Taxi Driver Online

Is it the trade for thinking that anyone is going to believe their scare-mongering, or Halcrow for repeating it?

Cabbies in quit threat

A fifth of Rotherham's taxi drivers have threatened to quit if councillors increase the number of cabs plying for trade in the town.

Rotherham is one of a number of councils across the UK which deliberately restricts the number of taxi licences to prevent the town being flooded with cabs. But the council has been told by the Office of Fair Trading that it should re-consider its policy which currently limits the number of licences to less than 50.

The government is understood to be keen that passengers get the best possible deal - and ordered councils operating a limit carry out their own survey of whether more taxis are needed. While this has revealed that there is an unmet demand for cabs in the town most existing taxi drivers are set against lifting the limit on licences.

A report by consultants due to be considered by the council's Licensing Board tomorrow says that most taxi drivers think there isn't enough business to warrant the extra cabs. And more than 20 per cent of drivers say they would leave the trade altogether if the limit on licences was scrapped - which could leave Rotherham with fewer cabs than it has now.

However the report calls on the council to review its taxi operation - suggesting a new taxi rank at Parkgate Retail World for shoppers and the relocation of some existing town centre ranks. It also suggest shelters and seating at some busy ranks and more signs. "Our findings indicate that drivers believe that special circumstances exist in Rotherham that makes keeping the limit essential," says the report. "Some drivers said that by removing the limit the already limited rank space would result in severe overcrowding.

"Hackney carriage drivers largely concentrate their activities in the honey pot locations of Rotherham, such as the town centre, especially at ranks located close to the late night entertainment establishments. "The current restrictions are of benefit to the trade as there is more demand than supply at present, thus resulting in more work. "This in turn increases driver's confidence over current earning levels and consequently they can enjoy a high resale value on licence plates.

"However if the council were to remove the limit imposed over 21 per cent of hackney carriage drivers indicated they would leave the trade altogether. "The consequence of de-restriction in Rotherham could mean a reduction in the overall number of vehicles available to the public, at least in the short term."

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IDFIMH

Much of the trade has been run on the basis of this kind of nonsense for years, so no change there then.

But even assuming that Halcrow have to give credibility to the view that drivers will leave the trade, how do they conclude that the reduction in drivers will be greater than the increase?

Probably because they don't have a clue.

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

I expect they have a HC waiting list as long as your arm.

So if those lads want to go and sulk, then there will be plenty left to replace them.

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IDFIMH

Rotherham has always stood out in terms of numbers:

Population: 250,000

HCs: less than 50

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

they have not a waiting list at all.
whats the point plates never come up.

"The report is all about lies! All they tell is lies, lies and more lies!"

"There are no large queues of people waiting for taxis and no private hire cars illegally picking up passengers"

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"Even those who live on another planet, if there are such people, would have condemned this action before it started"