Taxi Driver Online

Taxis: Minimum Wage

Department for Transport written question – answered on 16th October 2018.

Frank Field Chair, Work and Pensions Committee

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing legislation granting licensing authorities a statutory basis for creating minimum wage thresholds for drivers within the licensing criteria for private hire operators.

Nusrat Ghani Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport), Assistant Whip (HM Treasury)

At a Westminster Hall Debate last year, the Rt Hon John Hayes MP announced the formation of a Task and Finish group to consider any taxi and private hire regulatory issues, their causes and potential remedies. The Group’s report was published on 24 September and it includes a chapter on industry working conditions. The Government response to the report will be published in due course.

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

6.9 It is outside the expertise and scope of a local licensing authority to determine the employment status of drivers working with its licensed PHV operators. However, licensing authorities do have a responsibility to ensure that operators are 'fit and proper'. If a licensing authority has evidence of an operator persistently flouting employment law (for example, making no changes in response to an employment tribunal that is not being appealed, or can be appealed no further), that should legitimately be seen as casting doubt on whether that operator is "fit and proper", and would be worthy of thorough consideration.

Recommendation 33

The low pay and exploitation of some, but not all, drivers is a source of concern. Licensing authorities should take into account any evidence of a person or business flouting employment law, and with it the integrity of the National Living Wage, as part of their test of whether that person or business is "fit and proper" to be a PHV operator


Yeah that really answered Frank Fields question

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

WTF is the point of having a Minimum wage and then demand a National Living wage instead....and why treat PH employees and their employers differently to any other employer in any other line of business, Licensing should have feck all to do with wages and wages should be feck all today with licensing...they are trying to mix Taxi PH Legislation with employment laws and they are not the same thing.

1847 Act does impinge on some employment laws if you take the time to read it and absorb the content.

Another question too is why single out PH operators and not HC circuits, or mixed fleets etc?

Thank you but i'll give the reading of the 1847 act a miss for the moment, I'll save that pleasure for the day that'll never come.