Taxi Driver Online

In the DfT letter they say
For example, if your understanding of (unofficial) taxi plate values in your district is that they are high, this would seem to indicate that there is significant unmet demand for taxis in your area.
In my arae plates go from £40,000 plus.
So is there anyone that doesnt think that high?

I think you could say 40 grand is to high.

I would have thought that anything over the retail value of the vehicle and transfer fee was high. After all someone has got it for nothing in the first place! Any value of the plate is going to be infinately higher than its original value, what else can you compare it to.

It's the restrictions that cause the premium. So the reason they are high is due solely to council policies.

I think that part of the DfT letter will be used in the courts more than in council chambers. Maybe soon a judge will say that X is too high and therefore un-met demand is present.

Then a yard stick will be set, so that any area that has a plate value over X will then have to de-limit.

Very, very interesting in my opinion.

in my neighbouring borough it is a £32k cheque and £32K in a brown bag.

Actually I think the brown bag is negotiable.

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A member of the Hire or Reward Industry

WRONG WRONG WRONG and WRONG again.

This argument is often used but is completely wrong.

CURRENTplateholders PAIDfor thier plates, there has probably been a few transactions since the licence was initially granted.

You always make this argument seem as though EVERY plate has been given to the current holder FREE OF CHARGE when in fact if a plate has a value the current holder has probably PAID close to its current value to obtain it in the first place.

I must also point out that my argument is intended only to protect the investment made by owner drivers. If someone has made an investment and doesn't work in the trade full time themselves they shouldn't complain if their investment goes "tits up".

B. Lucky

Gateshead Angel, whilst I understand your frustration that you obviously bought your plate and feel that it owes you something then, you are wrong. The plate when you bought it was worth nothing and is still worth nothing. You bought an unfair business advantage for a period of time that is rapidly coming to an end not a pension fund. I do hope that you have made enough money out of your plate(s) to cover your expenditure but if you haven't HARD LUCK. You took a calculated risk that the plates would stay restricted, this is now being questioned. No one wants to see drivers going bust but if they can't compete with competition fairly then they should get out and stay out. No private businesses should be allowed to have a monopoly, the market should decide the correct level sustainable for the area as supermarkets, pubs, hotels and everything else does, why should you be any different?

I heard you the first time.

So we reward one of two things.
1) Those that queue-jump over their fellow colleagues, or
2) The plain stupidity of drivers that think a £20 plate becomes worth £40,000 over-night.

Every plate is given free of charge, yes every single one. Why not support that instead of supporting the queue-jumpers?

When pray tell did the taxi trade gain charitable status?

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IDFIMH

Whether premiums are right or wrong wasn't the issue, the main point of my post was to point out that HC plateholders DON'T stand to make £40,000 from their plate as the current holder, in most cases, actually bought the plate and was not given it for nothing.

Exactly what they bought when they bought the plate is not the issue, my point was ONLY that they had bought it in the first place.

B. Lucky

Gateshead Angel, you will notice from my original post that it stated that SOMEONE got it for free not necessarily the person who has the plate now. Please read the post properly before getting on your high horse.

Well then they should write it down like any other business expense.

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IDFIMH