Taxi Driver Online

Hi Guys, there is a story on Taxi Today (June issue) claiming that from June 31st 2008 testing of taxi and PHV has been de-regulated and any MOT station will be able to do the test if they apply to the council.

This is the first I have heard of this, and if true, the implications are: 1. Fantastic and 2. Huge for the trade.

Does anyone have more info on this please??

Are you sure its not a belated April fools day "joke".



I doubt it.

Regards

JD

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Copyright notice © The contents of this post are copyright of JD and are not to be reproduced outside of TDO without written permission.

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Why don't you get a proper job???

Any MOT station could apply to do Taxi tests before 30 June 2008 but the decision rests with the council as it has always done.

I haven't read the article but no doubt some of you guys have, however it would seem by your comments that the article in question is lacking in detail. Why am I not surprised at that?

Regards

JD

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Copyright notice © The contents of this post are copyright of JD and are not to be reproduced outside of TDO without written permission.

From my own personal experience with testing in different areas... councils run two options,1. they insist that hackney and private hire testing must be carried out at their own council garages....( which I believe is simply a way of boosting the budget for that department)..2 they will set up a policy where as licensed MoT stations within their area can apply to be a designated hackney and private hire testing station...( Sefton has 4 such garages).... some councils even have designated garages for testing licensing vehicles... and that testing station is in another area.... whether this is legal or not has always been a point of debate....

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

We have a list of 3 testing station within the borough for testing hackney and PH. none of these can accomodate my stretched limousines so the council allow me to go to Nottingham city council for the testing.

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Grandad,

Be a good move if true, if for no other reason than stuffing the prima-donnas from the council sites who get high on making our lives a misery.

The more the better, and if one acts the tit then go somewhere else.

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IDFIMH

in a previous life/plate the council put the job out to tender, and 1 of 2 local test stations always won it

in THIS area the council only want to see a MOT, and if under 3 years old they done....

council depot with police cars and the like up in arnold int it? council stores too?

Yes, this has happened in Birmingham within the last year.

For many years HCs were tested at the same council depot as the refuse lorries & road/pavement sweeper were repaired at & tested, but this work was transferred to another council depot (where PHVs were being tested), when the original depot could no longer cope with capacity. (De-regulation screwed that up too).

No sooner had we moved to the new council depot when in April 2007 we were told that that depot was closing at very short notice & there would be no more testing there after June 2007. The site was owned by the HP Sauce factory & when they closed down & production was moving to the continent. They sold the whole site which included the council depot/garage. It has now all been flattened.

We were then told that in line with recommendations in the DfT Best Practice Guidance the council would invite tenders from garages throughout Birmingham for the MOT & supplementary testing of HCs & PHVs, but as an emergency measure they would have to appoint interim garages to do the testing in the meantime, as the HP Sauce site was being sold & the council had to move out.

At that time they envisaged 10 garages would be offered the final contracts & these would be spread out throughout the city.

The relevant paragraph in the DfT’s Best Practice Guidance; Taxi & PHV Licensing reads;

22. Vehicle Testing

Number of Testing Stations. There is sometimes criticism that local authorities provide only one testing centre for their area (which may be geographically extensive). So it is good practice for local authorities to consider having more than one testing station. There could be an advantage in contracting out the testing work, and to different garages. In that way the licensing authority can benefit from competition in costs. (The Vehicle Operators and Standards Agency - VOSA - may be able to assist where there are local difficulties in provision of testing stations.)

The final contracts for the approved & now appointed garages have only just been awarded, starting from 1st July 2008. In the end we have ended up with 5 garages.

But, IMO having had this testing regime now for two annual tests, I think that standards have come down slightly. Not on the MOT, but on the supplementary testing.

I am hoping that Mr GBC reads this post, because I would like to know how the new testing system in London is now working?

As far as I know a company called SGS (a French company; Societe Generale de Surveillance) is now doing all the Taxi & PHV inspections & annual tests in London on behalf of the PCO & they have 3 depot in the capital. I believe that the PCO no longer test vehicles.

Please advise Mr GBC if you read this; I have heard they are thorough, strict, but also sensible & fair.

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Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

Type a message, post your news,
Disagree with other members' views;
But please, do have some decorum,
When debating on the TDO Forum.

No it is the East Croft site on London Road.

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Grandad,

I have been informed that the paper was a wind up as the date does not exist. Still a lively debate though, worth keeping up. Thanks to Brummie for highlighting the correct "Best practice" guidance.

If only this would happen because glasgow city council are rip of merchant,s been told the test fee has went up from £31 to £45 thats some difference they must be making a fortune ripping us off. We go through taxi test,s twice a year.