Taxi Driver Online

Last night birmingham council in its infinite wisdom held a consulatation with private hire drivers regarding the sra survey regarding 2 mots a year age restriction on cars and one colour for private hire cars so the council invited every driver to a meeting at the holt suite at villa park which had a capacity of 800 people but so much was the ill feeling of the drivers against the proposals that after getting 800 drivers into the holte suite another 3000 drivers were waiting outside who could not get in so my first question is to the council is why invite 5500 private hire drivers when the capacity was only 800? the misjudjment the council made was as usuall that not many drivers would turn up but in this financial climate what they forgot was these proposals were totally outrageous & drivers are sick of paying so much allready the meeting did not even go on for 1 hour when labour & liberal councillors in attendence described the meeting as farcical with so many drivers waiting outside to get in so in the end it was a free for all im sure you will read it in the papers today Birmingham council can not even run a bath let alone a meeting with that many drivers but they have achieved something which is they have united the drivers against these stupid proposals to which 95% of drivers who wer there disagreed with all proposals

I would imagine they expected to see a poxy low turn out in line with the apathy usually associated with the taxi/PH trade. The fact that a good turn out happened isn't so much a flaw on the council, but a bloody miracle.

Well done to all.

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IDFIMH

Taxi drivers fume at rises in Birmingham City Council charges


THERE was an angry mood among drivers as they struggled to get inside the Holte Suite for the crucial meeting.

Among them was Mohammed Malik, aged 47, of Nansen Road, Alum Rock.

He said: “I feel very bitter. There are 5,000 private hire drivers in Birmingham and the council should have known better.”

Another, Raja Kayani, said: “Private hire drivers feel they are being mugged by new licensing rules which increase costs dramatically.

“Over the last few years the price of a badge renewal has doubled, the price of an MOT has increased by 30 per cent, fuel prices are up and yet the council wants to impose even more costs.”

Coun Matt Bennett (Con, Stockland Green), turned up to speak against the proposals on behalf of drivers.

He criticised other councillors and trade representatives for stirring up the drivers but accepted the authority had not helped itself.

He said: “I think the committee could have anticipated this kind of turnout and arranged three or four meetings across the city, rather than just one.

With so many people’s livelihoods potentially affected by these proposals, it was bound to attract a lot of people.”

Plans to launch the single colour policy last month were suspended after it emerged consultants Social Research Associates, the firm paid £24,000 to consult with cabbies, had only spoken to black cab drivers and not minicab drivers.

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

Furious Birmingham taxi drivers demand apology

THOUSANDS of furious taxi drivers today demanded an apology from Birmingham City Council after a meeting over plans to introduce single-colour cabs ended in farce.

Police were called to Villa Park last night as up to 3,000 minicab drivers jostled to get into the Holte Suite meeting room, which has a capacity of just 800.

Many stood outside for two hours, waiting for a second session to begin, before the meeting was abandoned on health and safety grounds.

Council licensing department officials had to “slip off out the back”, it was claimed.

Officials from the authority blamed the “unprecedented” turnout for the chaos.

Philip Williams, from Erdington, spent two hours trying to get into the meeting and said he had never seen a “bigger shambles” in his 20 years as a cabbie.

He said: “There were already more than 1,000 people on the car park 15 minutes before the meeting was due to start.

“I think a police officer got frightened and called for reinforcements. He said something about a breach of the peace. There was no trouble, just a lot of people. They were a bit heavy handed.”

Today, the fury turned on organisers who invited more than 5,000 minicab drivers to the meeting to discuss plans to respray every minicab a single colour, silver or white, make them take MOTs every two years and scrap cars over eight years old.

Union officials had warned the council to expect a massive turnout as livelihoods were at stake.

Transport and General Workers Union representative Waseem Zaffer said: “It was a total and utter farce.

“This is the largest local authority in Europe and it has totally cocked up this consultation.

“We told them in an email to expect 2,000 to 3,000 people. If you invite 10 guests to your house you make sure you have 10 seats.

“We want a public apology from the licensing committee over the disgraceful running of this meeting.”

But Coun Bruce Lines (Con, Bartley Green), vice-chairman of the council’s licensing committee, who was in charge of the meeting, defended its organisation.

He said: “It was unprecendented, we did not expect that many drivers to turn-up.

“We had planned to have two one-hour sessions with 1,000 people in each.

“The venue was not quite up to scratch but there were some people there that wanted trouble and ruined it for the rest of them.

“We did not call off the meeting, the police did.”

A West Midlands Police spokesman said: “Officers were called at 6.50pm yesterday to Aston Villa’s Holte Suite, in Trinity Road, following reports of a large number of people gathering for a meeting.

“The group dispersed and the incident was brought to a safe close at 9pm.”

Police said there were no reported offences and no arrests.

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

Is there an election soon?

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IDFIMH

And would the drivers understand what he said?

CC

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

Officials felt fear at Birmingham minicab meeting


A BAYING crowd of angry cabbies frightened council officers who were relieved when a meeting over a new one-colour cab policy was called off, it has been claimed.

An official from the city’s licensing department, who asked not to be named, claimed some of the 800 drivers within the Holte Suite at Villa Park were aggressive, rowdy and threatening.

The drivers wanted to halt proposals to introduce a single colour for minicabs and other regulations they claim will threaten their livelihoods.

An estimated 2,000 cabbies were locked outside in the stadium car park, leading to the police being called and the meeting cancelled on health and safety grounds.

The council official said: “Inside the Holte Suite there was a frightening atmosphere. The drivers were very aggressive; they were approaching the stage, officers and councillors.

See the crowd here - http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=rWL3vbJ2KDY

“We were frightened – I felt it could have turned violent at any minute.

“It was a relief when it was called off. We couldn’t wait to get out of there.”

Drivers and their union representatives have criticised the council for inviting more than 5,000 drivers to a venue with a maximum capacity of 800.

It has emerged that days before the meeting union official Waseem Zaffer warned the licensing department to expect up to 2,000 people and requested a larger venue. But organisers were expecting a turnout of about 500 – based on responses to earlier consultation.

Sajid Ali, a driver for AAA Radio Cars in the Jewellery Quarter, said: “I took a night off work to attend this meeting and had to stand out in the freezing cold for two and a half hours.

“We were told there was no room and had to stay outside.

“The police were unhelpful and the council disrespectful.”

A video of the drivers locked outside the meeting has appeared on the internet. It can be viewed at Birminghammail.net

Licensing committee vice-chairman Coun Bruce Lines (Con, Bartley Green) promised to hold further consultation meetings in the New Year.

He said the proposals were drawn up to improve the quality of minicab services in Birmingham.

Council inspectors frequently found private hire cars which were unsafe, driven by people lacking local knowledge and illegally plying for hire rather than waiting for a call. That was why proposals included more frequent MoT tests, a knowledge test for drivers and an age limit on cars.

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

Bruce’s yellow taxi blues


As any councillor should know, there are two subjects to be avoided at all cost – schools and taxis.

Both involve taking thankless decisions where you are damned if you do and damned if you don’t.

But even with the capacity for trouble, Birmingham licensing committee’s approach to “reforming” the city’s taxi trade has been disastrous.

First, an ill-judged suggestion that all cabs should be painted yellow – New York-style. Then, some genius invited 5,000 cabbies to a meeting in a hall with a maximum capacity of 800.

The meeting had to be abandoned amid rowdy scenes, with at least one councillor leaving through the back door for his own safety.

This, unsurprisingly, has caused tension in the Council House – particularly in the Conservative group.

Bruce Lines, head of the taxi working group, might have expected loyal support from fellow Tories.

But here’s what Stockland Green Conservative councillor Matt Bennett had to say about the cabbies’ consultation meeting:

“I can see the thinking behind some of these proposals, but many of them are just plain daft. Why do we need to have all the minicabs in Birmingham the same colour? What possible purpose does it serve?

“It’s just regulation for the sake of it.

“I really think the committee should reconsider some of these proposals. A lot of them just seem like petty bureaucracy and will just end up costing the drivers money at a time when they really can’t afford it.”

According to senior Tory sources, Bennett, who is hardly out of his teens, is under consideration to be fast-tracked into a scrutiny committee chairmanship, or even the cabinet, when the next vacancy occurs.

His closest rival in the promotion stakes is ... Bruce Lines.

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

Anger by minicab driver as council meeting is called off



BIRMINGHAM’S 5,000 minicab drivers will each receive a letter apologising for the chaos which caused a consultation meeting over single-colour cars to be cancelled.

Up to 2,000 cabbies turned up to the Holte Suite at Villa Park to oppose plans for further regulation of their trade and many were locked out in the cold as the room could only fit 800 people.

The meeting was eventually called off by police on health and safety grounds and it later emerged that the private hire drivers union representatives had warned of a massive turnout days earlier.

Now, in a letter to all drivers, Birmingham City Council’s licensing division has also promised further meetings in the New Year to discuss the range of measures including phasing in a single colour, perhaps white or silver, for minicabs, twice yearly MoTs, a knowledge test and an eight year age limit on cars.

Council chief executive Stephen Hughes has now investigated the chaos and responded to union chiefs. He said: “I have been briefed by officers in relation to this matter, and I can advise you that they have acknowledged fully that they booked a venue which was inadequate for the number of attendees.”

He said officials have now apologised in a letter sent out to every licensed private hire driver.

“They have explained that it was suggested that there would be a high turnout. However, they had hoped to accommodate this on the night rather than cancel the event at such short notice.” Fresh meetings will now be organised to give cabbies the chance to have their say.

Mr Hughes added: “As you know Birmingham is committed to improving the standards of licensed people, vehicles and premises in the city.” Waseem Zaffer of the Transport and General Workers Union, welcomed the apology and the chance to hold more constructive talks in the New Year.

He said: “We want to work in partnership with the council and take our trade forward in a positive way.”

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

I just love that word partnership .

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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!

It's all the ops fault.

Councillor blames operators for mess

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IDFIMH

If the cab firms are anything like ours they don't care about anything except lining their own pockets



As previously mentioned 'Sparkly Pink' works for me. No seriously though I'm shocked to fine that Birmingham doesn't have a knowledge test is this right. An age limit on cars has always been a bit of pain here we have an 8 year limit but I can see where the council are coming from because your average saloon vehicles aren't really designed as the work horse they become being used for taxis. Perhaps an alternative would be to introduce the 2 mots per year for vehicles that are over 8 years of age although we have 2 yearly mots for vehicles over 6 years of age.



More good money down the pan when are people going to learn that if you want information about taxi driving then ask TAXI DRIVERS



And now perhaps I'm having another of my blonde moments but can somebody explain to me what a public enquiry would acheive

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

A public enquiry would give some councillor the oportunity to blame another councillor thus scoring political points all at a great cost to the council tax payer.

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Grandad,

well im only 20 minutes up the road, and our PH rules already include colour codes, age restrictions on cars and 2 tests a year, if they dont like it tough

Well I have to say if I was 20mins from Birmingham as you are I'd be licenced in Birmingham its soooooooo much easier why put yourself through the pain of colour codes, age restrictions and 2 tests a year

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!