Taxi Driver Online

Taxi drivers fear safety risk for passengers and loss of business as out of town cabbies move in

Taxi drivers are engaged in a turf war in Cheltenham with local drivers calling on the council to introduce measures to prevent out-of-town cabs from taking their business. John Dibbs, a Cheltenham cabby of 41 years, is urging the council to address the issue of growing numbers of cabbies operating in the town with out-of-town licenses. He claims the biggest offenders are Tewkesbury taxi drivers who ply their trade in Cheltenham because "that's where the money is".

John says the reason we are seeing more Tewkesbury taxis on Cheltenham's roads is because the Tewkesbury licence is easier to apply for, being subject to less stringent rules and conditions than its Cheltenham counterpart. According to John, the Tewkesbury taxi licence is also much easier and cheaper to obtain than the Cheltenham equivalent, leading more cabbies to opt for the Tewkesbury plates.

He claims that up to 40 per cent of taxis now operating in Cheltenham are doing so under Tewkesbury licenses. John says this is not only unfair competition but also bad news for passengers. John said: "The problem is that Tewkesbury vehicles aren't of the same test standards as they are in Cheltenham and there isn't the same background checks for drivers.

"One driver we know of had his license revoked in Cheltenham but he went and got a Tewkesbury license and is now back working in Cheltenham again. "We don't know why his license was revoked. But it must have been for a good reason. Now he's back behind the wheel plying for hire in Cheltenham and this presents a safety risk for passengers.

"These drivers haven't been screened by Cheltenham council, they don't know what their driving record is like. There's no information sharing between the two borough councils. "They are not accountable in any way but they can drive around Cheltenham picking up passengers who hail them down, not knowing that they are from out-of-town." John claims more and more drivers are seeking Tewkesbury plates because the license criteria for vehicles is less stringent that it is in Cheltenham.

John says: "For example, if you change your car in Cheltenham, it must be no older than five years from date of registration. But in Tewkesbury there is no age limit. You can have a seven, eight, ten-year-old car. It doesn't matter. "This means drivers can get a cheaper car and get their license from Tewkesbury council but ply their trade in Cheltenham. There's nothing stopping them." John also says that the council's policy of limiting the number of licensed vehicles it allows means drivers are turning to Tewkesbury Borough Council for their plates because they have no alternative.

John says he wants to encourage people to 'ride local' by using a Cheltenham registered taxi with a local driver who has good knowledge of the area and has been thoroughly vetted by the council. Passengers can check the plates on the cars - green (Cheltenham Hackney cab), yellow (Cheltenham private hire) and blue (Tewkesbury private hire). But John insists that it's the council's responsibility to drive away the competition by clamping down on out-of-town taxis operating in Cheltenham.

John said: "I think any car working in another area should be made to work to the rules and conditions of that council. "Gloucester don't allow it. You won't find any Tewkesbury taxis operating in Gloucester because the council ban them. Why can't Cheltenham do the same?"

In Gloucester, Hackney carriages are not able to be flagged down (hailed) outside of the district they are licensed in, unlike in Cheltenham. But council bosses in Cheltenham claim the problem is beyond their control and is in fact a national issue.

Louis Krog, licensing team leader at Cheltenham Borough Council, said: “The issues raised by the taxi trade are as a consequence of weak and out of date legislation that allows out of town vehicles and drivers to work in Cheltenham. “The council will act where we have the power to do so and we will work with neighbouring authorities to ensure that we work together to protect the public.

“We have lobbied the Government through our local politicians and the national Institute of Licensing to address these issues in national legislation but to date there has not been any changes announced by the Government." But the council gave their support to John's 'ride local' campaign.

Louis Krog said: “We would advise residents to ask for a Cheltenham registered driver and vehicle when booking a taxi so that they can be assured their driver has good local knowledge and has passed our stringent tests".

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IDFIMH

So Tewkesbury licenced PHV cars sitting on taxi ranks in Cheltenham? Really?





If so then that's simply an enforcement issue, but suspect the pudding is being overegged a bit here.





Really?



And unfortunately the piece doesn't address the most obvious question, namely how Tewkesbury PHVs (by the looks of it) are working in Cheltenham - presumably via an operator based in Tewkesbury?