Taxi Driver Online

Gloucester councillors to inspect taxi-driver's car in appeal hearing



A five-year-old car may be given a thorough once over by councillors in Gloucester this evening to see if it is suitable to carry passengers.

The members who sit on Gloucester City Council's licensing committee are meeting tonight and on the agenda is an appeal by a city taxi driver against a refusal of a license to drive a taxi.

Rubina Patel has been a licensed taxi driver in Gloucester since September 2014.

She has appealed against the refusal to grant her a taxi licence for her 2011-plate Peugeot 3008.

The refusal was made because the car is older than five years old and the city council's policy states that taxis will not be licensed if they are older than five years.

But Mrs Patel has appealed and said that the car is in excellent condition, and only exceeds the cut-off date by a few months.

Her letter of appeal to the council said: "When I went to purchase this vehicle on June 26 2016, unfortunately the garage did not have the log book. As the car is a 2011 plate I incorrectly assumed it would be satisfactory under the council's five year criteria and I made a mistake by not checking the registration date.

"I have part-exchanged my Mercedes C-Class for this newer vehicle and paid additional monies on top for this as it is much more spacious and comfortable – ideal for customers especially on longer vehicles.

"I can honestly say this was a genuine mistake and oversight on my part. I am not in a position financially to part exchange this car again as I will end up losing over £1,500."

The licensing committee meeting will begin at 6pm in the Civic Suite at the council offices at North Warehouse in Gloucester Docks.

Mrs Patel will bring her car along for inspection by the councillors before they make their decision.

Read more at http://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/gl ... 2uJkLbG.99

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

Councillors give green light to 'over-age' private hire car



A taxi-driver who specialises in driving female customers late at night around Gloucestershire is glad she'll be able to get back on the road.

When Rubina Patel bought a 2011-plated Peugeot 3008 a few months ago she thought it was less than five years old, which meant that, subject to all the other checks, she could get it licensed for private hire by Gloucester City Council.

But when she applied for a licence it was found that the car was five years and four months old and therefore, under the council's policy, it could only be licenced by a special meeting of the licensing committee.

The policy is that officers can grant a licence for a car under five years old and that car, subject to passing its annual licensing inspections, can continue to be used for private hire until it is 10 years old.

But a car brought for licensing for the first time after its fifth 'birthday' can only be licensed by the councillors on the committee.

Before discussions the councillors were able to inspect the car brought to the council offices by Mrs Patel.

Councillor Said Hansdot (Lab, Barton and Tredworth) said: "We don't want to set a precedent for the future, even though the car is only four months over the cut-off date."

Council officers Richard Barrett and Darren Mountford explained that the committee had once previously given a license in such circumstances to a car that was significantly older than Mrs Patel's and that no precedent would be set by the committee, each case brought before it is to be considered individually.

Councillors seemed reassured when they learned that private hire vehicles could operate until they were 10 years old, and that they were checked and tested every year for license renewal.

They voted by six votes to two to grant Mrs Patel the licence.

After the meeting she said: "I'm very happy they made that decision. It was totally my mistake, the oversight on the date of the car, but I think the councillors have been sensible. They could see it's in very good condition and if it had been four months younger they'd have licensed it without question.

"I have two kids and my mother living with me and I'm the only one earning, so it's been tough, I've been about 4 weeks off the road. I mainly drive young women around late at night because they feel safe with me, so that's sort of a service for women in Gloucester."

Read more at http://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/co ... B3qVewd.99

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

prepare for the flood gates to open !

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

Why?

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Grandad,

if they make an exception for this one they have to for ALL others who ask for it and they will

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

No they don't. The rules are quite clear that each application is determined on it's own merits.

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Grandad,

if they make an exception for this one they have to for ALL others who ask for it and they will
No they don't. The rules are quite clear that each application is determined on it's own merits.

and they can all cite this one as an example of what was passed in if they meet the same criteria ?

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

grandad is correct - they take each application on its own merits - a breach of law would have been a blanket 'no'

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