Taxi Driver Online

Transport plans? I wonder how many local Authorities have inclusive plans for the Taxi and Private hire trade. I also wonder how many local Authorities have excluded plans for our combined trades.

I would like to think my own Authority has a blue print for both trades but I have to inform you that that is not the case. So where does that leave us? The gains here in Manchester in the last ten years have been brought about by our own perseverance, we have been offered nothing on a plate.

We can use bus lanes but it wasn't through any planning of the local authority. Access to bus lanes was a battle we had to win ourselves, everyone including the local Passenger Transport Authority was against us using bus lanes.

We can also use certain sections of the light rail link but then again it wasn't granted to us by virtue of any local planning, we had to fight long and hard for that privilege.

So what do we have besides those two items we had to fight for? Well, I'm sorry to say, we don't have a carrot.

So much for transport plans. What I would like to know, is, what are your suggestions with regard to Taxi inclusion into local Transport plans.

The problem with Taxi policy and transport plans is that here in Manchester the policy on Taxis is far different from those policies administered by adjoining councils. These councils are also part of the Local Transport plan. Therefore, a one size fits all transport plan for Taxis in My area, is totally unworkable.

Best wishes

John Davies.

John,
I bet you a fiver its there!

now look under the public transport part.

bet it says something like working towards accessible taxis, using taxis in rural areas as buses I know its there beccause taxis in Greater Manchester are claiming bus grant!

Geoff

I think the onus is now on councils to chase us to see what we want in transport plans, not the other way around.
When the DfT did their league table of TP taxi inserts, many mocked. But it was a wake up call for officials.

Part of the problem is that transport is dealt with a different department than licensing.

Maybe if councils licensed buses and bus drivers, we would be ok.

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IDFIMH

I read the Plans back in March because of something you wrote Geoff and I wanted to reply to that particular post. However considering that you are more knowledgable on this subject than I, I had to get my facts right before I did so. Unfortunately I never did get around to responding to that post.

In the meantime, I have read the plans again just in case I missed something but there is nothing of substance in the plans with regard to Taxis in the Manchester area.

I decided to go right to the heart of matter and this morning I spoke to the principal policy officer in charge of the five year action plan.

He first apologised for not including a plan for Taxis in the last action plan and said he could not give me a firm commitment that future action plans would include Taxis. He is aware of the Governments forthcoming guidance on Taxis but he would have to wait and see what guidance was issued before commenting.

He agreed with me that because of the very nature of the industry the scope for Taxi Related services in the North West Transport plan is very limited indeed.

The only public exercise taking place at the moment is an experimental ring and ride type service which is called, "local Arranged passenger transport" or (APT).

This service is being carried out in a limited number of local areas and includes a small group of private hire operators.

The passengers pay 1.50 per journey anywhere within the local area but the service is compliant on the number of customers booking the service. For example if only one or two people booked the service they would not get a P/H car. They might get other forms of Transport such as a ring and ride type vehicle but it will not be a Private hire vehicle from a private hire company.

There is only one major Black Cab operator in Manchester who could possibly supply the type of service in question but because of the uneconomical structure of the service I doubt any driver would ever sign up to it.

I think the physical concessions such as using bus lanes and the application of jointly being allowed to have the same exemptions of the Road Traffic act as do the buses, is a good thing. In my opinion this should be written into every Local Transport Plan.

If Taxis are indeed looked upon as being an integral part of the local Transport system then I would like to see us enjoying some of the concessions that other forms of Transport enjoy, such as reduced VAT on fuel.

Being self employed individuals we operate on a profit and loss basis, we can't recover our loses by virtue of a public subsidy. Therefore as individuals we have to cut our cloth accordingly.

Local Authorities and Governments make a great play on how the Taxi and Private hire industry is an important part of the Nations transport system. To me they are just sound bytes, the same sound bytes you will no doubt get in most Transport plans.

I was today invited to become part of the consultation group but I initially declined, perhaps I should reconsider.

Best wishes.

John Davies.

I would definately re-consider John.

I mean, who do you know that will best represent you on this consultation group better than you?

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IDFIMH

It's also vital that the taxi/PH trade are involved, at an early time, in all proposed major road changes/works.

Then we can point out the stupidity that we see daily, before it happens.

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IDFIMH

yeh John you should reconsider you need to get the feel of these plans.

I am horrified to learn that private hire are doing the job public hire should do!.

but as I understand it your plan like ours is a joint plan. and there are taxibus schemes that come up to our boundary at Oldham.

I was in Manchester last thursday picking up at the Palace hotel what a nightmare entering that core! but waiting for my passengers and fighting off the people trying to get in my taxi I watched the taxis in action John what orgainisation it looked! you realy mean there is no plan and this just happens?

Geoff

Has it only taken you 28 years to realise that?

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IDFIMH

Sussex,
we did wake up this morning in a poor way didnt we?

where does 28 come from?

now please stop being a t***, whatever problem you have should not be taken out on me

Geoff

That's not very nice.

The 28 years come from the 2004-1976.

But my point is that no-one has a god given right to any section of the trade. Although one side of it still believes it does.

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IDFIMH

The busy periods at Weekends here in Manchester as you probably know are chaotic, its just one big free for all. Last Thursday at the Palace there was a big advertsing awards ceremony. some good fares came out of there.

With regard to the local Transport plans the TODA has never been enthusiastic about trying to influnce these plans, they prefer to excert their influence through the licensing comittee. I must admit, although that policy has sometimes been difficult, it has produced results.

The TOA back in the early nineties rejected the proposed offer for Cabs to provide a bus service. At the time I understand ten percent of the Cab fleet had to agree to provide the service, this was a complete non starter.

The only thing the TODA is interested in, is keeping the present status quo and keeping the number of licences issued each year to a minimum.

Moving away from traditions is not something the Cab trade here in Manchester are very keen on.

Best wishes

John Davies.

The Gov have just issued guidance for TPs in general.
http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/d ... 28986.hcsp

Bearing in mind what has been stated earlier in the thread, notice should be taken of;

Rewarding performance

79. The overall assessments of APRs will form a central component of decisions taken by Ministers on authorities' firm allocations for 2005/06.

80. Ministers have made clear that they wish to target funding towards those authorities which can demonstrate their ability to make best use of local transport capital funding and use it to deliver better transport outcomes. Given the increasing pressures on LTP resources, it is extremely likely that in the 2004 Settlement announcement we will reduce the indicative allocations of authorities which are failing to perform, in order to free up funds for those which have a proven record of making better use of additional resources.

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IDFIMH

Why don't L.A's review the de-regulation issue in line with the time scale it takes to buy a cab which is approx 5 years.

Instead of the current time scale of every 3 years.

The best thing for those wishing to see councils de-limit is for a council to wait 5 years between surveys.

Then they would have no defence in a court when challenged after 3 years.

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IDFIMH