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Mayor of London asks for power to cap private hire drivers http://www.taxi-driver.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=33150	Page 1 of 1

Author:	Sussex [ Wed Aug 15, 2018 7:04 pm ]
Post subject:	Mayor of London asks for power to cap private hire drivers
Mayor of London asks for power to cap private hire drivers The mayor of London has asked for powers to cap the number of private hire drivers, which have proliferated since 2011 with the rise of Uber and its competitors. In a letter to transport secretary Chris Grayling, Sadiq Khan wrote: “The huge increase in private hire drivers on London’s roads in recent years is causing increased congestion, polluting our air and leaving many drivers struggling to make enough money to support themselves and their families.” Mr Khan, who chairs Transport for London, said the number of private hire drivers had increased from 60,000 in 2011 to more than 110,000 today. TfL has powers to regulate private hire vehicles, as set down in law, but these do not included a cap, which would require legislation. At the moment, once TfL has issued a licence to an operator, the company can have as many private hire vehicles as it likes. London’s mayor asked Mr Grayling to have the power to follow New York’s lead last week in putting a year-long cap on the number of vehicles linked to ride hailing apps. Mr Khan has made similar demands in the past. Last year he wrote a letter saying that he had asked for caps “at every possible opportunity”. The new letter comes after a shift in TfL’s tone since the start of the year, when it started issuing many more private hire licences following an unofficial pause while it developed regulations for high tech transport companies. The authority published new rules in February that would force ride hailing apps to limit the time their drivers work and turn over travel data to the government. Since then, it has awarded licences to companies including Citymapper, the London-based app, and ViaVan, a joint venture between New York-based Via and Mercedes-Benz. TfL also granted Uber a new licence this summer after a high-stakes court battle and a series of concessions from the group. Uber’s Indian rival Ola this month announced plans to expand into the UK. A cap on private hire vehicles could disrupt launch plans from these companies. Uber and Lyft vociferously objected to the licence freeze in New York, with Uber urging customers to petition against the regulation and running a series of ads on TV and online. Uber said the company wanted to help address congestion and air pollution: “By competing with private cars, getting more people into fewer vehicles and investing in our clean air plan, we can be a part of solution in London.” Steve McNamara, general secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association, said: “We support the mayor in calling for a cap in private hire vehicles in London. With the number of PHVs on London roads nearly doubling in recent years, Londoners have seen a rise in congestion and a negative impact on air quality.” There are 23,800 licensed London taxi drivers.

Author:	Sussex [ Wed Aug 15, 2018 7:08 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Mayor of London asks for power to cap private hire drive
I think the article gets confused between drivers and vehicles, but that's not uncommon. But it's a sign of desperation at a situation that has been caused by laxed regulation in the first place.

Author:	StuartW [ Sat Aug 18, 2018 5:18 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Mayor of London asks for power to cap private hire drive
Plans to cap minicab numbers dubbed "absolutely ridiculous http://www.times-series.co.uk/news/1644 ... idiculous/ A union has labelled proposals by the Mayor of London to cap the number of minicab drivers in the capital “absolutely ridiculous”. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan yesterday called on the Government to cap the number of minicab drivers to reduce congestion on London’s roads. The number of minicabs, also known as Private Hire Vehicles (PHVs), in London has increased from 60,000 to over 110,00 since 2011. Steve Wright, the chairman of the Licensed Private Hire Car Association (LPHCA), called the plans “an absolutely ridiculous proposal”. Mr Wright said a cap on minicabs would push up prices for passengers and make it harder for companies to recruit drivers as well as impacting drivers who rely on the trade for their livelihoods. He raised concerns that capping the number of minicabs will increase the number of people driving and in turn increase rather than reduce congestion. Mr Wright is also worried the move discriminates against minicab drivers as taxi drivers face no threat of having their numbers capped. Minicabs must be booked in advance through minicab companies whereas taxi and black cab drivers can take bookings from the side of the road and are self-employed. Mr Wright said: “Black cabs are a lot more expensive than minicabs, for elderly and disabled people minicabs are their cheap from of transport. “They are an integral part of what people need in terms of safety and convenience and cutting them will compromise all of those things. “Politicians are getting things really badly wrong. “We are lobbying the government to make sure that this proposal doesn’t go through and we are going to do everything we can to talk the mayor out of this.” Perry Richardson, a licensed taxi driver and the founder of trade publication TaxiPoint, said he fully supports Mr Khan’s proposals, calling the plans “vital” to reduce congestion and improve air quality. In contrast to Mr Wright he believes that both taxi and minicab drivers would support the cap. Mr Richardson said: “This number of minicabs is far too high and has diluted the market pushing many drivers into working excessive hours just to cover costs. London doesn’t need this number of vehicles to give good coverage to the public.”

Author:	Sussex [ Sat Aug 18, 2018 8:59 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Mayor of London asks for power to cap private hire drive
As someone who really dislikes taxi quotas, it would be a tad hypocritical if I supported PH quotas. So I wont. However just because it goes against my grain, I do see, to a point, the Mayor's logic.

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