Taxi Driver Online

On the contrary, I think it's you that's trying to misrepresent the views of this site.

The truth will out, despite your best efforts.

_________________
Taxi Driver Online
www.taxi-driver.co.uk

I quoted statements made in posts on the pages of this site, if the opinion of "the site" is different then it is toward these people you need to direct your critisism.

B. Lucky

No problem.



Are you suggesting that we ignore the premium paid by Mr T because it wasn't paid to the council.

Or are you suggesting something quite different.

You also don't point out, nor are you willing to recognise that plate premiums exist in derestricted as well as restricted areas.

You also don't point out that these plates are for sale, and can be purchased by people wishing to enter the trade for less than they will pay a PH operator in fees over a 5 year period, if a loan is required to fund the purchase.

It makes me laugh when people come on here and state they didn't want to pay someone £25k for the right to work in the HC trade, yet they are willing (and see nothing wrong) to pay someone to provide them with work, in many cases over a period exceeding 10 years. I would say to them how much have you paid in operator fees since you started and then how much more will you be paying them until you retire or leave the trade.

In the specific case of Sussex, all I can say is that a bloke with his head screwed on like he has could have invested in a HC when he first started, paid less for it than he has already paid in fees, and now have is own regular clients and his own school run backing up what he makes off the ranks.

The fact is that he knows this, he knows now that he made the wrong decision those years ago, and he just can't forgive himself, so he blames everyone else to deflect from his own shortcomings, while critisising those of us who made the decision he wishes he did.

Happy New Year.

B. Lucky

So Gateshead.

How many truly independent Hacks are there out there?

Those who just trawl the streets and ranks for work supplemented by the odd regular phoning his mobile.

How many indies actually find the 62K (31K cheque and 31k in cash) in my neighbouring council to buy a plate on a crate? Not many I suggest. Round our way they are being purchased solely by syndicates of Asians, family groups I believe.

You have a low esteem of what Operators actually bring to our industry. I would suggest that the good ones have brought better standards, from quality of vehicle, driver standards, availability of supply, and most importantly deliver to major customers what they want.

This has brought stability and security to a vast number of drivers. Admittedly there are still the minority of guys who always feel cheated, always see greener fields not far away and invariably think customers are there fore the drivers benefit not vice versa.

_________________
A member of the Hire or Reward Industry

Which statements did you quote?

Do you mean the one about Mr Royden getting the free plate, and me saying that I suspected that Mr T had a rather Roydenesque attitude?

That was clearly a statement about two people, not plate holders in general.

You said:

What you are trying to get people to believe is that every current plateholder got their plate for free and are now trying to sell them for thousands of pounds, and there is little honesty in that.

On the contrary, my statement was clearly about two people only and not about the generality of plate holders, so it's YOU that's trying to misrepresent what the site is saying - the statement related to a couple of people, and YOU tried to say that it related to ever plate holder.

And I demonstrated that the site has recognised on numerous occassions that many plate holders have paid a premium.

Thus it's you that's demonstrating 'little honesty'.

_________________
Taxi Driver Online
www.taxi-driver.co.uk

Wot you mean like Gateshead?

Saloons are NOT DERESTRICTED in Gateshead.

As for being willing to recognise this, less than a month ago, on the first page of the 'Plate Values Database' thread:

As I see it there are three different scenarios:

1 Restricted with equal conditions - all plates have the same value.

2 Restricted with unequal conditions - eg in Brighton, where some runs saloons, but others WAVs - here both plates have a value, but the WAV plate will be less because of the more onerous conditions.

3 De-restricted but with unequal conditions - eg Gateshead, where the saloons have a premium because they are less costly to run than the WAVs. But WAV plates have no value because they are unrestricted. So strictly speaking saloon plates are still restricted, so a useful description might be partial de-restriction.

Of course, Brighton, for example, could move from 2 to 3 by 'Gatesheading', but the saloon plates would still have a value.

In theory, there could be all types of different plates and values eg saloon without an age-rule, saloons with an age-rule, brand new WAVs, any WAV, but I don't know any actual cases offhand.

_________________
Taxi Driver Online
www.taxi-driver.co.uk

I also didn't point out my inside leg measurement, but that was because I couldn't see the direct relevance to the point being made.

As for your specific point, you may be correct, but why take out a loan for a plate that could be worthless in a couple of years time, when you could get a freebie then anyway

_________________
Taxi Driver Online
www.taxi-driver.co.uk

So why are you paying PH fees now then Mr Angel?

Especially when you can even have a fee HC plate

But as regards having people having their head screwed on, are you saying that someone who paid £50k for a plate in Wycombe a year ago had their head screwed on? It's now derestricted, I believe.

Or at least, WAVs are

_________________
Taxi Driver Online
www.taxi-driver.co.uk

I don't pay a PH fee.

I can't have a free HC plate.

If I had bought a saloon plate for £50k in Wycombe it would still be worth £50k to those who want to drive a saloon HC, maybe as more people entered the trade and discovered the real costs involved in running a WAV I could even get more.



Discover the real world of derestriction.

B. Lucky

Well Tom over 50% of the current HC in Gateshead are independants.

I would say that about 90% are owner drivers.

I value highly the work done by PH operators, in most cases they offer good service and deserve fully the payment they charge each driver.

The argument is about the cost related to entering the trade and that alone within this thread, thats why the cost comparison between PH fees and plate fees was offered to illustrate that for the first 5 years or so in the trade the cost to enter it is the same whichever route you take.

B. Lucky

That might be the case if you are in a financially sound position.

But lets look at the figures in a hypothetical scenario, District z!

In District Z you have the following;

Hack plates are available free to anyone presenting a satisfactory WAV.

Saloon Hacks have a high bounty because of drivers preference to drive a saloon.

PH plates are available for saloons free.

Now you are a novice driver, without your own property looking to get into the industry.

Do you try and find finance to buy a WAV for say 20K, committing yourself to a loan for four years for an asset that is worth sod all in four years time and hope you can earn your dosh off the ranks.

Or do you walk into the local PH office, listen to their phones ringing off the hook with work and sign up to an agreement to lease purchase a licence PH where you pay, say £100 a week, from your takings to the Operator. This deal allows you to walk away, surrendering the car at any time. And if you see out the three or four years you walk away with a car worth a couple of grand.

You are in a decent vehicle, on the road earning and able to walk away whenever you like.

Now I know what most guys in that position would choose. You are different. You resent anyone doing better than you out of the industry. That is beyond the rest of us.

_________________
A member of the Hire or Reward Industry

So what were the lads moaning about, if everthing is hunky dorey?

But I will bet you a bob or two, those £50,000 saloon plates wont be worth a penny when the council make all HCs go WAV. A few years time by all accounts.

Bit like your manor will be in a few years time.

_________________
IDFIMH

Our lot said they will not be going all WAVS last year. They cannot warrant people spending £20,000+ on WAVS for a depressed area. If a county comes under some sort of rule you will be exempt from the WAV rule.

No doubt there will now be a mad rush by drivers to tell all those WAV councils, that Nigel says that there's a sort of rule that makes them exempt.

_________________
IDFIMH

Well according to our LO there is so we have got off with the WAV rule.