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Cab drivers label council refund system "unrealistic" after administrative blunder



Cab drivers label council refund system "unrealistic" after administrative blunder

A TAXI operator says the system Colchester Council has put in place for cabbies to claim refunds is “unrealistic”.

In July, the council admitted it owed more than £200,000 to drivers after unlawfully increasing operators’ fees for the last six years.

Now licensing bosses are asking drivers and operators to produce paperwork for every individual licence they have received in that time in order to get a refund.

Christie Wettasinghe, who runs Hawaii Five-O cab firm, criticised the council for making it too difficult to claim back what money cabbies are owed.

“The council is being unrealistic in what it is asking us to provide,” said Mr Wettasinghe.

“The reality is there are drivers who are going to be missing out because, firstly, they don’t know they are entitled to it, or they don’t know how to claim the money back.

“We have lost by the looks of things.”

Money is owed to drivers because Colchester Council did not properly advertise the increase in licence fees.

If drivers believe they are due a refund, they must fill in one claim form for each vehicle or operator licence.

Mr Wettasinghe added: “The council has its own records, it will know who is owed what, in exactly the same way the Inland Revenue know if you have paid too much or too little tax.

“You don’t have to chase that, you just get a cheque in the mail.”

A Colchester Council spokeswoman said: “The council have been working closely with representatives of the Colchester Hackney Carriage Association and the Private Hire Vehicle trade to agree the process by which the refunds due will be repaid.”

The £200,000 will be shared between the borough’s 1,390 licensed drivers.

Each should receive at least £150.
source: http://www.chelmsfordweeklynews.co.uk/n ... e_blunder/

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

Why? the council should already be privy to that information.

same situation here, as a 1 man/1 car PH i couldnt be arsed but the LA already had the info, its a pishtake to request i go back 5 years AND provide proof...

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

That is exactly the response they are hoping for.....

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http://wingsoverscotland.com/ http://www.newsnetscotland.com/

The information should be easily available to any driver or operator. You have to keep your accounts for 6 years by law. All the receipts should be there. Just play the council at their own game and provide them with the info.

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Grandad,

You are quite correct! having said that the Council also have records and should stop delaying paying the money.

The simplicity of it is that they must have records! otherwise how can they check what you/I claim, if/when the claims are put before them?

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if you cannot be yourself, then who can you be.

Of course the council have the records but they are just trying to make it harder for people to claim the money back in the hope that they don't bother.

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Grandad,

Well clearly not closely enough.

FFS stop messing around and give the lads the money back, it was taken unlawfully you know.

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IDFIMH

Or each driver should request the council give them all the details they have on them, as allowed under The Data Protection Act. I think the fee is £7.

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IDFIMH

I do have the paperwork, ive just got better things to do, like how to get a review of the mileage limit for use of a PH vehicle

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most