Taxi Driver Online

We all know the trouble and strife that seems to be a constant curse on Stoke's hackney and P/H sectors. And that the local council are looking into the prospect of removing restrictions? However I found these two letters one from who I assume is a Stoke P/H driver named Mr Gilmore, if this is his real name then I hope he doesn't mind us publishing his letter.
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The Sentinel (Stoke)

September 3, 2007 Monday

It's an insult to private hire

Sir, - Re: Mike Wolfe's column: Violent nights a punch in the teeth for our future, The Sentinel, August 28. With reference to the above statement by Mr Wolfe, I wish to comment on his remarks about private hire taxi drivers. Mr Wolfe refers to private hire drivers as being illegal. This is an absolute injustice to the many drivers who risk everything in order to make a decent living.

May I point out that if Mr Wolfe investigated the taxi services at weekends at both Newcastle and Stoke-on-Trent, he would find very few hackney carriage licensed drivers. The bottom line, Mr Wolfe, is that without private hire taxi firms the city would still be full of drunken yobs at 4am.

DAVID GALLIMORE Burslem
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The Sentinel (Stoke)

August 31, 2007 Friday

More taxis makes sense

It's a pretty miserable end to a good night out or a fruitful shopping trip when you can't get a taxi home for love or money. Such a scenario has long been the reality for people visiting Hanley, simply because there are only 87 Hackney Carriage licences in Stoke-on-Trent. These are the cabs you're able to hail on the street, as opposed to private hire vehicles, which need to be booked in advance.

In one way, a mark of a true city is the ease of getting about, particularly at unsocial hours. In a bigger metropolis such as London or Manchester, more often than not it's simply a matter of raising your arm and a cab's there straight away. Of course, that can be done here in the Potteries - if you're prepared to risk an uninsured trip in a car that's not licensed for the job, with a driver who may or may not be a danger to his passengers, particularly women.

At chucking-out time or when you're laden with bags after the shops have shut, all you're interested in is getting home as soon as possible. And so you take the risk. Whether or not the city council decides today to allow far more Hackney Carriage licences to be granted, the question arises of why it has allowed this situation to continue for so long. Given that these licences can command prices of up to £30,000 when they cost as little as £140 a year from the council, it seems obvious that there's enough business to support many more taxis. The currently licensed cabbies don't seem keen on expansion, which is fair enough - it's their livelihood, after all. But surely, if the council is sensible and doesn't allow a total free-for-all, there'll still be more than enough work for all the drivers. And the people of this city will be able to get about promptly and safely whenever they want.
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