Taxi Driver Online

CONTROVERSY OVER NEW HACKNEY CARRIAGE PLATES

A BARRAGE of complaints has flooded into the council over the way in which six new Hackney Carriage plates were allocated earlier this year. The council's Licensing Committee put 23 names in a hat at a special meeting in January and six names were pulled out.

Those five individuals and one company, Sussex Cars, were allocated Hackney Carriage plates for wheelchair-friendly vehicles and the remaining 17 were placed on a waiting list.

But the council's licensing department has come in for criticism for not informing enough people they could apply for one of the plates and the committee for the way in which the plates were allocated.

One objector said, "The licensing department should have sent letters to all private hire operators as well as those who had expressed an interest telling them these six plates were to be made available. "Had they done that there would have been far more than 23 individuals or limited company applying to get one."

In its defence, the council did place a public notice outlining the terms and conditions and inviting expressions of interest in the Herald and on the council's website. But because of the volume of complaints the matter is being referred back to a meeting of the licensing committee next Monday.

A council spokesperson said, "Since the decision to allocate the licenses, the council has received complaints regarding the method of allocation, in particular, in relation to individuals having previously expressed an interest prior to the public notice.

"The council last released additional licenses in 1976 and since that time a list of individuals expressing an interest had been kept, however, due to the time interval and adequacy of information held, it was not possible to identify and contact named individuals separately.

"In light of the complaints received, the Licensing Committee is due to retrospectively consider the nature of the allocation process on Monday (March 12] and implications for any future release of licenses should this occur."

The main concerns from those objecting to the way in which the plates were allocated was that the six plates should have been issued to companies and certain individuals to stop them being sold or transferred after a year.

But the council spokesperson defended the way in which the allocation was carried out and stringent terms and conditions imposed. He added, "The committee considered methods of allocating the additional licenses and following advice, agreed an 'in house draw' as the fairest method of allocation.

"Attached to the release of the additional licenses were terms and conditions, these being, that the license would only be approved for use at all times by a wheelchair-accessible vehicle, that the license would only be released and approved for use by a vehicle meeting specific standards/vehicle condition bylaws, that the successful person is not an existing Hackney Carriage proprietor, that the vehicle to which the license applies shall only be used by a driver who is currently licensed by the council, the vehicle/license shall not be sold/ transferred or otherwise disposed of for a period of one year and that the licensing procedure shall be completed within a three month period of issue."

The Licensing Committee meeting takes place at the Town Hall on Monday at 6pm.

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IDFIMH

They gave a plate to a firm.

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IDFIMH

"Sussex Cars". No relation, then?

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Former taxi driver

I think if there was a connection then their chances of getting a free plate were slim at best.

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IDFIMH

Eastbourne Herald

March 20, 2007

HEADLINE: ANGER OVER NEW TAXI PLATES

TAXI drivers and private hire operators left fuming over the way in which Eastbourne Borough Council handed out highly sought after taxi plates have been reassured history will not repeat itself.

A list of people, who had expressed an interest in applying for one of the coveted plates since the 1970s, was not taken into consideration when the council came to allocating new Hackney Carriage plates in January.

The reason, says the council, was because the list had been poorly maintained with only the basic details of interested parties recorded on it and it was also illegible.

Instead the council placed a public notice in the Eastbourne Herald asking people who wanted to apply for one of six plates for wheelchair friendly cars to contact the licensing department.

It was also available to read on the council's website.

But some of those who say their names were on the list are angry they were not contacted to give them the option of applying.

Alistair Stoneham, whose name had been on the list for a number of years and was not allocated a plate when names were picked out of a hat in January, said he was angry and disappointed.

"This whole thing has been very badly handled by the council and the fact this list was not kept up to date is just not on."

He vented his anger at a meeting of the council's general licensing committee on Monday night when a number of taxi drivers packed in to the public gallery to express their displeasure.

Councillors too said they were furious the list had not been kept up to date and blamed a previous administration in the licensing department.

Conservative Bob Lacey said, "This is an embarrassment for Eastbourne Borough Council in the way it has been handled and I do not think it is satisfactory.

"I feel very uncomfortable about the fact the list was not maintained properly."

The council's current licensing manager, Karen Plympton, said the matter was something she had inherited.

"The historical list that was at the council when I arrived was totally inadequate," said Ms Plympton.

"It was a handwritten list of names. Names had been rubbed out or concealed, and there were only parts of names and no other details.

"It was impossible for us to make any sort of contact with the people on the list to invite them to apply as it was illegible.

"I can only apologise because the list wasn't maintained properly but it is a matter I have inherited.

"As soon as it was identified as a problem it was rectified and we now have a fully comprehensive list which will be maintained properly."

The deputy leader of the committee, Councillor Pat Bowker, made it clear Ms Plympton was not to blame.

"She has done an excellent job and cannot be blamed for what has happened in the past. We need to try and draw a line under the matter and we have now got the procedure right."
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So it was everyone else's fault.

I wonder who's fault it was they didn't compile a new list last year?

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IDFIMH