Taxi Driver Online

A HIGH Court judge says an urgent review of taxi trade law is needed to stop an invasion of drivers using cheap licences in North-East towns.

The cost of licensing taxis in Berwick-upon-Tweed is far lower than many other areas and a sharp increase in hackney carriages bearing the town’s plates has led to tension among drivers.

Stockton Borough Council has led the complaints, pointing out that its officers have no power over cabs registered outside its boundaries.

Berwick cabs can operate in other North-East towns and cities on pre-booked journeys.

However, if they “stand or ply for hire” outside their place of registration, they are committing an offence.

Council officers swooped on two cabbies parked in Stockton’s Tower Street car park last year.

Drivers Habib Hussain and Gholamreza Zamanian, and taxi operator Alan Fidler, who trades as Tees Valley Cabs, were prosecuted for alleged breaches of licensing laws, but all three were cleared by a District Judge.

That ruling triggered a test case at the High Court, which Lord Justice Munby said was of “great significance” to the taxi trade, local authorities up and down the country and the public.

After pointing out the widespread confusion and conflicts in the law on hackney carriages, the judges said “consideration and review by Parliament” is desperately needed.

The judges recognised the legal distinction between hackney carriages and “private hire vehicles” – commonly known as minicabs – and upheld the “inherent right of the hackney carriage proprietor to undertake prebooked hirings anywhere in England and Wales”.

Councillor Steve Nelson, Stockton Borough Council’s cabinet member for housing and community safety, said: “This issue limits our ability to ensure public safety by regulating the taxi trade.”

Darlington taxi driver George Jenkinson said: “We see hackney carriages from Berwick in Darlington all the time. There used to be a queue of people waiting for taxis, now there is a queue of taxis and no people. We are losing money.”

source: http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/

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

how do i get a berwick plate and badge?

You have to invent a new local authority called Berwick.....it dont exist anymore and is now part of Northumberland.

CC

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

can i get a plate for Estapona and trade here under EU fair competition rules?

you could try

CC

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

tony blairs missus does human rights cases dont she?

oh i forgot, im a taxi driver, so ive no rights....


(not at all bitter tho)

Nuff said.

_________________
IDFIMH

Despite what the Judge said, will Parliamentary time be found to actually do the job?

I fear that IoL proposition or something like it will be seen as the "quick fix" and the time, which we all know it deserves will not be taken.

_________________
Chris The Fish

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gdlyi5mc ... re=related

The sun will still rise in the morning (except here where it never rises)

CC

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

But will it rise on an all new Act of Parliament which is a total feed of chutney. (Even in Carlisle.)

_________________
Chris The Fish

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gdlyi5mc ... re=related

No

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

It might do.

But a new act might mean a lot of things changing which some, if not most, don't quite appreciate.

Like taxi restrictions.

_________________
IDFIMH

It will only happen if it becomes a major issue at the next general election i.e. if the tv documentary chaps and news media start covering it in depth and that might be quite a bad thing all round as it would frighten punters away

It won't happen!!

Why?

Because political timing is everything.

And at the moment the time is completely wrong.

The main political fish in the fryer at the moment & for the next few years is the economy, benefit cuts, cuts to this that & the other!!

Do you really think that HC & PH legislation will be at all important to any politicain in the next few years?

Is a politician likely to make a name for himself by championing HC & PH legislation during the next few years or is he more likely to make a name for himself by pinning his flag to an economic matter irrespective of which side of the political devide he is on?

By the time they get round to even looking at this, the hullabaloo will have long, long gone!!

_________________
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.

If you remember last year the MP for Milton Keynes had a private members bill on this matter, it was talked about on here. The night before it was to be debated he pulled out, without any explanation. Methinks this will never see light of day.