Taxi Driver Online

Worcester taxi chiefs say enough is enough



ANGRY taxi drivers in Worcester have pleaded with the city council to stop issuing licences while a detailed review into the rocketing number of cabs on the city’s roads takes place.

Members of Worcester Taxi Association called for action after new figures showed the number of council-licensed Hackney Carriages has more than doubled in the past decade, while the number of private hire taxis remains largely unchanged.

Just 102 Hackney Carriages were on the road when the last survey into the demand for cabs in Worcester was carried out in 2001.

But at a meeting on Wednesday (February 20) members of the city council’s licensing committee were told 217 were now on the road.

Members agreed a new survey into current demand was now needed but it can only be commissioned with the backing of taxi drivers.

Lesley Borthwick from the association told councillors they would help pay for the survey, but only if a freeze on issuing new licences was introduced.

“The Hackney Carriage plates should have been capped at 102 back in 2001. Back then we paid £13,000 for the survey to be done to determine demand,” she said.

“Since then the number of licences has rocketed and there are some nights where the city is brought to a standstill because of the amount of cars now out there.”

Mrs Borthwick said the association wanted to retain the ‘knowledge test’ of the city’s roads for drivers to ensure the highest standards of service to passengers.

Licensing committee chairman Coun Paul Denham backed the 2001 survey and said even back then 102 licensed taxis felt like the right number for the city.

“It seems to me that if any survey was carried out this year then unmet demand for taxi’s would certainly be proved this time,” he said.

His view was echoed by Coun Richard Udall (Lab, St John’s) who said there were too many taxis on the road, especially in evenings when queues of cabs can stretch up Foregate Street.

But licensing officer Carl Phillips said: “It’s my opinion you cannot suspend issuing Hackney Carriage plates while this survey is taking place.

“For me, we would not be sitting here if we had not introduced rear-entrance vehicles. Since they arrived we have licensed a further 19 vehicles and that, in my opinion, is where the problem is."

“A number of local authorities are concerned about the number of taxis on their roads but the only way to start to look at the issue is through an unmet demand survey.”

Further discussions are set to take place between the association and Worcester City Council on a way forward.


Read more: http://www.worcesterstandard.co.uk/2013 ... 63938.html

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

http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/loc ... r/?ref=rss

same story

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

half right - the rear loaders would make a huge difference because they're throw away cabs - it wouldn't surprise me to find out if the rear loaders were licensed because the 'trade' wanted them (thicko's).

There's court cases saying you can stop issuing licenses whilst a survey is taking place - from memory one of the Middlesborough cases.

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

http://committee.cityofworcester.gov.uk ... ee.pdf?T=1

I did say didnt I?

The licensing section had received a letter from Lesley Borthwick, representing the taxi trade, and signed petition containing 162 signatures, welcoming the introduction of a rear access wheelchair accessible vehicle.

I wonder is that is the same person from Worcester - representing taxi drivers who is mentioned in the above article who's quoted as saying;

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

2 questions wtf have they been doing for 10 years answer fekk all mugs

and whose this geezer making these statements which appear to be conflicting

Same old story amateurs allowing the trade to disintegrate and then resorting to begging, mind the Labour man looks like he could be an ally suggest they get hold of the GMB lively now

_________________
All posts by this contributor are made in a strictly personal capacity

I AM PROUD TO BE A CITIZEN NOBODY'S SUBJECT http://www.republic.org.u

F88K EM ALL WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND

BOOZE BOOZE BOOZE

Sounds like a bit of old sauce here?

wanking sauce

_________________
All posts by this contributor are made in a strictly personal capacity

I AM PROUD TO BE A CITIZEN NOBODY'S SUBJECT http://www.republic.org.u

F88K EM ALL WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND

BOOZE BOOZE BOOZE

I feckin hate rear loaders with a passion. Whoever decided to let ALDI's taxis on the road wants fecking.

What a tvvat. When you open the doors to rear loaders you might as well shut up shop because within a year the trade willbe fecked.

But saloons are ok, eh nidge?

_________________

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

Of course, they're safer than putting a wheelchair user in the crumple zone of a vehicle like a rear loader.

Do the doors of a side loader not get affected by a rear end shunt?
Are there any statistics available to show how many wheelchair customers have be stuck in taxis as a result of an accident?

_________________
Grandad,

There's nothing quite as hypocritical as a saloon taxi driver lecturing WAV taxi drivers about what kind of WAVs they should be compelled to buy.
Especially when it's unsubstantiated b*llsh*t.

_________________

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

So if a rear loader get @rse ended and mullers the doors how do you get the wheelchair and passenger out? They can't climb over the folded seats because they're in a wheelchair.

I've driven a WAV before, a proper on with side loading doors on the nearside kerb, not on the back loading ones from the road. Read the RAJAR report on rear loading WAV's, they don't like them neither do some of the diabled groups.

What would you buy a £10,000 rear loader that's good for nothing or a £25,000 motor that does the job correctly and has two escape doors in the event of a rear end shunt?

Come on common sense will prevail on this one.

I don't know about vehicles like the TX range but with most modern vehicles, the whole shell is a crumple zone. so the force from a rear end shunt will be disipated over the whole vehicle leaving the passenger compartment in tact. The panels that crumple include the doors. They are designed to crumple in an accident.

_________________
Grandad,