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Autumn Election 2024 http://www.taxi-driver.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=40120 |
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Author: | mdlmrk [ Tue Jun 04, 2024 8:18 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: Autumn Election 2024 |
all i have seen is Andy Burnham mention something about it a few months ago ,something along the lines a Labour government would look into cross border hiring issue,but as he is not a Mp and in a position to really do anything ,i took it with a pinch of salt |
Author: | mancityfan [ Thu Jul 04, 2024 12:20 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: Autumn Election 2024 |
mdlmrk wrote: all i have seen is Andy Burnham mention something about it a few months ago ,something along the lines a Labour government would look into cross border hiring issue,but as he is not a Mp and in a position to really do anything ,i took it with a pinch of salt I have seen a little more If the only local authority that issued private hire licences was the principal authority, there is an immediate and automatic private hire industry controlled by the same (effectively national) standards. Obviously, this would require significant co-operation between every local authority, but that could be co-ordinated by the Local Government Association (LGA). It would require local authorities to relinquish their control over PH licensees, but as will be seen, that would be outweighed by national safety standards and the removal of a local authority's requirements being undermined by other PHDs and PHVs. It would also require the principal authority to accept this responsibility and expand its licensing operation accordingly. |
Author: | Sussex [ Fri Jul 05, 2024 7:09 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: Autumn Election 2024 |
TaxoPoint website has an article discussing what the new Labour government could/might do. https://www.taxi-point.co.uk/post/cross ... government My personal view is that nothing will change in the next parliament. Truth is, in the grand scale of things, we really aren't as important as we all think we are. |
Author: | StuartW [ Sun Jul 07, 2024 5:33 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: Autumn Election 2024 |
TaxiPoint wrote: While Labour has not explicitly detailed plans for introducing caps, the party has historically been sympathetic to measures that protect workers' rights and ensure fair competition. Oh-aye, let's get the fleet holders running a hundred cars, and people living abroad controlling them to the exclusion of drivers who only want their own plate, and all that kind of malarkey, to 'protect workers' rights and 'ensure fair competition'. A mad-cap idea |
Author: | StuartW [ Sun Jul 07, 2024 5:48 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: Autumn Election 2024 |
And if anyone isn't aware, MCF is quoting from an article in Professional Driver Mag about a plan licensing solicitor James Button has to solve the cross-border issue without changing the legislation Quite a clever argument, but would depend on 300+ local authorities getting together and deciding that one of them should in effect become a national licensing authority for PHVs Chances of that happening? - zero would be a fair approximation, I'd guess I mean, they couldn't even agree a common standard in the likes of Greater Manchester, so what chances the whole country? And even if they got 90% of them on board, there would always be other authorities who would see the opportunity to become the next Wolves if the chosen authority decided to up the quality barriers a bit. Or if the chosen authority was bottom-of-the-barrel standards-wise, there would be plenty of authorities who wouldn't play ball with that. And then there's the whole complexity of the enforcement issue etc. So it's pie-in-the-sky, basically Assuming this link works, the article is on pages 12 and 13: https://www.prodrivermags.com/issue/pro ... june-2024/ |
Author: | StuartW [ Sun Jul 07, 2024 5:59 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: Autumn Election 2024 |
And the basic contradiction and political/practical difficulty with James Button's plan is encapsualeted here - compare what's said in the first paragraph with what's said in the third Pro Driver Mag wrote: For national standards to be put in
place, this intensely local system is a major obstacle. Private hire and taxi licensing is a major revenue-earner for cash-strapped councils, and for many licensing departments, there is a resistance to outside influence on their little empires. Squaring this particular circle may pose problems. But one man believes it can be done. James Button has a plan. Button is a solicitor who special- ises in taxi law, and he believes there is a way to get national standards in place that does not require legislation or major struc- tural change. In a nutshell, this is the plan: Allowing one particular local authority to become the national licensing authority for England and Wales. This “principal authority” would effectively set the standard, and its choice would be agreed by all other licensing authorities in England and Wales. “This radical proposal is readily achievable using the current legislation,” Button says. |
Author: | Chris the Fish [ Sun Jul 07, 2024 6:53 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: Autumn Election 2024 |
It would leave Plymouth out in the cold. Can't see a '76 Act PHV/Operator being able to Run/Operate in the '75 Act Area. For the same reason, Plymouth would be out of the running to be the providing Authority. A final point, License Fees are "ring fenced". Monies raised can only be used for the Licensing function. An Authority can choose to subsidise, but it can't cream monies of to add to the General Rate. Academic really. It just ain't gonna happen. |
Author: | edders23 [ Sun Jul 07, 2024 6:54 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: Autumn Election 2024 |
I've always thought that the best solution would be licensing done Nationally (by a government agency) and enforcement locally which removes all inter council arguments and puts people on a much more equal basis. Councils trying to cooperate is often a recipe for disaster. |
Author: | edders23 [ Sun Jul 07, 2024 6:56 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: Autumn Election 2024 |
Quote: Monies raised can only be used for the Licensing function. An Authority can choose to subsidise, but it can't cream monies of to add to the General Rate. In theory not in practice surely ? |
Author: | StuartW [ Sun Jul 07, 2024 8:41 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: Autumn Election 2024 |
Yes, the bit about the financing just didn't seem to ring true, at least in the grand scheme of things: Pro Driver Mag wrote: Private hire and taxi .licensing is a major revenue-earner for cash-strapped councils, and for many licensing departments, there is a resistance to outside influence on their little empires So if you look at it in the context of local authorities as a whole, it's a non-runner in terms of an argument. But it's a slightly more compelling point maybe in the context of empire-building licensing departments, as is ably demonstrated by Wolverhampton. Maybe, for example, a bigger empire means bigger salaries for some, and bragging rights in terms of the municipal ego But in terms of local government financing in the round, it's an irrelevance, as per what Chris says. And to a degree that may simply be a theoretical argument for some authorities, Edders, but once you get to the likes of the Wolverhampton model in terms of scale, I doubt they'd get away with it. (And can't be bothered looking back, but pretty sure there's been mention of the financials in some of the official Wolves stuff. And if they are making a surplus for the authority there, it's certainly not because of the high fees ) |
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