Taxi Driver Online

'Legal loophole is costing us dearly'
http://www.miltonkeynes.co.uk/news/39Le ... 5797961.jp

City minicab firms take their fight all the way to the top

The infamous Milton Keynes 'taxi' war is to explode on to the floor of Parliament – and the fallout could even prompt a change of law.

Militant minicab firms claim rivals from neighbouring counties are taking £10million from the city economy and have been for many years.

But now they have joined forces with MP Mark Lancaster, who has applied for a 10-minute Private Member's Bill to raise the matter in Westminster.

Currently it is not illegal for private hire firms to operate outside of their licensed area – but the loophole is costing city cabbies firms dearly, says Safdar Ali who runs Bradville-based Skyline.

Speaking for Ace Cars, Raffles, Eezy Cabs and his own firm, Mr Ali said one minicab company, based just outside Milton Keynes, was taking particular advantage of the situation.

"This company is licensed by South Northants Council and pay much cheaper licensing fees than here in Milton Keynes.

"Yet, they probably base 95 per cent of their business here, which is obviously more lucrative than their own rural patch.

"They've got 300 or so cars and they can offer cheaper rates to undercut us.

"We've complained to the licensing department at Milton Keynes Council but nothing ever changes. We've had years of frustration and now we're struggling even more."

It is not just the drivers and the minicab industry that is affected, said Mr Ali.

"People don't realise that when they get a minicab licensed by another council, their local knowledge has only been checked for the area they are licensed to.

"We've heard stories of non-local drivers taking people all over the city for what should be a very short route."

Milton Keynes minicab firms are also demanding answers from Milton Keynes Council.

"We do wonder why our council has not pursued this matter to help its own licensees," said Mr Ali.

A spokesman for the South Northants-based cab firm said: "We are not poaching business and we are acting perfectly legally. We're just more popular and successful than these Milton Keynes companies, so I think they are a little bit jealous."

The Citizen put a number of questions to Milton Keynes Council which confirmed it was looking into the matter.

A spokesman did however issue a statement saying: "Milton Keynes Council is sympathetic to the concerns of the local trade but the law currently says that a private hire car can be booked to pick up a fare, from any destination and to any destination in the country, wherever it is registered."

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

greedy b'stards, only jealous .........

Milton Keynes are just too greedy, I say good luck to the other company over the border. As for local knowledge, most of the drivers are local, the borders only a line on a piece of paper on someone’s desk. Milton Keynes this is simple economics. Drop your prices and stop putting so much red tape out. I wouldn’t mind betting that you pay out more in business taxes in Milton Keynes as well, so again why operate from there.

I can see their point, but how do you tell someone not to ring a firm from another area, if I went to say London and needed a cab home there's no way I would pay the £250 a London car would want, I'd bell up my locals and halve that fare, same principle I think.

I agree, its a restriction of trade.

its only a short step to saying you cant collect from another district to saying you cant TAKE to another district

phones/radios/internet/magazines/papers/yellow pages cant be restricted to one district, so how do punters know not to ring?

i once spent whole shifts picking up/dropping down in 1 other district, not seeing my own

Someone should enquire whether Mr Ali or any of his minicab mates have ever done a pre booked job at any of the airports down south that are outside of his border.

Quite correct. What happens if you pick up a customer in your own boundry and are then instructed to pick a passenger on the way that's out of your border, do we refuse?

The old chestnut about not being local and driving people the wrong route then if it was happening all the time then Mr Ali should not have a problem.

I sort of agree with you, but I think the issue isn't as you outline.

The problem I'm guessing isn't the case of a punter from out of town wanting to go home with the same firm as brought him out, IMO that's called customer loyalty, and the way it should be.

I think the issue in Milton Keynes is similar to the one in Liverpool and other places where 100s of non local PH sit and wait in another licensing area for work from that area. A sort of Berwick situation albeit via PH.

In my view that has to stop. Local areas set standards for drivers and vehicles, and if drivers and vehicles from elsewhere, often not up to such standards, pollute that area, it can only lead to the lowering of standards.

And that I don't like.

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IDFIMH

There's certainly not 100s of drivers from cross border firms parked up in Liverpool waiting for job's but certain people would want you to believe that. Most punters who call the outside firms to take them home from Liverpool city center who live in the liverpool border were brought from their home to the citycenter by those drivers that will take them home.

Does that address the issue the MP is on about though?

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IDFIMH

What f*cking loophole, thats how the legislation was meant to be

CC

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

Types of issues like what for instance - licensing fees, who knows what who pays what as every where differ as for undercutting then private hire across the board is cheaper. Taking the long way round a route would soon discourage customers from using that firm and as for regulations then i'm sure most authorities would be near enough the same.

There's no loophole in this Situation, ph can charge what they like. And the hack's can charge less than the meter.
The opt can accept bookings from anywhere, so how the F can they change that


I known if the standards are too high, i.e. here a nice rule came into force about Mutli seats (carry 5 to 8 pax’s). The vehicles have to be WAV, not every likes to travel backwards.

So the customer could phone up a taxi firm from another district who does not have those restrictions, i can see that coming as well