Taxi Driver Online

As part of the OFT's report in 2004, they said they would do a follow up in October this year. Is anyone else awaiting this report? It dosen't seem to have been mentioned on here.

I think it was reported on here at the beggining of the year that OFT 2 was in the study/build up info stage.

By all accounts all restricting councils were sent a questionairre by Halcrow on behalf of the OFT.

So you just never know.

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IDFIMH

Well I think we've mentioned it now and again, but while I used to look out for these things, since they're never out when scheduled then I don't bother thinking about them too much.

What actually happened is that in March 2004 the Govt said that in three years time they would review the extent to which controls on numbers had been removed in conjunction with the OFT.

Whether this means that they would report in March 2007 or that was when they would start their review I don't know, but clearly if it was the former then they're late already.

But I suspect that 'three years time' was when the review would begin, so when any statement would be made is anyone's guess.

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

Our firm, Europe Economics (www.europeeconomics.com), an independent economics consultancy, has been commissioned by the Office of Fair Trading (the OFT) to evaluate the impacts of its 2003 market study on taxis. Please see attached the covering letter from the OFT.

To assist our study, we would like to speak to some stakeholders to get a deeper understanding of the taxi and PHV sector and have their opinion on some important issues. It has been suggested that you may be willing to meet with us.

Please be reassured that, without explicit permission from you, we will not attribute views to individual organisations in our report. We will only provide the OFT with data on an anonymised and aggregated basis. Please also note that, instead of raising new initiatives or investigations, this work for the OFT is just a review looking back into its own actions in the past and won't form the basis for future actions.

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

The OFT informed me last week that the current exercise being undertaken is for their own internal study of updating the progress made by those councils who restrict numbers and they emphasised that they would not be producing another report such as the one undertaken in 2003. The OFT added that in future, any movement on current legislation will be down to the DfT.

Regards

JD

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Copyright notice © The contents of this post are copyright of JD and are not to be reproduced outside of TDO without written permission.

we agree

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

I strongly urge you all to read OFT956, ‘Evaluating the Impact of the Taxis Market Study’

The OFT commissioned Europe Economics in March 2007 to evaluate the impact of the OFT's 2003 market study into the taxi and PHV sector in the UK and their 135 page report was published in October 2007.

Strangely this report, although on the Internet, has been kept very quiet by the government, DfT and OFT. Could the reason be that Europe Economics have dared to criticise the OFT's 2003 report???

EUROPE ECONOMICS EVEN GO AS FAR TO SAY (Paragraph 6.40);

'The nature of the street and rank hiring segment involves externalities which affect consumers and which justify some continuing regulation.'

See the full post on OFT Update Forum

And we all have to read it three time do we?

Why not just say which part you don't like and why?

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IDFIMH

And we all have to read it three time do we?

Why not just say which part you don't like and why? [/quote]

If you have read it you will have noted those parts of the document, as I did, that are beneficial to the taxi trade, which I have summarised in my post.

But why should I say which part I don't like and why? That is a really negative attitude!!! The parts I don't like I cannot do anything about!!!

But the parts I do like, which are in my summary, can be used by the cab trade to try and stop de-restriction, re-introduce restriction, or try to persuade a LA to move from de-restriction to controlled growth.

And you can bet your bottom dollar that the parts of OFT956 that the cab trade like will not be quoted by councillors or council officials in a debate about de-restriction or re-restriction. The cab trade have to do that and as this latest offering on 'all things taxi' is from the OFT, it becomes a powerful document to present to licensing committees around the country, purely because it has come from the OFT.

If quoted & used correctly in negotiations with licensing committees, then maybe, just maybe someone's livelihood & job out there might be saved or at the least cushioned from disaster.

I see your location is 1066 county, so I presume you are a B & H licensed driver. If you are a B & H driver, you are lucky as your licensing authority appear to have a controlled growth policy. And good luck to you and your colleagues and long may it continue. Drivers in your area need not concern themselves with OFT956 FOR THE MOMENT.

BUT!

There are many areas in the country where cab drivers have to work in excess of 80-90 hours a week to try to earn a living, purely because of de-restriction. You I don’t think are in that position; otherwise your plates would not have such a value. But there for the grace of God might you and your colleagues go one day. And then OFT956 might just be you saviour.

Don’t be so selfish! If a post/blog does not concern you, don’t think you are the only one that reads TDO. Others might just find it very useful!! And for God’s sake BE POSITIVE SUSSEX!

Perhaps you might have been a retired banker in a previous life with tendencies to work as a taxi driver albeit with a banker's attitude?

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Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

Type a message, post your news,
Disagree with other members' views;
But please, do have some decorum,
When debating on the TDO Forum.

Can't say i've read OFT 956, but didn't the OFT's own report come to the same conclusion as Europe Economics in the paragraph in bold?

By 'regulation' I think they meant quality regulation rather than quantity control.

BC... I am not in favour of de- restriction.. But Birmingham is de-restricted. do you feel it does not work.... and did not the drivers in Birmingham apply for de-restriction.. in favour of quality controls.. ie.. a new fx4..

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

So in what way is your research going to stop councils de-limiting if they so wish?

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IDFIMH

Exterminate Sussex would be a start

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

I don't think it meant quality regualtion, because of the previous sentence. The whole paragraph 6.40 of the report reads;

6.40
In our assessment of consumer benefit resulting from the 2003 study
we have been very conscious of the complex interactions involved in the
market for taxi services. The nature of the street and rank hiring
segment involves externalities which affect consumers and which justify
some continuing regulation. Different factors operate in the pre-booking
segment which is subject to much lighter regulation. The way in which
competition takes place, both within and between segments, is
something we have sought to take into account in assessing the impact
of changes in regulation.

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Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

Type a message, post your news,
Disagree with other members' views;
But please, do have some decorum,
When debating on the TDO Forum.

Don't take life so seriously!

No one ever gets out alive!!!

_________________
Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

Type a message, post your news,
Disagree with other members' views;
But please, do have some decorum,
When debating on the TDO Forum.