Your chance to shape future taxi policy
5:30pm Friday 4th February 2011
Taxi firms in Knutsford will be put under the spotlight during a borough consultation this month.
Cheshire East Council will be carrying out a consultation into how hackney carriages operate in the area.
Hackney carriages differ from private hire vehicles as they can ‘ply for hire’ and pick passengers up from a taxi rank.
Private hire cars can only undertake pre-booked journeys.
The three former district authorities – Congleton Borough Council, Macclesfield Borough Council and Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council – all had different approaches to issues like fares and the number of hackney carriages permitted to operate in an area.
These different policies still exist and the consultation is seeking to find out if people are happy with the current arrangements or would prefer a more standard approach. Currently, hackney carriages in Cheshire East are licensed within three zones with Congleton (zone one); Crewe and Nantwich (zone two); and Macclesfield (zone three).
Issues in the consultation include limitation of numbers – there is currently a limit of 42 hackney carriages that are able to operate in Congleton, with no such restriction of numbers elsewhere in Cheshire East; fares – each of the three zones has its own tariff; and existing terms and conditions – each zone also has its own sets of terms and conditions, covering areas such as signage, safety equipment and accessibility.
Clr Rachel Bailey, cabinet member with responsibility for safer and stronger communities, said: “Hackney carriages offer an important service.
“I would encourage as many people as possible to take part in this consultation.
The consultation runs until Friday, February 18, and responses may be sent by post to: FAO Mrs K Khan, Legal Services, Cheshire East Borough Council, Westfields, Middlewich Road, Sandbach, CW11 1HZ or by e-mail to:
licensing1@cheshireeast.gov.uk
Source; http://www.knutsfordguardian.co.uk/news ... xi_policy/
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