Taxi Driver Online

Harlow cabbies have gained a partial victory after councillors agreed to set a limit of 75 on the number of Hackney Carriage licences it issues.

The environment and community committee agreed the situation needed to move forward following two years of argument between the council and the trade involving petitions and surveys.

The issue has been sent between various committees since the council lifted the cap, a decision that caused uproar among cabbies who complained it would bring too much competition into the trade.

In a bid to compromise and end the feud Conservative group members put forward a motion for the number to be set at 76.

Tory councillor John Paul Goddard said: "Yes, as a party we've changed our minds.

"We've not given the trade everything they want but we've gone some way to trying to resolve the solution."

Labour councillor Robert Davis added an amendment for the number to be set at 75, which was eventually accepted. It was also agreed the limit be reviewed annually and, although admitting the situation needed to be resolved, Liberal Democrat councillor Lorna Spenceley said: "An annual report would be appalling on trade and puts future instability into the system. It's not fair on trade and it's not fair on the council.""

Labour councillor Jack Jesse said: "We don't want to consider it every year. If demand for more cabs arises then we can discuss it then, if not there is no point in looking into it. The number of cabs at the moment is quite adequate."

Local cabbie Vince Hurley, speaking for the trade after the meeting, said the decsion was a good result.

He said: "At present there are 72 licensed drivers in the area and we would have preferred to have seen the limit set at that number. We also would have liked the situation to be monitored every three years.

"But in general we're happy a limit has been set. The survey showed there's no need for more cabs and we expected the council to abide by the survey.

"This has been a long ongoing battle which is over for at least a year. The drivers have now been given some protection towards their livelihood."

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

A slightly different take:

Council pulls U-turn over number of cabs

A LIMIT on the number of Hackney Carriages allow-ed to operate in Harlow has been re-introduced less than three years after councillors abolished it.

Cabbies claimed victory after the environment and community committee's U-turn, prompted by a Conservative motion.

The opposition - once in favour of leaving the fate of black cabs to market forces - put forward the motion through John Paul Goddard.

He told last Tuesday's meeting they had "listened and learned" and now favoured a compromise position for an extra three licences to be issued on top of the 73 presently held.

Members later amended his motion to a maximum of 75 licences. The measure also includes an annual review of the policy.

An original recommendation by officers for no further licences to be issued until evidence suggested they were needed was not put to the vote.

As taxi drivers looked on from the public gallery, Mr Goddard insisted he had merely "bent" rather than committed a full blown U-turn.

He stressed the motion was not surrendering to the taxi lobby, which had wanted a total freeze on new licences, saying: "We've tried to broker a compromise."

But Lorna Spenceley (Liberal Democrat) said an expanding Harlow would need more taxis and argued no limit should be set.

"There is a natural barrier to entry in the cost of buying a taxi," she said.

Jack Jesse (Labour) described the Conservative motion as "deplorable" before having a change of heart and voting for it.

After the meeting, Harlow Hackney Carriages spokesman Vince Hurley said drivers were largely happy with the outcome.

"Ideally, we would have wanted no increase but we're happy that the principle of having a limit has been re-established," he said. "It is a compromise but it puts us in a safer position than before."

He added: "Doing away with the limit was disastrous. In recent times, three drivers have been forced to leave the trade, including one this week. One driver has been declared insolvent and two have had to downsize their homes. Hopefully, we've seen the last of that."

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

Now when the Tories sweep labour aside in the Council elections in May, we will have more results like this...

I think it all depends on how many plates councilors control themselves.

If the reds have more than the blues, then the reds want quotas, if the blues more than the reds, then the blues want quotas. As for the Libs, well all they want is a nice young lad and a bottle of scotch.

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IDFIMH

I am afraid Jimbo, if you dont know already, who ever is in power , theres nothing to choose between the two . They both think taxi drivers are crap . Primary school teachers yes ,anybody else yes , part of the liberal middle class . elite .Taxi drivers just part of, the working class dross . My sister a teacher 30,000 a year 30 hours per week sick pay , loads and loads of holidays . Me Taxi driver 20,000 a year . 60 hours a week . Wake up jimbo, can you not see , when your being used . Stop focusing on quotas and chasing pennies . streetcars .

For your sake, I hope your sister does not read the above post, she may just point out the mountain of paperwork, formfilling, marking, coursework, setting, preparations for visits by inspectors, and much more besides, 30 hour week, you must be joking!
And I don't care what anyone thinks of me my Mum loves me, even if everyone else calls me a count. (or close to) And I am a plate baron (1) in a restricted council area, so I am minted, apparently.

And I am not having a go at you. But is english your first language?

No doubt plates are worthless then

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

at least common sense has prevailed!

At least that doesn't address the issues.

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

you forgot to update the database - Harlow - common sense has prevailed.

As the limit is higher than the current level of cabs, then I suppose it's still not fully restricted.

Still from experience for every one that goes back in the database, many many more leave it. So I can live with that.

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IDFIMH

Will you be able to live with your own survey result?