Taxi Driver Online

There is a new petition on the no 10 E-petitions web site.
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/taxilaws/
If you agree sign up now!

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Our safety is Paramount

I need more info before saying 'do away with what we have got'.

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A member of the Hire or Reward Industry

We have laws which are poorly drafted and which don't address the effects of modern technology such as computers and mobile phones on the Taxi Industry. (PHV=Private Hire Vehicle for Pre-Booking). This produces ludicrous effects such as some councils ban roof-signs on PHV's while others rightly insist on them. A cabbie in one Borough can operate a Ford Galaxy with 6 passengers but in another borough it is deemed unsafe and must have a seat removed. Certain councils such as Mole Valley District Council think they can license Private Hire Operators anywhere in the country while most other councils rightly believe they are to license only in their own area. If a member of the public approaches a PHV and asks to be taken somewhere, the driver has to tell them to phone the office and make a booking, which is then sent through to him and he then tells the customer it is OK to get in the cab. The current 2-tier system of taxi licensing creates far more problems and conflicts than any benefit it can bring. What other European country does this? For the sake of the public the Taxi industry needs to have a new set of laws

I think the Galaxy thing makes sense. The cross-border thing needs sorting.

As for the 2-tier going, interesting, very interesting.

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IDFIMH

Tom, as an old hand on taxi forums I think by now you should have come down in one of the two opposing camps - we either need new legislation or we don't.

From what I can see the petition is merely about whether or not we need root and branch reform, whereas the tenor of your question seems to suggest that it's about what any new legislation should contain.

The need for new legislation is a big enough issue as it is and it's merely the opening salvo in what would be a protracted war, but the battle alluded to in the petition is merely about whether a new Act is desirable or not.

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Taxi Driver Online
www.taxi-driver.co.uk

I read it the same way as Dusty. The proposer is highlighting a few of the things he thinks need addressing in these modern times. The overriding message is that the taxi trade should have 21st century legislation and not rely on legislation dating back to 1847.

Regards

JD

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Copyright notice © The contents of this post are copyright of JD and are not to be reproduced outside of TDO without written permission.

Well I tried signing up i've signed a few of these e petitions but not had an email back this time without that you cant include your name !

PS I noticed Brian Rowland is already on the list of signatories !

I too have signed as i agree along with us guys your legislation is well out of date and i support you whole heartedly, good luck !!

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Legal and proud

Loads a love from BERTIE !!

Well it took over an hour but i finally got my email back and am now on the list but only 6 signitories thats a bit of poor show

This post needs to be moved to the news section

Things I do for you.

Alex

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ʎɐqǝ uo pɹɐoqʎǝʞ ɐ ʎnq ı ǝɯıʇ ʇsɐן ǝɥʇ sı sıɥʇ

Simply the best taxi forum in the whole wide world. www.taxi-driver.co.uk

Sensationalist claptrap.

The purpose and use of a Hackney Carriage licence is no different now than it was in 1847.

I don't believe that anything relating to the licensing of a private hire vehicle or driver is contained within the 1847 Act.

The PH trade is legislated for within the 1976 Act, and with the advancements of technology is of course massively outdated and in need of a review.

Maybe the most recent legislation written for PH operation, The London Private Hire Act, should be used as it encompasses the technology available to the industry today.

The real problem here is that people want legislation to be written to benefit them, and where current legislation does not benefit them they seek loopholes so as to gain some benefit, which adversely effects the customer.

Talk of a single tier system is tosh, people need to be able to hail a taxi and have them available at certain identified points within our town and city centres, just as they need to be able to contact a private hire operator and pre-book a journey from a specific time and place. The examples of less choice from European countries should be identified as such, we have the best system offering more choice, and the benefits to the public by having that choice far outway the benefits of any individual to get what they want.

If one side of our trade is removed then the customer would lose out, we should be therefore be seeking to work alongside each other to provide OUR customers with as many choices WITHIN OUR INDUSTRY as we can.

In short the 1847 Act is as relevant today as it was when it was written, all of the anomalies and therefore confusion are clearly, to my mind, within the 1976 Act as that's where mistakes were made allowing these loopholes to exist.

Any vehicle operating for hire and reward should operate from the area in which it is licensed.

B. Lucky

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"Here's a simple solution. If you don't want to pay more for a premium service then wait in the queue, problem solved".
Skull on TDO

TF pi$$ed on his chips.

I have signed even tho I'm very happy with my lot.

Does that mean that if a customer phoned you on your mobile and wanted to be picked up in another authority to go on a very lucrative fare,you would refuse the fare

Speaking personally I think that every car/driver should be licensed by their "home area" not some LA miles away from them, and we are all allowed to compete with each other for business whether it originates in our home area or not.

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Our safety is Paramount

At the time of writing this there have been 310 views of this petition posting on this forum.

But only 18 people have actually signed the petition.

Are we all satisfied with our current legislation?

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Our safety is Paramount