Another day, and another cross-border piece
This one's most obviously tied up with the never-ending debate about the proposed age-rule in Derby, and I couldn't even be bothered reading the most recent pieces on that
Usual boilerplate response from Wolverhampton Council, though.
Photo of the car they've used is a bit daft, though - and the caption below is the one they've used on the website.
And what's the point of blanking out part of the number plate; I mean, no one would ever work out whose car it is
Almost 2,000 Derby private-hire taxi drivers licensed in Wolverhampton
https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/news/d ... e-10524912
Many are said to be taking advantage of a 'loophole' which is costing local drivers trade
Many private-hire taxi drivers in Derby have been licensed with Wolverhampton City Council,
unlike the one pictured which is registered with Derby City Council (Image: Derby Telegraph /Alex Cantrill-J)
Almost 2,000 taxi drivers living and working in Derby are licenced with Wolverhampton City Council – amid claims “out-of-town licences are easier and cheaper”.
A Freedom of Information request showed that, in July, 1,796 private hire drivers with a DE postcode were granted a taxi licence in Wolverhampton – more than 40 miles away.
It also showed that more than 1,200 taxi vehicles were also licenced with Wolverhampton City Council, which belong to drivers or are registered to those living in a DE postcode. This means that Derby City Council has no control regarding the safety of these vehicles – despite them using the city’s roads.
This new development comes just weeks after there were growing calls to stop taxis drivers using a “loophole” in the system so they can operate in Derby but are licenced elsewhere.
Taxi drivers in Derby say councils across the UK set different criteria for the granting of private hire taxi licensing. This includes separate tests for drivers and vehicles. Authorities can also differ on licensing policies, enforcement and license fees.
They claim some drivers opt to get licenced by out-of-town authorities because there are cheaper fees or less stringent rules in place to be granted a licence.
Concerned taxi drivers in Derby say this latest information is just the tip of the iceberg. They claim it does not tell the whole story as drivers opt to go with other councils/local authorities to get licenced – aside from Derby and Wolverhampton.
The taxi driver, who requested the information but did not wish to be named, said: “In Derby we have around 640 private hire vehicle drivers who are licenced by Derby City Council, the rest are licenced by other authorities. Thousands of them.
“This is why Derby drivers are kicking up such a fuss when being forced to buy cars that are no older than four years old on first licence. These rules don’t affect the thousands licenced elsewhere that are working in our city. These numbers are killing the trade for local drivers.”
Derby-based taxi driver Scott Baldwin said: “There are over 650 licenced private hire taxi drivers for Derby City Council. It used to be considerably more. Without national standards, councils have no command and control for out of town licences. We all should have a level playing field.”
https://i2-prod.derbytelegraph.co.uk/in ... injfif.jpg
But Wolverhampton City Council said it does carry out checks across the country every weekend to ensure its licenced vehicles are maintaining the highest road standards and it “does not gain financially”.
A spokesperson for City of Wolverhampton Council said in June: “It is illegal for the council to refuse applicants a taxi licence on the basis of where they live. Under the current law, applicants are able to apply to any licensing authority for a licence.
“It is also illegal for licensing authorities to impose a limit on the number of private hire licences they issue.
“Safeguarding is our number one priority in taxi licensing. City of Wolverhampton Council is investing in innovative technology to lead the way nationally. The council does not gain financially from taxi licensing, as the fees are legally ring-fenced for spend only on related activities.
“Our early adoption of digital technology has allowed us to offer a simple and efficient online application procedure, with the requirement that drivers attend in person for training and strict assessment before an application can be processed.
“We take enforcement responsibilities seriously and our officers are out across the country, every Friday and Saturday night, working to protect the public. The council has three teams of compliance officers, one based in Wolverhampton, another in the East Midlands and another in the North of England.”
Derby councillor Martin Rawson, who is on the council’s licensing committee, said the issue was restricting council control on the roads. He said: “The concern is those taxis are not monitored in the same way as Derby licenced taxis are. Those registered with us we can inspect and put checks on.
“There are lots of taxis outside Derby City Council’s control and it has been a long-standing issue. We can’t maintain the same level of safety with those vehicles.”