Taxi Driver Online

Cardiff taxi drivers angered by council's plans to increase licence fee


Cardiff's cabbies have vowed to fight a council plan to double their annual licence fees to almost £450, claiming the hike will leave some facing bankruptcy.

Taxi drivers berated councillors at County Hall after a committee voted to increase the annual hackney carriage vehicle renewal fee from £230 to £435 from June.

By comparison, the private hire vehicles renewal charge will drop from £230 to £97.

A host of new fees are also planned, including £30 for a driver’s first two oral knowledge test; £19 for the written knowledge test, £15 for replacement plates and a £26 admin charge for change of vehicle.

There was cries of “you’re robbing us” from cabbies who packed the public gallery, with one shouting: “You are going to make 900 drivers bankrupt – that is all you are going to do.”

Public Protection Committee chairman Derrick Morgan, however, stressed the decision was only the start of a consultation which will last 28 days.

Should objections be received, the fee rise will be delayed to give trade representatives the chance to put their concerns to councillors ahead of a second vote.

The council’s head of regulatory and supporting services Dave Holland said the fees had not increased since 2009. The proposed increases, he said, would cover the cost to the council of operating the licensing regime.

It was not outlined in the meeting what the deficit is, but Mr Holland said: “We need to get to a point where the licensing regime operates properly.

“This will be the first time that the fees have been set following this process.”

Capital Cabs company secretary Sharyn Donnachie said contrary to officers’ calculations that the taxi trade costs the council money, she had calculated that the fees generated a £714,000 surplus over the past three years.

“So you can afford to give every driver a free licence this year,” Ms Donnachie told the committee.

She said the council’s figures had been “manipulated to maximise the charges”, saying drivers should not be expected to cover the cost of taxi rank marshals who are there to serve the public.

Coun Morgan said approving the fee increase was “the quickest way forward” as it allowed the trade to submit their views to the council.

He told protesting cabbies: “We are not here to punish taxi drivers. Your trade has now got the right to make representation against the figures in that package.”

It also emerged yesterday that some taxi trade representatives had last month launched legal action against the council.

On March 1, members of the trade made an application for a judicial review in the High Court challenging the current set of council fees and those of previous years.


Read more: Wales Online http://www.walesonline.co.uk/cardiffonl ... z2Q2U10uS8

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

If Cardiff's taxi trade are going to go bankrupt for a couple of hundred quid they really are in a sh*t state Why do drivers make such feckwit comments?

The increase of 100% is out of order - the councils lack of increasing fees for 4 years is a factor here - did the taxi trade raise concern over the 4 years there was no increase - and how can the council basically say for 4 years there is no need to increase fees then put them up 100% ?

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

At least they have this bit right not like our council.

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Grandad,

I sense you're really quite upset with your council

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

Only a little bit.

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Grandad,

I'm not convinced taxi marshals would be viewed as a 'reasonable' cost by the courts.

The lady is right, the bill should be met by the police or the council or even the government, but not the trade.

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IDFIMH

It is a silly comment on the surface; Having said that an increase from 450 hacks to 967 + the recession has decimated trade in the City. We have approx 27/28,000 students in the City, take them away and you could be forgiven for thinking does anyone else live in Cardiff..........excepting Saturday night that has held up so far. Cardiff is a smashing City, unfortunately not a rich City in terms of quality jobs........it is full of minimum wage/retail pay cheques - that just about covers one decent night out per week.




Since when would you go along to someone and say I should pay you more?

In any event as mentioned in my first lines, the hackney numbers alone had gone up from 450 to 967, that alone has doubled their income!! On top of that you have P.H and also I would think fees from Pubs/Clubs etc etc.




A very good point! The trade have not had a decent tariff increase in the past 7/8 years. I am sure that they would not allow us 100% increase to make up for it.

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

You miss my point - fees are reviewed every so often - in most areas its each year.

Now all of a sudden there's a massive 100% increase despite no increase for 4 years - I smell a rat because in my view - a certain department has been negligent for 4 years - and the cab trade is partially to blame.

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

To a degree I understand what you are saying, having said that I would never invite them to take money off of me. I pointed out that their income had over a period of 5/6 years doubled due to the hackney numbers alone going up from 450 to 967. The income alone from just the hacks @£230 generates £222,410.00. P.A. The income that they are now saying that they require is £420,645.00 again from just the hacks..............you have P.H on top of that with pubs/clubs also contributing - a break down of costs are needed from the last 8-10 years showing as to how costs inclusive of salaries have risen.

Let us be fair,how much does it actually cost to deal with licensing issues. Perhaps if a call went out nationally, to centralise all licensing issues (A smaller DVLA styled operation) then all of our fees should come out a lot more sensible and would make them think twice about trying it on at every given opportunity.

A real strange one here is that they are proposing to drop (no axe to grind) P.H from £230 to £97.00!! There must be in excess of 2000 of them so I cannot see the logic - you either have a deficit that you all deal with, because it affects all.......or you do not. If it is Taxi Marshall costs, then the pubs and clubs have to pick the tab up on that one as we did not ask for it to be implemented.

An easy out on that one would be for all taxis to boycott those ranks on a Friday and Saturday night......as much chance of that happening as seeing pigs fly.

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

Cardiff cabbies sheep shagging gutless cretins get stuffed GOOD let it be a lesson to other areas you grovel your serville you get shagged GOOD and proper he he BAAAAA

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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 wait with baited breath that you might one day come out with something sensible

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

Do you realise how many people you alienate from the union cause by saying such things?

Or do you care?

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IDFIMH

I cant understand why the high increase for hc,yet a big drop for ph ?

They aren't paying for marshals, or maybe they were and someone has complained, hence the reduction or rebate.

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IDFIMH

or read the Guildford case - or maybe the 1976 act - or maybe even the ph trade queried paying for HC surveys?

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