Taxi Driver Online

Before the other thread on Perterborough surfaced I wrote an article in reponse to what had transpired there. I think it best I post the contents of that article just so people have a clearer picture of the facts. One of the main overriding factors was that the LO presented a bias report in favour of retaining the turning circle and one of his main reasons for doing so was the fact that the shape of the vehicle was of paramount concern. Councillors were of the same opinion.

There was no consultation with the public and total disregard for the views of the majority of Peterborough cab drivers. I spoke to the LO who had no answers to practically every questions I put to him, in fact he didn't even know Peterboroughs vehicle age policy.
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Peterborough Say NO to E7.

An application from a Licensed Peterborough Hackney Carriage Driver to licence a Peugeot E7 as a Hackney Carriage Vehicle was refused by Peterborough councils Licensing committee.

Licensing Chief Ken Grey wrote the main body of a report submitted to councillors, in which he implied "the E7 would lower standards". His actual comments were, "to move away from the stringent Public Carriage Office standard of fitness would result in a lowering of standards and undoubtedly see a challenge by other manufactures to allow their vehicles to be licensed in Peterborough".

I asked Mr Grey what he meant when he said the E7 would lower standards but he declined to offer an opinion other than what was stated in the report and to say that the report had clearance from other heads of departments.

The report also stated that the London cab currently licensed in Peterborough is of a distinctive design and an easy recognisable symbol both to the citizens of Peterborough and visitors to the city. The TX and Metro cab are the only vehicles currently meeting the very strict conditions of fitness of the Public Carriage Office in London. In another section the report states "the introduction of the Peugeot E7 would dilute the recognition factor".

There is no doubting the fact that an LTI vehicle has a recognition factor all of its own but when I asked Mr Grey "in what way does a Metrocab resemble a London cab" he could not tell me?

My appraisal of the report is that it is bias in favour of retaining the status quo. There is no mention of Government best practice guidance regarding vehicle choice and no independent consumer survey on what the "public" would like to see licensed as Taxis. I don't suppose it ever occurred to this committee to ask the public what they want?

Those consulted are as follows:

1. P.H.A.B.
2. G.N.E.R.
3. Deaf Blind UK
4. R.N.I.B.
5. Council for Disabled
6. Private Hire Drivers Association
7. Hackney Carriage Association
8. Cambridgeshire Constabulary
9. Peterborough Passenger Transport
10. Senior Citizens Forum
11. Age Concern
12. D.P.T.A.C.
13. Spinal Injuries Association
14. Transport & General Workers Union
15. Peterborough Evening Partnership
16. Additional comments from Taxi Drivers

When I look down this list I ask myself how many of these people actually drive cabs and how many put their hand in their pocket when it comes to purchasing one? I then ask myself why should these people be judge and jury over the type of vehicle that cab drivers are allowed to drive?

Perhaps all you councillors out there who deny vehicle choice to both the public and Taxi drivers should go out and ask the public exactly what they want and not what you want?

What do you say?

When the public are staggering about at 2am on a Saturday night Sunday morning, hailing anything on four wheels, their vehicle choice isn't limited at all

regards

CC

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

If you ask the public what they want they would say they don't care, and they would also wants it for free, but when someone gets raped or injured they certainly would care, and guess whose fault it would be .

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

I agree and anyone who doesn't is living in their own make believe world. That brings in Mathew Cheyne because he's on record as saying the public want LTI cabs. So in other words councillors are deluding themselves by only licensing vehicles that conform to the cof.

The buzz word is choice and thats all I'm concerned about, I'm not interested in a councillors pet hates of vehicles that don't conform to the cof because I have my doubts that many councillors actually know what the MCOF actually stands for?

Regards

JD

JD I hope you told him that the council could now be open to a legal challenge and i hope you could find the time to send copies of the best practice documents to all councillors, pointing out there should be NO restrictions on type of taxi
ffs an e7 has everything bar the turning circle even air bags for the driver
a roof light that says taxi on it, and a doors opening sign on the back.
I hope that the to rag that got his nose in buys a tx4 and it blows up in his face

It would have been better if the best practice guidance was made law and not left up to brain dead idiots

The public do want LTI cabs, its just they dont want to pay for them



It depends on which standpoint your coming from, some might say the COF is a standard set for people to meet, others might say its too high as a standard.



You are possibly right, although I would counter your point by saying there are possibly more councillors who are bamboozled by a salesmans 'patter' and license vehicles that havent been correctly tested.

regards

CC

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

Which bit Skippy? the bit where I have less tests per year or the bit where I have no age restrictions?

CC

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

Vehicle choice, and what you mentioned,
After reading the guide, it seems a fare way forward, I hope that all of it is incorporated into the taxi laws, we only now need to try and get it there.
I don't know why some of the laws that are over 100 years old are still used, most have no bearing in a modern world,
Why do you still have to carry a bail of hay for instance, and can only pee on your offside back wheel, you be arrested for that now.
The rule book needs to be re written and it should be the trade that does it
Not some over paid office dweller, who only See's the inside of a cab when going out on the town.
Can I live in HOPE

Wouldn't be guidance, if it was law, would it?

But you have to ask, WHY that is so?

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Former taxi driver

Maybe it's because in many areas it's easier to vote out a government than a council. So if a gov does something daft like say all PH vehicles shold be maroon, then they can be changed. Too many councils and councillors have a job for life based on how poor or how rich an area is.

From my experience councillors haven't got a clue about our trade, and they couldn't care less.

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IDFIMH

For your benefit, Sussex, I will rephrase.

Why did government issue guidance rather than law?

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Former taxi driver

"it is for individual licensing authorities to make their own decisions"

So. How unequivical is that?

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Former taxi driver

Define "vehicle choice".

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Former taxi driver

Quicker and easier.

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IDFIMH