Taxi Driver Online

I can't remember which of the large London cab firms it is (either Radio Taxis or Dial a Cab), but one has already got the Mercs operating as 'PH' vehicles now.

Have the PCO stopped them, well they can't at the mo do anything, cos they don't allow Mercs as HC, or have any criteria for PH vehicles.

Will they do anything if things changed. I don't think at the mo they have any idea about anything.

sorry but these are week arguments, in many parts of this country, and some parts of the world, the 2 codes use the same vehicles albit one is a different colour though I am sure you will find that merc will dedicate a vehicle to the taxi trade.

by the way the queens husband drives around london in a battered lti, simon hughes mp drives around london in a battered lti, the security services have ltis in london, and the city mayor has an lti
lets not pretend they are all used as taxis.

Wharfie

But Wharfie I think you will find it is a common ruling throughout most of the UK that you can't licence an LTI or Metrocab vehicle as a Private Hire.

Now a vito conversion without the taxi hood but still with the bulkhead wouldn't be disqualified to my knowledge.

But if it became recognised as 'a London style cab' that would almost certainly change.

I think that particular genie is out of the bottle.

As many councils currently license Mercs, Euros, Caravelles etc I can't see them changing their policies in relation to PH vehicles.

Especially if PH drivers mention the DDA, and get the local disabled association behind them.

I think that most councils would luv more PH drivers licensing PH WAVs, so the chances of them stopping it, is in my opinion very slim.

Unless perhaps, in a mandatory WAV council.

So if the TXs are say £10,000 more than the Euro 7 or the like, and according to the transport reaseach people, in London they only use the benefit of the turning circle once every four days.

That then means if you keep your vehicle for 10 years, every time you use the turning circle, it costs you more than £10 a turn.

Plus the tyre damage!!!

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There is Significant Unmet Demand for my Opinion.

Hi All,

Quite why anyone would deny owners of taxis in London the Freedom of Choice in the purchasing of a vehicle, built solely for the purpose of carrying passengers, is a mystery. A vested interest one could perhaps understand, but any view from a vested interest has to be seen for what it is, and no doubt will be seen as more than a bit biased.

Perhaps they cannot face up to, or want any real competition, and so artificial impediments as to what should constitute the basis for a licensed taxi in London, seems to have been the method employed. The Transport Research Laboratory in a specially designed review for TfL/PCO doesn't support this unrealistic specification of a 25ft turning circle. It seems we are being told 'You must do what we think is good for you.' That, quite frankly is not good enough. We deserve better than this.

The qualities of the vehicles should speak for themselves, in terms of price, servicing, running costs, fuel conservation, environment friendly, passenger & driver comfort and perhaps other considerations. The 'icon' or identity factor is a misnomer and does not stand any sensible scrutiny.

The vehicles that do not compare well to these points will soon lose ground in the market place, where a fair, open and honest competitive system should prevail, where everyone, except perhaps an existing vested interest, should benefit.

The PCO Report, following the TRL Report, seemed just to echo the lobbying views of LTI and did not reflect the views of those who see their vehicles as being 'forced' upon them in a way that is unfair and should have no place in a free society.

The PCO seem to have got it badly wrong and their previous Report should be overturned and discarded by this 2nd review, as being 'unfit for the purpose.'

We in London want no more than the Freedom of Choice' and what is wrong with that simple request?

If you don't want one of the new alternative PBVs - don't buy one! But please don't stand in the way of someone else wanting to benefit from such a freedom and sharing it with the public. Most of the points in favour of keeping out the newer vehicles appear to be just sheer prejudice and are often puerile. They don't seem to want one, but don't want anybody else to be able to get one. A somewhat twisted form of logic.

This is 2003 - not 1907 (when, incidentally, one could buy a taxi from probably 12 different manufacturers in London).

Regards,

Cruisin' Cabby

Mr Cruisin, I feel you are being too polite in calling them vested interests. Perhaps a better phase would be 'in the pocket of'.

Why is it that most of the trade mags, seem to miss all the anti LTI stories, whilst being ablaze with all the pro LTI stories. Surely it has nothing to do with the fact that LTI spend tens of thousands a year on advertising in those mags, does it?

But what are a significant number of London drivers asking for, a choice. Heaven forbid, they wish to have the same opportunities to buy vehicles, that are on sale up and down the country. But the unions, and those in the pocket don't want a choice to be had.

If the alternatives are deemed to be crap, guess what? they wont sell. However if they are a success, then the London boys will buy them, and what on earth is wrong with that?

well no it aint the power of advertising alone, when an anti LTI story comes up they go and buy (or if they are free collect) all the rags.

by the way have they sponsored taxi and private hire forums cos the thought police are taking over there too?

Wharfie

So Mr Cruisin' Cabby, if you had the choice, would you like to run a saloon car as a London cabby (I'm assuming ).

Dusty

Cor, you old wind up merchant !!!!

Not at all Andy - if you take 'freedom of choice' to its ultimate conclusion, then you generally come back to saloon cars.

It's a truism - if purpose built taxis are neither specified nor subsidised then they simply won't exist in many locations.

I suspect that most people prefer the status quo - ie if they've got saloons, then they want to keep them, if they've got PBs, then they want to keep them. Another point as regards the latter is that where PBs are specified then there's always a significant PH sector, and usually a divided trade as a consequence, so retaining PBs helps to differentiate the two, which is always a good thing as far as the HC side is concerned.

The question is largely hypothetical of course, since it ain't gonna happen, but I just wanted to know how far Mr Cruisin' Cabby's concept of 'freedom of choice' went.

Dusty

Well I have never worked out why one driver is obliged to buy a vehicle for between 20 and 35 grand, yet his colleague, who charges the same meter rate, can get away with paying between 10 and 15 grand.

What's wrong with that Andy?

In my manor some are driving 20K motors, while others have bought theirs for a few hundred pounds.

That's why I favour an age rule, that is an age rule that is, not one that isn't!

Dusty

couldnt be com cab could it? surely not dial a cab?

Wharfie