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Taxi drivers in Nottingham could face penalty points and even have their licences revoked



Taxi drivers could be given penalty points for 10 offences including turning off the meter or parking badly in Nottingham.

The city council is considering introducing what it has dubbed a Driver Improvement Penalty Point Scheme.

Drivers say it would mean "double punishment" but the council says it will improve driving standards.

Councillors will debate the idea at Nottingham City Council's regulatory and appeals committee on Tuesday September 6.

Kaleem Ashraf, chairman of the Nottingham branch of union Unite, represents unionised hackney carriage drivers. He said: "We haven't been consulted yet, but we are happy to speak to the council and raise our concerns.

"They are trying to reduce the number of hackney drivers but are portraying it as improvement.

"And if they do bring it in they need to enforce it 24/7, unless it will just be targeting hackney drivers or develop into a game of cat and mouse."

There are currently 411 hackney cabs and over 1,000 private hire vehicles licensed in Nottingham.

Mr Ashraf said: "There's only about 80 or 90 hackney spaces, so if everyone came out at the same time it would be chaos. We've been asking for more spaces for years.

"And the night time economy is changing, so we need to move with that but the council need to work with us rather than making it as difficult as possible."

Under the proposed scheme, drivers can receive up to twelve points over a three-year rolling period before their licence will be reviewed. If they exceed twelve points, action will be taken, up to and including suspending or revoking their licence.

Points could be given out for "driving a vehicle in an unroadworthy condition", "failure to convey passengers in a safe and responsible manner", "parking a vehicle in contravention of parking restrictions" or "failure to use taxi meter for journeys within prescribed distance".

4 pts - Failure to use Taxi Meter for journeys within prescribed distance
4 pts - Refusal to accept hiring without reasonable cause
4 pts - Failure to display driver badge and/or wear identification badge
6 pts - Driving a vehicle in an unroadworthy condition
4 pts - Parking a vehicle in contravention of parking restrictions
4 pts - Failure to display signs or plates correctly, or displaying unauthorised signs
6 pts - Obstruction / failure to comply with reasonable request made by Authorised Officers or Police Officers
6 pts - Failure to convey passengers in a safe and responsible manner
6 pts - Unacceptable behaviour towards members of public, Authorised Officers or Police Officers
4 pts - Failure to comply with any other Nottingham City Council combined drivers and vehicle licence condition not included above

Kevin Clarke director at private hire firm NG11 Cars, said: "They are trying to make the city centre a completely car free zone.

"I don't condone any drivers that fly around the roads but if they park badly or drive badly they will get points on their drivers licence. Giving them separate points on their taxi licence is a double punichment."

As licensing authority, the council says it is "keen to see the sector survive and thrive as part of the city's widely-admired sustainable transport network" and says the DIPP Scheme will help make that happen in the next five years.

Other ideas being considered include restriction of granting licences to potential cabbies with driving offences on their record and temporary licence suspensions if taxis enter restricted streets.

Portfolio holder for business, growth and transport, Councillor Nick McDonald, said: "Taxis are an important part of the city's widely-acclaimed transport network and we need to be sure they are fit for purpose in the modern world.

"The proposal to introduce a Driver Improvement Penalty Point Scheme helps to reassure passengers that there are minimum standards among licensed taxis in Nottingham aimed primarily at ensuring they get a good, safe service, while reminding taxi drivers of the responsibilities and standards expected of them.

"This is part of a broader strategy to bring local taxis up to standards that the travelling public expect and connect them more effectively with other parts of our local transport network."

A council spokesman added: "Taxi driver representatives came to us two years ago asking for us to consider introducing a points system and as we've looked into it we've had various discussions and meetings with them about it.

"However as the enforcing authority, it is appropriate that the we determine the details of the scheme."

Read more at http://www.nottinghampost.com/taxi-driv ... oDvZUlw.99

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

wot a LA without a points system

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

Note that they say "For failure to comply with any other Nottingham City Council combined drivers and vehicle license condition not included above"

This alone should be the starting point of objections,get rid of the combined drivers license,conditions cannot be attached to a TAXI(hackney carriage)driver license,control of driver is through enforcement of BYE-LAWS.

If Taxi drivers agreed to this combined license,then join an organisation(N.T.A.) who are trying to stop licensing authorities abusing their powers in issuing this non existent license.

we have the same clause in our point system i objected but to no avail

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

Same here, they pushed it through though.

Scheme to penalise Nottingham cabbies for bad driving is delayed



​The introduction of a scheme which could see taxi drivers have their licences taken off them for various misdemeanours has been delayed.

The city council is looking at introducing a 'Driver Improvement Penalty Point Scheme' which could see licences revoked if drivers racked up enough points.

Points would be given out for a range of offences such as 'failing to convey passengers in a safe and responsible manner', 'refusal to accept hiring without reasonable cause', and 'unacceptable behaviour towards members of public, authorised officers or Police Officers'.

Each offence would be worth between four and six points, and any driver who reached 12 points in a three-year rolling period could have their licence revoked.

But at a meeting of the council's regulatory and appeals committee today, Tuesday, a decision on the scheme - part of a proposed Enforcement, Convictions and Fitness Policy looking at whether a driver is a fit and proper person - was pushed back, as councillors were unable to agree on the details of the points system.

Wollaton East and Lenton Abbey councillor, Sally Longford, agreed with parts of the new policy, as many of her constituents are students including women who take taxis late at night. She said: "It's vital to have the highest standards, especially in terms of safety."

But Mohammed Ibrahim, councillor for Berridge Ward, said: "The points system is not reasonable – a driver can get 12 points in one week. This is not proportionate.

"More and more drivers are going from Nottingham City Council to Gedling and Rushcliffe, and I know this because they are asking me for references. When I ask them why they are leaving, they tell me it's because it's easier for them in other places."

Wollaton West councillor, Jim Armstrong, agreed, saying: "The points system puts an additional burden on taxi drivers, as their licences are already regulated by law enforcement."

Under the proposed scheme, drivers can receive up to 12 points over a three-year rolling period before their taxi licence will be reviewed. If they exceed 12 points, action will be taken, up to and including suspending or revoking their licence.

Kaleem Ashraf, chairman of the Nottingham branch of union Unite, said: "I represent the interest of 700 hardworking local drivers. Unite is calling for an independent comprehensive review of taxi policy in the city. Time after time, the Council without proper consultation has introduced policy and regulations which don't take a holistic approach, thus setting the taxi up to fail."

Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner Paddy Tipping is supporting the cabbies' call for a review. "There's been some discussion about setting up a commission to look at the problems drivers face," he said. "Those discussions are ongoing."

The city council is the Licensing Authority responsible for both hackney carriage and private hire drivers within its boundaries. There are currently over 400 hackney cabs and over 1,000 private hire vehicles licensed in Nottingham.

Last month, the taxi rank that had previously been on Station Street was moved to Trent Street, as part of a £1.64 million regeneration scheme. But drivers say that despite 150 of the city's 411 Hackney Carriage Licence holders being based around the station, only 32 spaces have been provided on Trent Street.

Nottingham City Council will hold another meeting in six to eight weeks to discuss the proposed scheme .

Portfolio Holder for Business, Growth and Transport, Councillor Nick McDonald, said: "I think the scheme is proportionate and I stand by it. Ultimately, the committee will have to make their own independent decision."

Read more at http://www.nottinghampost.com/councillo ... TWQZAe6.99

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