Taxi Driver Online

'Taxi wars' spills over at town hall

A ROW between private hire and Hackney Carriage taxi drivers spilled from the ranks into a licensing meeting this week. Parking their white cabs outside Dewsbury Town Hall in protest, around 15 drivers marched into the meeting to make their complaints heard.

The Hackney Carriage drivers accused private hire drivers of breaking the rules and openly touting for trade when they were only meant to pick up customers with bookings.

One driver, Tariq Mahmood, told the licensing officers: "We are being forced out of our trade and it's being done openly. You're are a waste of time for me. You're not protecting my trade. Why should I pay so much for my licenses and various other fees if nothing is being done?" Others named Asda in Dewsbury and the bars along the 'Golden Mile' on Bradford Road as some of the worst spots for private hire drivers hanging around to find customers.

Speaking to the Reporter, Akooji Badat, joint chair of the Hackney Carriage Taxi Association, said: "We don't mind their bookings but we can tell who's coming for bookings. A lot of places they're standing and plying for hire and they can't do that - they have to get bookings. "We're insured to pick up anywhere within the boundaries of Kirklees if anyone flags us down. With private hire they have to be booked (to be insured]."

He urged passengers who have not booked a taxi to look out for the Hackney Carriages, which are usually white, and display their licenses. He also called on the licensing officers to enforce the regulations.

But Mohammed Akmal Hussain, chair of the private hire association, said: "It's a two way thing. The problem is with Hackney Carriages over-ranking and then what we've also got is drivers who have lost a job and someone else gets in."

He said that at night, when many private hire firms only had a few drivers working, the same drivers could be sent back for several pick-ups outside the same bar or nightclub.

He said it could look like they were hanging around to find new jobs but that wasn't the case - they were simply returning for other bookings.

A spokesman for Kirklees Council said: "We take complaints of this nature very seriously and we do take action against private hire taxis if the they are plying for customers on the street, including prosecutions through the courts."

He said licensing officers carried out intensive on-the-spot exercises to prevent it and would also use CCTV evidence where appropriate. He added: "Drivers who operate illegally are putting their licence, and ultimately their livelihood, at risk."

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IDFIMH

Endemic throughout the UK and has been for years, you better get used to it because under current licensing legislation nothing is going to change.



Sounds interesting!



What's over-ranking got to do with private hire drivers?



In other words the problem Mr Hussain talks about is not really a problem at all, it is a blatant case of law breaking.



I suppose the tell tale sign is when a private hire driver doesn't get out of his vehicle to go find their punter



That would be a first.

Regards

JD

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They could always do like our council and let them all have hackney plates then they coul;d have 60 to 70 cars queing for a rank designed to hold 8 cars like we do !

We have 125 every weekend doing that now

....But at least you don't have PHV snatching your fares. YOu also know that you will work your way up the rank to get the fares that you have no PHV risk because [I reckon] you don't have any PHVs in your borough; ergo...even playing field.

We may not have PH nicking fares but we do have hacks doing it, and there is no rank etiquette folk just jump in the one they want or the nearest