Taxi Driver Online

Chester Hackney Cab Drivers Set For Legal Battle With Council

17th July 2008

Black cab drivers are set to fight Chester City Council with legal action if a crunch meeting goes against them today.

Drivers represented by Chester Licensed Hackney Association (CLHA), are angry about a council proposal to allow an unlimited number of black cabs to obtain licences in the city.

They fear that drivers' livelihoods could be at stake as they compete with new cab drivers coming to the city.

At an executive meeting at 4.30pm today, council leader Cllr Margaret Parker and her deputy, Cllr Stephen Mosley, will make the decision in conjunction with fellow Conservative councillors Pamela Hall, Jill Houlbrook, Eric Plenderleath and Adrian Walmsley.

They can either decide to follow the recommendation made by the city council licensing board in April and lift the restrictions on black cabs, also known as Hackney Carriage vehicles, or take no further action until an 'unmet demand' survey is carried out.

If they decide to lift the restrictions, and allow a free-for-all for cabs, the CLHA is ready with legal advisers to seek a High Court judicial review.

Chester has 77 licensed black cabs at the moment and during the last three-yearly review in 2005, the council's previous Labour and Liberal Democrat administration decided to increase the limit from 73 licences to 77.

Unlike private hire vehicles, such as those of Abbey Taxis and Kingkabs, black cabs can pick up passengers on the street without pre-booking.

Black cabs are controlled by three Acts including the Town Police Clauses Act 1847 and this allows the council to set limits on the number of licences it issues.

CLHA chairman Richard Barker and his colleagues have gathered more than 2,000 signatures in a petition against the move to lift the restriction numbers on cabs.

Mr Barker, who has been a taxi driver in the city for 20 years, said: "As an owner, I would work days and have a driver at night.

"If I don't have enough business in the day because the city is flooded with cabs, I will have to carry on into the evening – when the driver should be working.

"The driver would probably leave and get his own cab and work in the day, so there will be no black cabs at night."

He added: "We believe a political and personal campaign has been waged on the trade to change the policy, against all logic and without sufficient justification."

He is also angry that cab drivers in the city have paid between £15,000 and £20,000 to carry out an independent survey to assess the situation with cabs in the city, but the licensing board declined to commission the survey because of the decision to 'de-limit'.

He said: "They are making a decision without sufficient evidence. Why refuse a free survey?"

In April black cab drivers flooded the city in a protest to show what could happen if black cabs are unlimited.

The council has received more than 50 letters of representation from drivers themselves.

The CLHA has received letters of support encouraging the survey to be carried out from Arriva, Abbey Taxis and Dial House Disability Rights Centre.

Cheshire County Council's principal traffic engineer, Graham Lowe, filled in a form about his views on limiting the black cabs.

He wrote in comments: "Existing problem of road users being obstructed by Hackney Carriages queuing to gain access to the ranks (45 daytime spaces in total) would be exacerbated if the existing restrictions were removed."

_________________
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.

The Executive voted today for

Option 2: To accept the recommendations of the Licensing Board meeting of the
15th April 2008:-

That the restrictions currently in place on Hackney carriage vehicle numbers be
removed, with the requirement that new licences only be granted to applicants who
propose to licence a new (at the time of registration) purpose built wheelchair
accessible vehicle of a design and manufacture that is approved by the Licensing
Authority.

And

That the relevant enforcement agencies be contacted to request that priority be
given to the enforcement of the traffic regulations on designated Hackney Ranks to
ensure maximum availability of rank space.

So as of today the limit in Chester has now been lifted.

I like a laugh and this does it for me . .. .

_________________
All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.
George Orwell, "Animal Farm"

Can they use any of the WAVS or are they limited to the TX sheit

TX4
TW200
VW TRANSPORTER/SHUTTLE
NISSAN NX8
PEUGEOT E7

I think thats the lot.
AFAIK from 5 new plate issues the new cabs are
2 x E7
1x NX8 (mine)
2x T4

So going by there wording you dont need to get a brand new one as a secondhand one was new at first registration, or if they mean at first licence why does it have to be brand new when a second hand or nearly new one would do

It's an unsubtle way to restrict numbers.
Anyone think this will apply to the "gorra plates"?

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http://wingsoverscotland.com/ http://www.newsnetscotland.com/

They've already got a cab ?

CC

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

True.
When they come to replace their cab, will they also have to supply a brand new WAV from the same list?

_________________

http://wingsoverscotland.com/ http://www.newsnetscotland.com/

This is taken from the report submitted to the Licensing Board

"All taxi (hackney carriage) licences issued since 1996 have been issued to
applicants who have provided brand new, approved, purpose-built taxi vehicles with
full wheelchair accessibility and which were registered as new at the time of
licensing. "


So I think someone has typed it back to front, It is understood here that if you want a plate then you have to provide a brand new WAV from the approved list.