the list of signatories

1 It's co-ordinated by Bolt and Veezu, thus demonstrating the cross-over between the 'ride-hailing' side of the industry, and the legacy sector, as represented by Veezu

2 The limited list provided by TaxiPoint suggests that it includes HC circuits, or at least circuits including HCs

3 TaxiPoint also says that the list includes providers in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Which maybe underlines what I was saying a year or two ago now - all the blather was about the private hire legislation in England, as if the VAT question had zero relevance to HC circuits, nor to other parts of the UK.

But was it ever going to just be relevant to PHVs but not HCs on the same circuit, or not to Scotland because the booking office legislation is slightly different? Perhaps the signatories to the list underline what I was saying at the time

This is the list and text provided by TaxiPoint - the headline is that 45 providers signed the letter, but further down the article the number has increased to 52, and that's the number reported in the mainstream press - maybe TaxiPoint added VAT to the figure

Anyway, this is the link to the full TaxiPoint piece, and the list of signatories:

https://www.taxi-point.co.uk/post/forty ... -vat-threa

TaxiPoint has a peice with one of the Delta/Veezu PR people.

Seems that the plan now is to scaremonger.

https://www.taxi-point.co.uk/post/supre ... s-push-for

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IDFIMH

I see someone has recently donated £100 to the crowdfunder, so it's now at £330 after six weeks or so

"In solidarity from a retired Canadian cabbie." Says it all, really

Had forgotten about this, but have seen adverts for it recently on random websites I've been visting, which have nothing to do with the trade (I'd guess it's that Google ads thing where it's targetted via the stuff you search for etc )

Anyway, that's almost three months now, and it's still stuck on £330

So the last donation must have been towards the end of April

Still three weeks until it closes, so still plenty of time to make that big donation

https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/protectfares/

Pitiful.

Absolutely pitiful.

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IDFIMH

to be expected why should everyday joe's crowdfund big business ?

I'm sure the owners of Veezu and delta aren't short of a few bob,so, if this is for their benefit they should fund it !

after all would you crowdfund ubers legal battles ?

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