Taxi Driver Online

Our Council has recently conducted a consultation into a new taxi licensing policy. None of the suggestions raised by the trade were accepted and the policy has been passed by the director under delegated powers.
However last night we had a drivers meeting with the licensing teasm and the chair and vice chair of the licensing committed and the portfolio holder in the cabinet.
The director started by outlining that the Council were bound by legislation and best practice guidlines.
I said that they were very selective as to which pard of the guidlines they decided to follow.
I explained that the latest Government guideline stated that mandatory age limits on vehicle should not be used and it should be emmisions. The licensing officer then stated that the Council weere keeping the age limit of 10 years because that is what other districts near us were doing. When asked to say which districts she read out and around half of them had already changed their policy to state vehicles that met Euro 6. So after much "disccussion" the ditector agreed to look at it again.
Next was drivers badges. I pointyed out that a standard 3 year license was not always appropriate especially for drivers who were over state pension age who may not be able to ccontinue for 3 years due to their own health or the heaslth of their partners which would see them have to retire. This was dismissed as agest. Because younger drivers would possible want the same. Currently a driver can request a 1 or 2 year license but only once. After that they must have a 3 year license. Again after much "discussion" the director agreed to look at this again. I asked how long this would take because some drivers and vehicles wouldd be coming off the road by July. The director said she would have a decision before the end of January.
So we will have to wait and see.

They might lose control
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultat ... e-vehicles

Regarding 1 or 3 year licenses, there should be no cost difference, it costs the same to produce a 3yr license as it does to produce a 1yr. Ask for a breakdown of the cost to produce both.

They said last night that they are loosing money on them. I said that was what was claimed years ago and after a time and motion study and a report from James Button the licensing fees were found to be double the cost that they needed to be.

You can't be *bound* by *guidelines*. That's oxymoronic. Or something like that

For what it's worth, we've always had a one-year or three-year badge option in Fife. (And same with plates, but not sure that's possible under the English legislation.)

And not sure about the argument that it costs the same to process a three-year badge as a one-year badge, since over three years they're having to do the same process three times if it's a three one-year badges, as opposed to one three-year badge

Lost me on that one.

_________________
IDFIMH

Ah but the cost of the one year badge that we used to have was trebled when it went to a 3 year badge. The argument was, and should be, that the cost of a 3 year badge should be no more than a one year badge.