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Also didn't someone say something about a meeting in the new year between the DfT and the Limo people, to sort out the whole limo mess?

Oh yeah, it was me.

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IDFIMH

I wonder if the fire-brigade's union are going to get an invite?

Whats the next thing, travel in style on a milk float??? I hope these fire engines have hire and reward insurance. Somehow I doubt it.

As I said I don't think I'm in direct competition with a fire engine or similar, but I think it's indicative of the inadequacies and inconsistencies in regulation at present, and if I'm not in direct competion with any unlicensed service then there are plenty of people who are, and it's this kind of unfair competition that we're trying to highlight, not to mention the public safety aspect.

I'm perplexed by your attitude Mr Blue, if someone was competing in your sector by avoiding regulation that you adhere to or exploiting some legal loophole then would you dismiss it as a 'good idea'? No, I don't think so, and quite right too!

And you also seem to be saying that it's irrelevant because it's on a small scale, but I'll bet they said that about London touting at one point.

The problem with things of these type it takes some incident to happen before the authorities take an interest, or the problem is left to get out of control and then the enforcement agencies then complain that they don't have the rescources to do anything about it.

Dusty

I get the distinct impression that you don't believe me Mr Blue, but there was a major issue with the licensing of Ford Galaxies at Manchester Airport and other places I believe, perhaps someone else has the details.

But there are hundred of different authorities in the UK with hundreds of different rules for vehicles, not to mention drivers, fares etc.

For example, common rules include those relating to vehicle dimensions in various respects, engine size, vehicle colour, vehicle age etc.

In some areas to run a taxi all you need is a ten-year-old Nissan Sunny (say) whereas in others you need a brand new £30k black cab.

So is the Ford Galaxy example really that remarkable and unbelievable?

Dusty

I don't think the problem with the Galaxys relate to the vehicle itself. It was how many seats councils would allow them to be licensed for.

Alex

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Well done Dusty
we get to the real issue at last.
THE problem with fire engine and stretch limo is the councils and licence people bury their head in the sand.
We can collectively force them to LICENCE them if we complain properly in the right place using the right methods. But lets not complain about colleauges in the HC or PH sectors that are licenced and for the most part do a good job. I do use taxi's on occassion and recently went to the second vehicle on the "rank" because the first driver I remembered from a couple of weeks earlier, drives like an idiot, it caused some uproar nu I am the customer
Limo's fire engine, milk float, airport transfers, they are all good ideas. that the public want, this is proved by their using them.
There is no reason why any licence authority cannot licence any type of vehicle if they want to, take for instance the American Yellow School Bus.
This vehicle does not meet most of the UK C & U regulations yet the DoT gave it a derogation to see if it will work. In practice the idea with it is good the only difference is we could paint our own vehicles yellow and acheive the same.
Keep up the discussion's and broaden the scope of our horizons

Well said Mr Blue - believe me I don't have problem with particular vehicles being licensed, but that's subject to them meeting safety criteria and suchlike - but I think that if the authorities just ignore the problem then that's obviously not what they should be doing.

And the point about the Ford Galaxy was just to demonstrate the inconsistencies throughout the country - why should it be suitable as a six seater in my manor, but is only allowed to be used as a large estate car in others. And why should some LAs ask for the tinted windows to be removed when they're OK in my manor and others?

It's not logical.

While the authorities don't seem to want national standards, the irony is that the Disability Discrimination Act spec for vehicles will be the most national and prescriptive measure in the trade ever.

Dusty

Did you read the article in PHM last year (?) about the stretch limos?

I think that demonstrates some of the problesm that the authorities face and, of course, they tend to move at a snail's pace.

BTW, I think that if you didn't take the first car in my manor no one would bat an eyelid - during some periods the vast majority of fares come of whatever bit of the rank customers happen to be closest to - I've occasionaly been first of half a dozen or so cars and the last to get a fare!

Dusty

The PHM article can also be viewed on http://www.streamlinetaxis202020.com. Click on Limousine warning.

Lets all hope and pray that something will eventually be done, to make these bloody things safe.

Alex

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Makes you wonder why people bother getting FX4's and the like...... when you could just buy an out of date "appliance".

Just think,

You could come home from the boozer IN AN AMBULANCE !!!!!! or

Go out to dinner IN A DUSTBIN LORRY !!!!!!!!!!!!

Look at the companies who do the school contracts, they go out and but old Leyland National buses for £400 keep them on the road for a year then scrap them. I bet the company gets £400 per week from the education department. Not bad profit is it?????????????

More evidence that it's far simpler for the powers that be, to keep an eye on those that do the job fairly, than give a stuff about those that don't play by the rules.

We have to wonder, why we bother?

Alex

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Sounds like there might be a market for me there!

By the way, I thought the FX4 WAS an "out of date appliance"!

Dusty