Taxi Driver Online

Forgive my ignorance but I've only been in the taxi game a few weeks and am already finding that dealing with my local authority a bit of a one sided affair!! A bit of back ground info for you about 2 month ago got made redundant from a job I hated anyway so no loss there really but not wanting to sign on I bought a 2002 dispatch cab of a pal that had hackney plates I couldn't keep the plates because at the time my badge was still under application. When I got me badge applied for the hackney plates but the council said no because the cab is over 5 years old even though a matter of weeks before it was on hackney plates and not only that but there are loads of Stone Age cabs on hackney plates round here feel like I've been ripped off a bit now as I can only go p/hire or get a huge loan for a new cab. Has anyone else been in this situation and is there anything I can do about it ????

You don't need a badge to hold a plate.

As for the five year rule, a few enquiries at the council should have let you know about this before you bought the cab.
BTW The guy who sold it to you should have known about this as well.

Which council is it?

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

We need more information - telling us where you're licensed - would be a decent enough start.

Did you buy the taxi as a going concerned with plates and license attached - or did your pal remove the plate and put it onto another cab?

If you bought the cab as a going concern - as Gus says - the license is separate to your hackney drivers license - it is therefore possible to own a taxi without being able to drive it. If you were told different by your council then they are wrong.

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

The authority is Conwy and he kept the plates and stuck em on his new cab but told me that I couldn't have the plates because I didn't have a badge. Gus your right should have done more research but it was a bit of a rash decision

To be honest I'm just glad to have avoided the dreaded dole Que. & so far really enjoying me new job but it does strike me as being a bit unfair that my cab can't go hackney anymore yet there are cars out there that Fred flintstones would be proud off that have got hackney plates on

It looks to me like this chap has stitched you up.

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Grandad,

Council cannot refuse to licence a wheelchair accessible vehicle that has already been licenced, unless there is an upper age limit.

Failing that you could go to the police and get the person charged with theft and deception, unless he gives you a full refund

Caveat emptor....

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Former taxi driver

Correct.

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

All good replies from tdo members

As has been alluded to - you appear to have been stitched up by the person you bought the cab from.

The council would have had to (due to caselaw) have no option but to transfer the license from the original licensee to yourself - there is no requirement that you would have required a hackney drivers license - however you would not have been able to drive the cab until you obtained a drivers license.

You seem to be blaming your council policy - sadly I think the blame - as you admit - sits about 50/50 between you and your mate.

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

Most councils have an age limit for cabs "new" to the system, most areas is 3 years, even if they've been on a plate elsewhere or in the same area.

If the plate (license) has run out, then the council will not relicense it unless it met their new vehicle requirements, rather than a simple relicense.

Why didn't your pal tell you that, and/or kept the vehicle in his name?

As for what you can do, well all councils have rules, but they are not allowed to be set in stone. There must be provisions to allow exceptions.

Write to the Chair of Licensing asking for the committee to consider licensing that vehicle under exceptional circumstances.

I would also reconsider your list of pals.

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IDFIMH

Otherwise the appeal is to the local Magistrates Court, cost £200. Get a copy of the local licencing regulations and see what that says.

I've currently got a mags appeal going through, see the thread on this page about vehicle age.

If you fail to plan you plan to fail

the OP should have done his research with the LA, got his drivers badge and THEN (with regards to the regs) sourced a vehicle

its no good moaning on a forum after the fact

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

fekk me the **** has got it right

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