Taxi Driver Online

Tight licence rules may halt Telford taxi trade


More than 100 taxi drivers in Telford could be prevented from working under new rules governing taxi licences in Shropshire, it has been claimed.

A spokesman for three of the borough’s taxi firms has just called on council bosses in Shropshire to reconsider the way it was tightening up those rules affecting drivers.

But Shropshire Council yesterday adopted a new policy to cover the licensing of taxis after a 400 per cent surge in applications from outside the area, including Birmingham.

It was feared applicants were taking advantage of a legal exemption letting them to work as private hire drivers in other areas with tougher procedures.

The council has a duty to ensure the vehicles it licences are being operated safely – something it cannot easily do if drivers are working elsewhere.

From now on drivers will be expected to demonstrate a genuine intention to work within the area governed by Shropshire Council. But that may cause problems for some drivers in Telford & Wrekin.

David Wilson, who represented Telford firms County Cars, Diamond Cars and Ultimate Taxis, said: “If the result of Shropshire’s decision is to refuse to re-issue the licences in future, drivers will be prevented from working in Shropshire and would need to become licensed by Telford. This could take up to four months, during which drivers would have no income.”

He said the council’s taxi policy should have included the Telford area.

Stephen Charmley, portfolio holder for health and wellbeing, said it was unfortunate if Telford drivers were affected, but the change had been made to protect the county industry.

Drivers would only be affected when they renewed their licences after a period of three years, he added.


Read more: http://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2012 ... z1lumrmv9z

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Well best they start applying now then.

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IDFIMH

Ex Berwick LO?

CC

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Not the Secret External [individual] Stakeholder?

Dan, dan, dan!!!

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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.

Why would the ex Berwick LO be representing Telford firms or be a stakeholder, what does he get out of it?

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

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IDFIMH

Reading bits of the Telford CSE report last night, it seems like at one point there was a mass exodus of cars from there to licence in Shropshire because of the more lax regulations in the latter

So that was a few years before Wolverhampton really got going, and seemed to involve HCs rather than PHVs - so basically David Wilson took the system he'd pioneered as the LO in Berwick down to Shropshire, advising Telford-licensed firms as a consultant to use the more lax regime in Shropshire

The Telford CSE inquiry notes:


It seems a collapse in staff numbers caused by the substantially reduced licensing fee revenue was problematic in terms of enforcement in Telford.

Also:


It was all sorted out eventually via Shropshire upping their vetting, and what also looks like what's often now called an 'intended use' policy for HCs, as per the 2012 press report above: