Taxi Driver Online

The Sentinel (Stoke)

June 6, 2007 Wednesday

Roadblock on cabbie's ambitions

Taxi drivers in the Staffordshire Moorlands have been told they must live in the district, despite a shortage of black cabs.

Hackney Carriage driver Terence Hill is outraged after being refused a licence by Staffordshire Moorlands District Council. The 49-year-old, who currently works in Stoke-on-Trent, said: "I read a story in The Sentinel saying there is a shortage of taxi drivers in Leek.

"The town is only 20 minutes from my home, so I decided to apply for a licence." Mr Hill, of Woodlands, Meir, added: "I was stopped in my tracks when I was told I couldn't work in the area because I wasn't a rate-payer.

"It doesn't make sense. Hackney cabs are needed, especially at the weekends, to get people home after a night out.

"There's quite a few private hire cabs, but customers have to make a booking."

Pub staff in Leek said the situation was "absolutely ridiculous", given the current cab shortage.

Fiona Clough, a barmaid at The Red Lion in Market Place, said: "It is just daft. There are no taxis in the town. You need to plan your week ahead if you rely on taxis.

Clarence Brown, landlord of the Cattle Market pub, said: "You can never get a taxi in Leek. One of my customers couldn't even get up to a funeral the other day."

A district council spokesman said: "The council gives preference to applications from Hackney Carriage Operators in the Staffordshire Moorlands District and only grant licences to operators from outside the district in special circumstances.

"The council does licence drivers who live outside the area, but work for an operator who is licensed by the council. The policy was established to protect the interests of taxi businesses in the area."
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Do these councils ever get proper legal advice?

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IDFIMH

So an illegal cartel, and one that protects the better off in the trade while keeping the wages of drivers down.

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

Well its nice to see another council who thinks it can make its own statutory laws.

This is yet another council to add to the ever growing TDO list of councils that don't know best.

I'll have to start a thread titled "TDO's list of councils that don't know the law".

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.

That can't possibly be legal

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http://wingsoverscotland.com/ http://www.newsnetscotland.com/

I have been in touch with this council and the LO has told me that they have refused no application this year or indeed last year. The condition is not a condition as such but a preferred policy formulated in 1979. The conditions are up for review in July 2007 so there are going to be some changes.

The council press office contacted the LO when this story first surfaced but they got the same reply as me. The story is therefore somewhat of a mystery and I can only assume that Mr Hill didn't actually apply for a license and the story centres on his enquiries in obtaining a license.

If anyone can shed any further light on this story I would be grateful.

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.

Like a lot of operators who run limos. They ring the council up and say will you license my limo and get a flat no over the phone so they don't bother with the forms. When if they actually fill in the forms and then get a refusal they are able to challenge this at appeal.

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Grandad,

And that list will start at Aberdeen and end at York.

With hundreds of councils in-between.

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IDFIMH