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Richmondshire trade to get four month licence fee holiday
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Author:  StuartW [ Fri Jan 15, 2021 4:14 pm ]
Post subject:  Richmondshire trade to get four month licence fee holiday
Licence holiday for Richmondshire taxi drivers

http://www.richmondshiretoday.co.uk/lic ... i-drivers/

Image
Star Cars taxi driver Dan Coultish arrives to collect a food bank delivery during the first lockdown (Image: Richmondshire Today)

Richmondshire’s taxi trade is to get a four month licence ‘holiday’ this spring to help them through the coronavirus pandemic.

The district council says it will not charge for their vehicle licences from April to August.

This will save drivers up to £114 on their annual fee.

After that all fees and charges for hackney and private hire services have been frozen for the coming 12 months – fees will remain at their 2020 level.

Councillors agreed the help last November after hearing that drivers had suffered a huge loss in trade throughout the pandemic.

“This is the first time we have been able to offer the payment holiday. Each driver will not need to pay for the first four months of their 2021/22 licence,” said chairman of the licensing committee, Councillor Clive World.

“The taxi trade was one of the hardest hit during the first lockdown with most drivers off the road for months earning no income.

“We hope this free four months will go some way towards helping them.”

The 117 Richmondshire licensed vehicles will be covered by a short term licence from April through to the end of July.

They will then renew as normal to receive an annual licence from August, moving the future annual re-licensing date into the busier holiday period where it is hoped finding fees will be easier.

The annual renewal fee is £343 for a hackney licence and £225 for a private hire vehicle licence.
Author:  StuartW [ Fri Jan 15, 2021 4:15 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Richmondshire trade to get four month licence fee holida
OK, so I get how shorts may be appropriate in tropical weather, but if the guy in the photo is feeling that hot then why the big hoodie and headgear? :-k

Quote:
The 117 Richmondshire licensed vehicles will be covered by a short term licence from April through to the end of July.

They will then renew as normal to receive an annual licence from August, moving the future annual re-licensing date into the busier holiday period where it is hoped finding fees will be easier.

Anyway, this reads like all the licences expire and are renewed at the same time, which must be unusual?
Author:  Chris the Fish [ Fri Jan 15, 2021 5:41 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Richmondshire trade to get four month licence fee holida
StuartW wrote:
Anyway, this reads like all the licences expire and are renewed at the same time, which must be unusual?

Not unheard of, that used to be what they did in Bath. I don't know for certain if it's still the case.
Author:  StuartW [ Fri Jan 15, 2021 6:14 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Richmondshire trade to get four month licence fee holida
Chris the Fish wrote:
StuartW wrote:
Anyway, this reads like all the licences expire and are renewed at the same time, which must be unusual?

Not unheard of, that used to be what they did in Bath. I don't know for certain if it's still the case.

You're probably right, in fact my first badge was in Dundee, and I'm sure they issued them all at the same time of year (could be wrong, though, and I'm not sure about the plates).

Of course, new licences would be issued for a shorter period before being reissued with the rest.
Author:  Sussex [ Fri Jan 15, 2021 7:46 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Richmondshire trade to get four month licence fee holida
Love the dress code.

#-o
Author:  MR T [ Fri Jan 15, 2021 8:20 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Richmondshire trade to get four month licence fee holida
taxis believe it or not are small businesses. The difference between a small shop keeper who has premises from which he/she runs their business is that the taxi drivers business sits parked on the end of his drive ready for work. The cab driver has to pay for his vehicle (usually on finance) which has been on hold for the last few months, but next month finance company’s will be able to repossess vehicles that are in arrears with payments. Secondly, insurance is not cheap for private hire or hackneys and is usually arranged through a finance company taking over the debt and being payed monthly, problem with this is you can’t cancel your insurance for the year and are still liable for the finance payments.

Obviously you have your normal running costs, day-to-day repairs, full overhaul for vehicle fitness test for council, council licensing fees, road tax, before the driver makes a penny to provide food on the table and the normal cost of running a home.

The Merseyside council has provided a grant, Sefton provided a £100 grant and the other councils similar, 27p a day for a year. Why are the councils not allowing taxi drivers access to the money from the grant schemes that they have in their possession? That is there to help out small businesses that had slipped through the net when the last grants were issued, as a comparison Carlisle issued to drivers that clamed £1400 for January/February + an extra £233 for being in tier 4. Or is it just the facts that a taxi driver in the Merseyside area is only worth 27p? So the fact that we are in a pandemic with practically no work, the people in charge of these funds are responsible for making our situation even worse, which considering they are labour controlled councils I find unbelievable.

If you care to check the government advice on these schemes you might come to the same conclusion and wonder why they are treating the private hire and hackney trade so badly.
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