Taxi Driver Online

Don’t know if this is the right place to highlight some of the crazy things that we come across with local licensing but here goes.

Gateshead licensing recently told one of our customers that his despatching system would have to be replaced as it didn’t comply with their rules. The reason stated was that operators need to enter the driver number that would be doing the job as the booking was being taken. Don’t think I need say much more on this but he went away very red faced.

Just yesterday Darlington licensing committee decided that it’s no longer allowable for a customer to state a general destination area such as town when ordering a car. They say the records need to show exact pickup and drop-off details and “as directed” would be a hanging offence and the arguments still ongoing.

But by far the most common complaint we get is when a licensing officer walks in and demands a hard copy printout for the last three months. Aside from the fact that nobody in their right mind would ever read through so much stuff, they fail to realise that it would involve multiple boxes of paper and ink cartridges not to mention a about a days time to print.

Common sense clearly isn’t a prerequisite to be a licensing official.

So auto booking is out?

And what happens with pub/club/cafe/doctors/dentist/hotel/hairdressers/etc etc bookings where staff order cabs for punters?

And what happens if customers lie, or they change their minds?

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IDFIMH

Can you not put it on a disc?

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IDFIMH

They are wrong there, as a lot of companys use IVR.
drivers change shifts, go home early / late . or sent the job back to the booking system.

what a load of ponkers

I just love taking these people on especially when they come in on their high horse and start quoting what “their” rulebook says. The sooner we get rid of these groups of idiots who sit in town halls across the country all trying to dream up something to justify their existence the better. It’s a bloody nightmare for us having to deal with different rules made up for each town. The government should save some money and appoint one body to determine the rules once and for all.

Rant over!

Bill, can I call you Bill or would you rather Mr Datamaster?

I think that you want just what lots of people want, a clean sheet, and then writ upon it, an all new shiny suit everybody Taxi Act.

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Chris The Fish

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gdlyi5mc ... re=related

agreed, a new act needs to be writted to take account of all the technology in the trade. Bill's posts above alone highlight the variances that occur between LAs due to the lack of such a document.

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My heart is heavy, but my consience clear,
I voted Yes, without any fear.

A clean sheet would be nice but I’d settle for just a little consistency. I suppose though what really miffs me off is the manner in how they come across and the lengths they’ll go to justify their petty rules.

If there’s some issue that they disagree with then they only have to speak with us but all too often their approach is we have the power to close this company down if you don’t comply. Our software has a multitude of options and all that’s usually required is to change a few tick boxes to give them exactly what they need.

We’ve come across one licensing area though that wouldn’t accept any options and demanded that the software should only do what they wanted and nothing more. They even brought in a solicitor who demanded copies of the source code to prove that anything they disagreed with had been permanently removed.

Needless to say we told them to bugger off but it does go to show just how obsessive some of these jobsworths can be.

Well that LA should get star billing on this particular thread - is there a reason you are being coy about putting a name to it?

If the LA use LalPac I wonder if the local trade could insist on similar?

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Chris The Fish

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gdlyi5mc ... re=related