Taxi Driver Online

This copied from a local Facebook community group: <place deleted>


"Does anyone know of any drivers or willing person to drive my son to a placement at xxxxxx in <near> Ashford from YYYY, he’s been approved by Kcc for transport but unfortunately as for many there’s no drivers available to get him too and fro. I am a single parent and am at work the time they start in the morning. XXXXX hours are 10am until 3pm. I am very eager to find a service or person willing to drop off and pick up. Kcc will pay private drivers until such times they have one. Preferably someone who is DBS approved. Any suggestions greatly received."

I've replied quoting the legalities and insurance problems that may arise as well as the obvious DBS matter. It's about 18 miles from the pick up to the set-down, only 2 routes available, one along the only sensible road out of the pick-up town, then via the bust A259 and A2070 then the A20, or again out of the town and along twisting turning lanes across Romney Marsh.

Comments on a postcard...

Lincolnshire used to allow private cars to do school runs

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

You couldn't make it up.

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IDFIMH

You are right about that but why are we not surprised by it.

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Grandad,

To be fair, this is a message from a member of the public rather than an official council statement, so maybe something got lost in the translation.

For example, press reports etc often use the term 'private' cars or drivers to refer to PHVs and PHDs.

But, of course, strictly speaking, when you refer to a 'private car' most of us mean a car that isn't an HC or PHV.

So maybe the council told this person that they had to use taxis or private hire cars, or similar, and the person conveyed that in the message above as simply a 'private car'. And maybe they don't know precisely what a private hire vehicle is - they may think it's what we would normally call a private car, or at least something that isn't plated.

(And which is maybe one good reason the press often refers to 'taxis' rather than private hire cars. I suspect some members of the public think a private hire car is in fact something that isn't plated, by dint of the word 'private', which of course technically refers to the method of hiring.)

And, particularly with regard to education departments and the like, often their terminology as regards stuff like this is a bit dodgy anyway. Ditto even licensing departments at times

So not sure if it can be automatically inferred from the message posted that KCC are condoning the use of unplated vehicles.

I think the comment about DBS checks being an advantage indicates not all is proper.

Unless as you state some dumbo civil servant is having a mare of a day.

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IDFIMH