Dusty Bin wrote:
captain cab wrote:
toots wrote:
It seems to me that a 'free market' isn't all that 'free' when it has somebody trying to dictate the level of vehicle types.
Not sure why some seem to think that restricted vehicle numbers should be linked to vehicle types and other standards.
For example, I doubt if London taxi drivers would be too impressed if it was suggested that no knowledge test was required because vehicle numbers aren't limited.
The fact is that all markets are regulated, but the point is to ask whether regulation is good or bad. Good regulation has to balance a number of competing interests, and it's not really a simple choice between a free market and the way that the Liverpool taxi market (say) is regulated.
When people talk of encouraging a free market they generally mean that it's regulated as lightly as possible while still promoting fair competition and the interests of consumers.
As for taxi numbers being tightly restricted, it's surely not a simple comparison between being restricted and not restricted.
For example, if a town was restricted 40 years ago then it might have 30 taxis and 70 PHVs. If unrestricted it might have 70 taxis and 30 PHVs now. If it was restricted tomorrow then the two scenarios could hardly be compared, but both are restricted.
Thus comparing the percentages of taxis and PHVs in a particular location might provide some indication as regards how tightly it was restricted, and plate values are no doubt a useful indicator as well.
Thus if plates were worth a couple of grand then restriction clearly isn't tight, the cabs would be less reliant on the ranks for work and thus might provide a variety of vehicles because they have to compete with PHVs for work.
But if plates are worth a fortune then clearly they'll get a lot of work from the ranks and thus might not have to provide different vehicle types to compete in the pre-booked market.
Who linked vehicle types to restriction? Nobody was suggesting that there would be no need for regulation within a restricted or derestricted area and nobody suggested that there would be no need for knowledge tests in the market either. Why people feel the need to compare the rest of the country to the London taxi trade is beyond me. Why not compare Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Newcastle and Cardiff for instance?
With regard to comparing things over a period of over 40 years ago I don't see the relevance myself, that was then and this is now. As I said it's either restricted or it isn't, you can't "tightly" restrict, however, you can tightly regulate
Plate values imo are akin to shop premises and area desireability.
Restriction has no effect on the ability to provide a variety of vehicles. Coming from a derestricted area the only vehicle that is available on a rank is a WAV however I've been in restricted areas that provide a wider range of vehicles on a rank than is available here. I guess we're what you'd call "tightly" regulated
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