Taxi Driver Online

Stockport Council Meeting 26 Aug.

From de-reg day to re-reg day.

Managed growth.

At the licensing meeting it was pointed out that Stockport was in effect still a de-regulated authority. Cllr Sheila Bailey was the lone voice who gave a full and frank account of the situation we were in and how we arrived there. She alone pointed out that the MORI poll was not an unmet demand survey. She tabled a proposal that the committee followed the results of the unmet demand survey from TPI, which showed there was no unmet demand.

However Cllr Gordon and several Lib/Dem Cllr's stated that they had to take into account representations from licensed hack drivers who had expressed a wish to own their own cab rather than continue to rent. They then passed their own proposal to grant five new licenses a year for the next three years.

Cllr Stella Humphreys (Heald Green) said she read every single letter sent and stated she now felt closer to the drivers and their problems.

Cllr Gordon also promised to improve taxi ranks in the borough (bearing in mind) that new ranks alone will not bring more passengers) he went on to say a new criteria would be adopted at a future meeting prior to any new licenses being issued.

In an ideal world, no new licenses would be issued, however, the majority of the trade realise that this was a reasonable compromise. If the Councillors and officers of the licensing work together with the trade, everyone will benefit in the long run.

The most embarrassing part of the night was the one or two clowns who felt it neccessary to shout out nonsense at the meeting.

Source = Stockportstation Blog (a rather good site)

I seem to remember saying that Stockport had some extremely good trade reps....

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

Not quite sure those words are ever applicable to the taxi/PH trade.

Apart from one place that is.

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IDFIMH