Taxi Driver Online

Taxi driver gets private hire licence for Helensburgh

https://www.helensburghadvertiser.co.uk ... lensburgh/

A TAXI firm director has been granted a private hire licence by Argyll and Bute Council – three months after his bid to provide a wheelchair-accessible taxi in the Helensburgh area was refused.

David Haddow’s previous bid to have a wheelchair-accessible taxi on the road in the area was thrown out by the authority’s planning, protective services and licensing (PPSL) committee in September.

The committee cited a lack of evidence of unmet demand as their reason for the decision at the time of that meeting.

But last month Mr Haddow, from Alexandria in West Dunbartonshire, was granted permission to use the vehicle, which he has already purchased, on a private hire basis.

Mr Haddow is a director of TOA Taxis, which has recently taken over Trident Taxis in Helensburgh.

According to minutes from the PPSL’s hearing, published by the council this week, an agent for Mr Haddow told the committee: “It was his understanding that there were 56 private hire car vehicles in Argyll and Bute.

“He advised that he was unable to find out how many of these were within Helensburgh and Lomond.

“He indicated that Mr Haddow had received 8,000 client enquiries in May and that this had now risen to 9,000 per month. He advised that this led him to believe that there was currently an under provision and that the licence should be granted.

“He said that the car which the licence was being sought for was a wheelchair accessible vehicle and that it was his understanding that there was only one which could currently be booked at the booking office.

“He advised that there were 11 care homes in the area which regularly sought to hire a wheelchair accessible vehicle.”

Mr Haddow was then asked by Councillor Roddy McCuish what had changed since the refusal of a taxi licence in September.

The minutes continued: “Mr Haddow advised that nothing had changed and that he was still getting numerous calls coming in for wheelchair accessible cars which he could not accommodate.

“He advised that when this type of vehicle was not available from the Helensburgh and Lomond area the company were suggesting to the care home that they phone the Alexandria office to send a taxi which resulted in them having to pay a supplement.”

Committee chairman Councillor David Kinniburgh admitted he shared the concerns of objectors.

But the minutes added: “He said that he did not believe there was anything presented today which would mean he could refuse the licence.

“He advised that his own feeling was there was nothing he could put forward to make a recommendation to refuse. He said that he felt that he had no alternative but to grant the licence.”

The committee then agreed to grant the licence to Mr Haddow.

Um, because he's applying for a PH licence rather than an HC one?

Interesting case though - presumably limit on HC plates, hence initial refusal, but can't see why there should be any objections to a PH plate.

Scottish councils do now have the power to limit PH numbers, but not sure if that's the case here, but in any case it's a different test from the unmet demand one, so even assuming there is a PH limit the councillor's point doesn't have merit

Bet this guy is popular in Helensburgh

Taxi firm director says there's "huge unmet demand" for service as Argyll and Bute suggests usage survey

https://www.helensburghadvertiser.co.uk ... ge-survey/

A TAXI operator in Helensburgh has claimed there is a “huge” unmet demand for the service in the area.

David Haddow made his comments as it was revealed that Argyll and Bute councillors are to consider whether to organise a new survey on the use of taxis and private hire cars across the local authority.

Mr Haddow, a director of TOA Taxis, which recently took over Trident Taxis in Helensburgh, told the Advertiser he doubted whether any survey would be effective.

The possible action is up for debate at a meeting of the council’s planning, protective services and licensing committee on Wednesday, January 23.

A report by the authority’s executive director of customer services, Douglas Hendry, states that concern has been expressed over changes in circumstances since the last survey in late 2013 and early 2014.

Mr Haddow, though, feels that a drastic reduction in pickups at taxi ranks in recent years means that a survey would not tell the full story.

He said: “They will look at waiting times and unmet demand, but our concern is that it doesn’t truly reflect the demand for taxis.

“The person who is doing the survey does not come to the office to get the real time figures.

“It was recently published by Glasgow Taxis that since 2006, there has been a 50 per cent drop in pickups from taxi ranks.

“This is because of the rise of Uber and other apps. People are not waiting at taxi ranks in the same way, so we have doubts whether the survey will actually tell the council what they want to know.

“There is huge unmet demand in Helensburgh and Lomond. We know that by the figures that were coming in when we took over Trident Taxis.

“We have one wheelchair taxi, but had another two applications rejected. I also recently got a private hire licence for a wheelchair friendly car.

“Two wheelchair friendly taxis in a town with an ageing population and 11 care homes isn’t enough, but as TOA/Trident we will just take baby steps."

Mr Hendry’s report states: “At the meeting of this committee on March 21 2018, members were advised that since publication of the respective surveys, there have not been any significant changes to circumstances, population or taxi numbers in any of the taxi zones.

“For that reason, members were invited to continue to have regard to the existing surveys until such a time that there are material changes to circumstances in either of the zones which render the reports out of date, at which point members may wish to determine that new surveys should be carried out.

“Members agreed at their meeting on March 21, 2018 to continue to have regard to the existing taxi surveys at hearings for taxi operator licences, and consider at a later date whether new reports are required at such a time where circumstances have changed to a material degree.

“Since that meeting concerns have been expressed that circumstances have now changed in some of the localities and that the current surveys are now five years old.”

Mr Hendry’s report also states that a survey could investigate whether there is over-provision of private hire cars.

But Mr Haddow said: “They can’t really argue there is over-provision, as Argyll and Bute has four zones, but private hire does not come under these zones.

“It is only taxi plates that come under the zones, so it will be difficult for them to prove or put forward that there is over-provision of private hire cars.”

Bless him.

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IDFIMH

A letter writer in the Helensburgh Advertiser taking issue with that claim:

https://www.helensburghadvertiser.co.uk ... y-24-2019/

Further to your article of January 10 on the issuing of a taxi licence for Helensburgh to David Haddow of TOA Taxis, there are currently 50 taxi plates issued by Argyll and Bute Council for the Helesburgh and Lomond zone.

Twenty are part of TOA, nine of Neptune, and the remainder work independently.

In cities such as Glasgow and Edinburgh, black cabs are quite distinct from private hire vehicles. Black cabs are better equipped to take more people with their luggage on short journeys within the city boundaries. Private hire vehicles are more comfortable for longer journeys.

In Helensburgh there is no physical difference between the two categories. Only licensed taxis can work from a taxi rank or pick up on the street. Private hire vehicles respond to a phone call making the hire.

There is no requirement in Scotland for wheelchair accessible vehicles, although any taxi must be prepared to transport someone in a wheelchair.

Mr Haddow's claims of massive unmet demand are self serving. In recent years, the number of care homes in Helensburgh has fallen from 12 to three. Mr Haddow is free to produce the evidence to support his claim.

There is no evidence of unmet taxi demand in Helensburgh and Lomond, yet Argyll and Bute Council have issued two more taxi plates and four private hire operators licenses in the past year. This extra capacity will reduce the income of local drivers by more than 10 per cent. Our local councillors have not volunteered to take a 10 per cent reduction in their salaries!

John Black, 6 Woodhollow House, Helensburgh

Not sure what's meant by that precisely, but WAVs compulsory for HCs in Glasgow and Edinburgh, and a significant proportion of the fleets in Aberdeen and Dundee are WAV-only plates, and plenty of WAVs in other areas (although whether or not they're compulsory I don't know for definite, but pretty sure most are).


Don't know if he's trying to make some kind of point here by making the taxi/PHV licences sound different, but of course in Scotland an operator is a proprietor/plate holder, so what's he's saying basically is that the council have issued two more taxi plates, and four more private hire plates.

Latest news on unmet demand in Helensburgh


‘No demand’ for more taxis in Helensburgh, says new report

https://www.helensburghadvertiser.co.uk ... and-taxis/

Councillors with the power to grant taxi licences in Helensburgh have been told there is no significant demand for more taxis in the town.

A report to Argyll and Bute’s planning, protective services and licensing (PPSL) committee says there is no over-provision of taxis or private hire cars anywhere in Helensburgh and Lomond.

But the report does identify “consistent and persistent passenger waiting” at the town’s two taxi ranks, in East Princes Street and West Clyde Street, on Friday and Saturday nights as “a cause for some concern”.

The document, prepared by Licensed Vehicle Surveys and Assessment (LVSA), also says there is some demand for additional wheelchair accessible vehicles in the area.

And it says that even though there is “no significant unmet demand” for either taxis or private hire cars in Helensburgh, that should not be taken as ruling out the possibility of the committee granting new licences in the area in future.

The report was due to be considered by the PPSL committee on Wednesday, as this issue of the Advertiser went to press.

LVSA’s findings were based on surveys carried out in Helensburgh in August.

It stated: “On the basis of the evidence gathered, our key conclusion is that there is no evidence of unmet demand for the services of taxis either patent or latent which is significant at this point in time in the Helensburgh and Lomond licensing zone.

“There is no overprovision of private hire cars in any locality within the Helensburgh and Lomond zone.

“Whilst taxis serviced the demand at taxi ranks adequately most of the time, there was a shortfall of provision during periods of peak demand on Friday and Saturday nights.

“This was not sufficient to classify the level of unmet demand overall as significant. However, this consistent and persistent passenger waiting is a cause for some concern.

“It is recommended that measures which address the shortfall in provision during peak demand periods are considered. These may be measures which encourage more of the existing drivers to work during these periods, or it may be appropriate to consider granting additional licences to vehicles which are likely to work during these periods.”

“There are no guarantees that any applicant for a new licence will operate during the peak demand periods, however, additional provision in general may encourage others to seek the fares available on Friday and Saturday nights.

"There appears to be some demand for more wheelchair accessible vehicles. The common practice is for wheelchair accessible vehicles to be pre-booked, so any new private hire cars or taxis which are wheelchair accessible, would be likely to attract some additional demand for hire.

"Wheelchair accessible vehicles could be provided as a replacement of an existing saloon car vehicle, or as a new vehicle licence issued by the council."

LVSA reached similar conclusions about overall demand levels in the council’s three other administrative areas – Bute and Cowal, Oban, Lorn and the Isles, and Mid Argyll, Kintyre and Islay.

So no new HC plates, but no PH cap either since there's no overprovision.



How they gonna do that then?

Funny the way no SUD is found, yet there seems to be sufficient unmet demand that they think it should be addressed. Seem to want their cake and eat it.

Same with the WAVs - think they're trying to say there is unmet demand, but don't specifically want to say so, instead seeming to suggest compulsory WAV plates for new PH plates or replacement HC vehicles

So no SUD for taxis thus keep restrictions. Yet no SUD for PH but allow more to be licensed.

Just love these reports.

I often why they bother at all, and instead just ask the council what it wants and get the council to edit the report.

Sort of cut out the middle man.

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IDFIMH

I'm not sure precisely how the overprovision test for capping PH differs from the no SUD test required to cap HC licences.

But I suspect the reason they changed it was to make it easier to impose a PH cap rather than fannying around with the HC SUD surveys. The overprovision thing has long been the test used to limit pub licences.

So I'd guess it's less about SUD observations and number crunching, and more about waffling, and of course councillors unlikely to question it all. And it was never thought through properly - recall that Edinburgh said they were still waiting for advice from the Scottish Government about how to implement it, but I don't think that's been forthcoming yet.

But obviously some surveyors have decided themselves how it will be applied, and I can't really see anyone challenging that, in the immediate future at least.