Taxi Driver Online

Get a grip Dusty. I'm sure they would be happy to licence a 14 year old driver, if he has held a full driving licence for a year.

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http://wingsoverscotland.com/ http://www.newsnetscotland.com/

Indeed, and assuming that the insurance providers are better at assessing risk than councils then perhaps it's Sussex-land that should be raising its minimum age rather than Skippy's lowering it?

(Actually I think it's in the legislation rather than up to LAs, but you get my drift.)

But a 14 year old can't get a full license, and thus have been driving for a year.

My point is that providing a person meets whatever legal requirement, in this case 12 months driving on a full license, then he/she should get a license no-matter what age.

In Skippy's manor that doesn't apply. Does Scots law say an age, if not Skippy's manor are acting outside of the law.

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IDFIMH

If you look on the DVLA site you will find that your age restricted for some vehicles like HGVs
Having a min age for taxis and PH is a good idea.

Shabys other main problem is he wants to work in NI where insurance for any vehicle is still high due to the troubles.
When I was there 78/79 most drove without as it was nearly imposable to get it as it cost more than the price of the vehicle

Well if it's illegal to discriminate in terms of age then presumably the UK government is acting illegally by specifying a minimum age of 17 for a drivers' licence?

And if you effectively have to be 18 for a taxi driver's licence then presumably that's age discrimination as well and thus illegal?

Surely the point is that it's rational to discriminate in terms of age as regards these kinds of things, based on thiings like risk and maturity.

Perhaps Skippy's manor is taking that principe too far, but who knows?

The could easily argue the case in terms of the risk demonstrated by insurance premiums.

No.

The law says a driver must only be driving full time for 12 months.

Any other condition/by-law etc is illegal.

In relation to the age someone can apply for a DVLA license, well that's another matter which can be discussed at DVLA Drivers Online.

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IDFIMH

So if you're so sure about local laws being illegal because of age discrimination then why not national laws?

And I just used the DVLA example to illustrate the principle, so it's hardly off topic. And certainly not compared to much of the rubbish posted on here

Perhaps someone could sort out that Scottish independence thread then - it was off-topic to start with, but now it's getting really out of hand

To say someone who has a full DVLA driving license (for the legally required time) must be over 21 to drive a cab is clearly discriminating against those drivers (who have had a full DVLA license for the required time) who happen to be younger than 21.

If we followed your path then everything would be an age discrimination unless it also applied to new born babies.

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IDFIMH

Yes.



Yes.

However (you knew that was coming, didn't you? ), your latter comment was precisely the point I was trying to make.

Hence you simply stated that a minimum age 21 rule was age discrimination without proferring any explanation. Thus take your argument to its logical conclusion and there's all kinds of age-based laws and regulations that could be challenged under Human Rights/Equality legislation, most obviously the 17-years-old requirement for an ordinary driving licence and the effective requirement that to drive a taxi an applicant has to be 18 (by virtue of the 12 months experience requirement).

Thus it's all age discrimination, but of course that's not the issue so much as whether it can be reasonably justified. Personally I can see the rationale for requiring a higher minimum age for a taxi driver, just as many a taxi driver has to satisfy other requirements as to driving and character that an ordinary driver doesn't. And of course the insurance industry would seem to agree that drivers below 21 and indeed 25 are high risk. In fact advertisements in my local area for drivers often specify 25 as a minimum age and indeed even 30 (which I assume would be excused if such recruitment came under the relevant age discrimination laws), and I'm sure those on here who hire drivers would lend weight to that.

Indeed, I didn't think a 21 minimum age was such an unusual requirement, but to be honest hadn't given it a lot of thought. However, I had a quick look round last night and discovered that London taxi and PHV drivers both have to be 21, and the latter in fact need three years driving experience

And the OFT report actually said that 56% of LAs require applicants for taxi driver badges to be 21 or over (para 5.24).

Thus it's not so much a matter of age discrimination per se rather than what's reasonable. There seems to be plent of evidence that a minimum age of 21 is considered reasonable.

But you presumably think it's unreasonable, so it looks like we're going to just have to disagree on that

Unless of course you fancy mounting a legal challenge

Because it's a fact.

I haven't read the age discrimination law, but I would be very surprised if there wasn't a few caveats.

In the same way there are caveats in gender and ethnic discrimination laws.

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IDFIMH

Ive been doing it since the age of 18 now 22 it is very steep at first im running 2 cars with 6 named drivers for around the £4000 mark which isnt too bad but thats not with 3 years ncb. The company i use is http://www.srins.co.uk/ they had no problems in me being 18 to start off with and are a good company to deal with i often add remove drivers ect with no charge even when insuring 2 cars if doing a subsituation.

Indeed.

Agreement at last.