Taxi Driver Online

Uttlesford cabs 'operating illegally'

ILLEGAL taxi touts from Uttlesford are poaching business from Bishop’s Stortford’s legitimate cabbies, according to one of the town’s top drivers.

Self-employed Tony Harrington, vice-chairman of East Herts Taxi Drivers’ Association, says cars licensed in neighbouring Uttlesford and Epping Forest districts are sneaking across the border on Friday and Saturday nights to pick up revellers outside clubs and bars.

Although they can legally accept pre-booked fares outside their districts, they cannot go scouting for business because it is forbidden by licensing laws and also invalidates their insurance.

But while East Herts District Council accepts there is a problem and is trying to crack down, it has not yet succeeded because it is difficult to prove cabbies are bending the rules.

Because drivers from other districts can pick up passengers who have made reservations, they claim they are waiting for someone when approached by the authority’s teams.

Mr Harrington, who has been operating independently for 11 years, says the problem has persisted for several years but has become worse in recent months. A recession-fuelled drop in trade means competition has become fiercer, so more outside operators are breaking the law to attract passengers.

He said: “The council’s enforcement officers come out once in a blue moon - we’ve sat beside them watching them work, but the drivers who are breaching their licences just pretend they're not doing anything illegal when they’re approached.

“If these drivers have an accident, you won’t be able to claim off their insurance because it’ll be null and void.”

An East Herts District Council spokeswoman said: “It’s a problem for us which has been reported several times.

“Our enforcement teams are still working on keeping everyone within the rules, but it's frustratingly difficult to prove as you have to catch them red-handed.” Uttlesford District Council said the matter was East Herts’ responsibility.

Barry Drinkwater, chairman of Uttlesford Licensed Operators’ and Drivers’ Association, told the Observer he was not aware of the problem but expressed concern.

He added: “The whole industry is suffering so things like this are inevitable, but it’s not right and I don’t condone it.

“I’m all for fair trading and if something can be done to stamp out dodgy practices then I want to be able to help.”

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IDFIMH

Perhaps he's referring to the vehicles that service Stanstead, they seem to spend their life’s parked up asleep. They're on an Uttlesford PH plate.

Mind you, their prices seem to be twice that of the local lads, so it doesn’t surprise me.

well the Saturday before christmas we had PH cars from peterborough working off our taxi rank !!!! that is about as blatant as you can get I just wish my drivers would learn to get their plate numbers

Its the same all over the country it would need an army of licensing officers to catch them and that ain't never gonna happen