Taxi Driver Online

Here in Basildon, over the last 2 years we've had the dual badge, originally we paid £45 for Hackney or Private Hire, or £60 for both, 2 years ago they made everyone have a dual badge at £65 a year, always running from 1st march to 28th Feb.
Someone on the comittee has had the bright idea now to charge £190 for a 3 year badge, this time including a new CRB, (doubt it will next time), the badge will still run from 1st March to 28th Feb, however, because of the admin involved in obtaining CRB's and DVLA mandates, we need to make our renewal application INCLUDING PAYMENT OF £190 no later than the 28th October 2011.

I understand the admin involved, but why should I have to pay £190 in advance for a badge, where my current one is still valid for another 5 months.

Get the admin sorted out, and take my payment in February.

The way the trade is in Basildon (and the rest of the country) drivers takings have halved and their hours increased, due to de-limiting, most drivers are on a tight budget, and therefore budget for £65-£70 for badge renewal in February, always hard to find after Christmas but we do it, we do not expect to be hit at the end of October for £190.

Does anyone know if this practice is actually legal?

Are the licencing committee supposed to not make a profit on the cost of the badge manufactor? If they are now only getting one badge made every 3 years, this should surely reduce costs to us?

Any thoughts on this will be greatly received.

You now only need one crb check in Scotland as its now on a register for life, so if you change jobs all you need is the number
Do you have a similar thing in england??
A 3 year badge should be the same price as a 1 year one all thats changed is the end date so no extra work is required
Bring this up with your local ombudsman and get them to sort it

That's racist!!

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Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

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IMO the dual HC/PH drivers licence/badge is illegal because the legislation for the two types of licence is covered under two different Acts enacted 129 years apart.

And there lies your problem; the trade should have opposed this two years ago.

The council can issue a HC or PH drivers licence for a period of up to three years. Section 53 of the LG(MP) Act 1976 states;

53 Drivers' licences for hackney carriages and private hire vehicles
(1) (a) Every licence granted by a district council under the provisions of this Part of this Act to any person to drive a private hire vehicle shall remain in force for three years from the date of such licence or for such lesser period as the district council may specify in such licence.
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of the Public Health Act 1875 and the Town Police Clauses Act 1889, every licence granted by a district council under the provisions of the Act of 1847 to any person to drive a hackney carriage shall remain in force for three years from the date of such licence or for such lesser period as they may specify in such licence.

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Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

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Which bit states that they can't issue a duel badge?

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Grandad,

I take it you have objected to the fees increase?

Send in some FoI requests asking how much time the badge re-licensing process takes, in terms of man hours, and how much the product costs.

Also ask them what piece of legislation allows a council to issue a dual license.

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IDFIMH

Where does it say they can issue a dual licence?

All this section is about is the term for which a licence can be issued for both PH and HC and amends the 1847 Act in this respect.

BTW, these are not licences for walking ten paces away from another person, both of you holding a musket, turning and firing at one another.

_________________
Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

Type a message, post your news,
Disagree with other members' views;
But please, do have some decorum,
When debating on the TDO Forum.

The thing thats grating on us the most at the moment, is we have paid for our badge this year, and it is valid until the 29th Feb 2012, yet the Council are now asking us, sorry, telling us, we now need a 3 year badge that will run from 1st March 2012, but we have got to pay for it by the 28th October 2011, at the cost of £190.

Yes, I have emailed the Senior Licensing officer, and the Licensing Committee, and Basildon Councillors, and our Hackney Association, do I hold out much hope of a response in time? I doubt it.

I just hope this is one step too far for the council, and the guys in Basildon finally realise we need to stick together, again, wont hold my breath though.

Because drivers badges are only meant to meet the processing costs they aren't required to be advertised, unlike operator and vehicle licenses.

So your only avenue is to complain to either the local government ombudsman, or the new audit commission when they are announced.

Or try LACORS who are licensing officers intent on sticking their hooters in the taxi/PH trade. Maybe they can stick their noses in for the good of the trade rather than what they are currently doing the good of LACORS.

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IDFIMH

Sounds like they are trying to take your pants down like our lot are doing to us. Our lot insist on a CRB every year and will not issue a 3 year badge. The cost of a badge to us is over £150 a year, inluded in that is the annual CRB check.

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