Taxi Driver Online

In Manchester the Local Council has two lists for H/C licences. For issuing purposes the lists are categorised as list one and list two. List one has around 50 remaining applicants and list two has over a thousand. I mentioned in a previous post back in March that the council are going to issue more licences this year than is the norm, in order to get the list down. My first educated guess was that they would issue a hundred Licences but it seems they may now only issue 50 to clear those remaining on list one.

List two, believe it or not, has well over a thousand applicants, in fact I was reliably informed yesterday that it has over 1200.

There is an interesting aspect to this second list because the council have reservations about the cost of interviewing these 1200 applicants. It is estimated it costs the council 50.00 to interview one applicant which in theory would generate a bill of some 50.000 pounds.

It is not yet common knowledge in Manchester but the council have asked the TDOA their opinion on what criteria to use when issuing licences to applicants on this second list.

Very few people know of the suggestion put forward by our Chairman but I'm going to tell you that the suggestion from the TDOA is that for future issues a ballot should take place.

I suppose there will be a differences of opinion on the method of choosing applicants but this will be the third departure from existing criteria in eleven years.

I suppose it just goes to show the dilemna a council has when it has a very large number of applicants.

As a side note the Plates in Manchester are selling for betrween 45 and 50 grand thats an increase of 3 grand since I last mentioned it last week.

Best Wishes

John Davies.

The way B&H operate a waiting list, and the way I got mine, is a million times better than a ballot. Not perfect but better than that.
To go on the waiting list you must be a full time taxi or PH driver.
You must never have had a taxi plate anywhere.
Each year you must sign to say the above two are correct.
Then when the council issues taxi plates they go to the lads at the top of the list.
I cant see the point of two lists. Why couldn't the 50 just be put on the top of the 1200 if they where first.

They had two lists because of the criteria, the first list had a criteria that allocated plates to applicants with the most years service. some people on the second list would no doubt have better credentials than some of people on the first list. Thats why they have two lists. They cap the list to a certain date and number and then start a second list. The applicants on the second list won't get a plate until all those on the first list have been allocated plates. That is the way they have always done it here in Manchester

Its very hard to come up with a solution on plate allocation that will please everyone. However, I suppose some methods of allocation are better than others.

Best wishes

John Davies.

if that is the case, why the rummaging about why not allocate from number one and work down the list?

Geoff

Chronology used to be the criteria but it was changed in favour of lenght of service. If number one on the list had only two years service and number 101 on the list had twenty two years service number 101 would normally get the plate.

The problem arises because of the large number of applicants. The TODA suggestion that a Ballot take place is yet another departure from existing criteria.

Best wishes

John Davies

I would say the ballot is the least fair way.

But doesn't it really sum up all this mess when you have a council with two lists and two sets of waiting list criteria.

I think Cgull's conditions are good, full-time drivers only and once you have had a plate, then that's your lot.

Let's hope soon we wont need any waiting lists full-stop.

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IDFIMH

we dont need any waiting lists full stop. and they are not lawfull

which is why I am interested in Manchester.

always nice to see how its done in a nuclear free zone.

Geoff

I suggested many years ago that to ensure that the system was fair,and seen to be fair, that the only safe way was that after every survey applications would be invited. Length of service would be main criterion, so if 42 plates were being issued then the 42 longest servers would get them. the rest would have to reapply at the time of next issue. Thus there would be no waiting list.
The problem with a ballot is it is palpably unfair and smacks of political correctness, one of our senior colleagues now sees that 40 years service means nothing and his son, with 6 months experience, may get a plate before him.
Ged

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taxi driver @manchester airport

if the councils were not so idle they would interview everybody and pick the best or most deserving.

we have no lists proove to our council there is unmet demand and you get your plate or plates.

Geoff

I have a degree of sympathy with that. But that way doesn't take account of surveys.

If a survey says that 50 plates are needed, but you don't have a list, then it will cause supa dupa big trouble, cos everyone will think they are deserving.

But with a list that everyone agrees is the best of a bad system, it makes it all above board. Well maybe just a little bit.

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IDFIMH

the surveys were invented by gready consultants, they are overpaid and WE PAY THE BILL.

Sussex these are the leach of all leaches, and you find out well after the demand was created.

nowhere in any act is there mention of surveys.

nowhere is there mention of lists.

simple its for councils to proove there is no unmet demand so to start with every application is valid.

Salford for one aint had a survey ever, and they limit by numbers! (and they are a nuclear free zone)

Geoff

Wot you mean treating all drivers the same?

well not quite! but certainly giving all drivers equal opportunity to put thier case>

This is my first post on this forum and have looking back through previous posts. My first query is directed to John Davis...basically who are you? I would like to meet you, I have been a Manchester Hackney driver for 40 years and yourname does not come out of my memory box. Have you thought about becoming a committee man to help us out in the trade?
The current TODA policy is to stick with the criteria that has been in force since 1996 (with a few tweaks). At a recent general meeting of the TODA a resolution was defeated to change it, therefore the existing criteria stands. I spoke to the Chairman and he refutes putting forward any idea of a ballot system, but if you were referring to the secretary he admits that the idea is only his opinion and is not policy. The new list will be dddone according to service therefore there would be no need to interview 1000 applicants. The figures by the way do not add up---at the last count there are 1300 Hackney drivers of which a large percentage already own a licence, so they would would not qualify so a large number would not be elegible anyway.
The last letter I received from licensing in April of this year states that the 1996 criteria stands for another 5 years along with the drip feeding of cabs. Furthermore if there is to be a change it will be done in consultation with the TODA and the Unions.
Kind regards
Joe Thorley
Plate 126 City of Manchester

I've been lurking around this forum for a while, I suspect john davies is that well known in Manchester that he prefers to remain anonymous. Whoever he is he is mostly accurate and polite in his posts.



lets assume john davies meant secretary and lets assume you joe are on the TODA committee, why did you have to ask the secretary something that john davies already new? Has the secretary ever voiced his opinion on how to deal with the waiting list and whats more to the point has the council ever contaced the TODA in regard to the waiting list and reducing the number of applicants on it?

The last official waiting list figures in manchester according to the OFT report was between eight and nine hundred. Those figures probably came from MOT data from 2002. How many people are there on the waiting list at the moment And why do manchester have two lists?



I'm not too bright at the best of times but I'm hopeless at figures, are you saying manchester only has 1300 hackney licenced drivers Joe, or are you saying there are 1300 on a waiting list? Is there anything to stop existing plate holders who are on the waiting list from transfering their plate to a wife relative or close friend? If they did this, would that not make them eligible for a free plate?



Did manchester council consult the trade when it decided the criteria would remain the same for the next five years? if they didn't, is that what is meant by consultation?



I think you are going to be a welcome addition to this forum joe, thank you for the taking the time to post.

Regards
proffesional lurker.