Taxi Driver Online

Taxi marshal trial will not be continued



A BID to reconsider a decision to continue a trial taxi marshal scheme has been rejected.

The taxi marshals operate at peak times at weekends in Wilson Street, in Middlesbrough.

Recently Julia Rostron, executive councillor for community safety, agreed to continue the trial while efforts continued to find a permanent solution to issues of hackney carriages and private hire vehicles using Wilson Street.

But Councillor Michael Hudson led a call-in of the decision because the decision to extend the trial of taxi marshals was “unfair towards the private hire trade and fails to consider public safety and fails to consider the other options”.

The call-in was considered by the council’s Overview and Scrutiny Board.

Cllr Hudson was accompanied by solicitor John Ellwood who told the Overview and Scrutiny Board that a consultant’s report commissioned by the council had recommended against taxi marshals being used in Wilson Street.

It said marshals should be used on super-ranks to be established elsewhere in the town.

Mr Ellwood said that closing some hackney carriage ranks on Wilson Street and moving them elsehwere and having taxi marshals in those locations was a solution.

Private hire vehicles would then be able to pick up and drop off passengers in Wilson Street.

Councillor Rostron said: “My decision to extend the trial period was made after considering all the facts and looking at all the correspondence we received, particularly from the police. More people were in favour of taxi marshals than were opposed to them.

“Public order and safety has improved since the taxi marshals were introduced. We are looking to find a permanent solution and we are giving ourselves more time to find that permanent solution.”

The Overview and Scrutiny Board rejected the call to refer the issue back to Cllr Rostron for further consideration.

Councillor Jan Brunton, chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Board said: “The executive councillor had lots of information and the decision has been made on that. In the interests of public safety I agree with the decision that was taken.”


Read More http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teess ... z1qtmRV3Ed

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

One of the comments on the newspaper website seems to cast light on this;

Teesside_1234

12:45 PM on 2/4/2012


Councillor Hudson taking a solicitor along???

Solicitor named Mr Ellwood? This wouldn't happen to be the same Mr Ellwood who has been representing a certain private hire taxi firm in the recent court cases against MBC.

Seems a bit strange, hopefully some decent and honest person will be looking into this matter to find out whether there was a conflict of interest and who will be paying Mr Elwoods fee for attending this meeting.

Councillor Hudson states "taxi masrahalls unfair to the private hire trade". Maybe he should have read the report carefully as there was one private hire operator who put a letter forward to the executive committee in favour of the taxi marshalls and praising them for their good work.

Too many councillors continously getting involved in taxi trade issues. About time these councillors recieved more than a slap on the wrist.

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

That has got to be a first, a councillor taking a solicitor along with his to a meeting.

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IDFIMH

Councillor Hudson works for Boro Taxis, he drives a mini bus for them, indeed Boro Taxis sponsored him to be elected as a councilor, this was all done because Mr Bashir Boro taxi's owner had the big fall out with the towns elected Mayor Ray Mallon.

Bash went big style and attempted to get as many as his workers/friends to be elected so he can fight Mallon in the chambers.


Its getting very interesting in our little town, Mayor Mallon appears to be backing the hacks, much more than he has done before, this is [edited by admin] off bash, problem is Boro taxis are so big and bash is now very wealthy, he is making it very difficult for hacks to make money.

My reading of this is that it will be continued - the bid to reconsider, ie "not continue" has been rejected.

But perhaps it is poor writing by the Journalist and I am wrong. But I don't think I am.

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Chris The Fish

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gdlyi5mc ... re=related

I think the lodger makes a rather interesting point.....its very mucky in the smog.

CC

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

Looks like purchasing power again.

Anyone who doesn't think marshalls are a good idea has an agenda if you ask me, where we have them all is calm, where we don't all is chaos.

Looks like the minibus driver has an agenda, like so many other big PH ops do.

I've a feeling the commission is going to bring some unwanted news to big boy PH, small PH ignore I don't mean you.

You mean like a PH operator getting planning consent for an office beside a cab rank.....then objecting to taxi marshalls.

CC

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

That sort of thing CC.

I think personally he wants the chaos so he can then clain unmet demand.

No need for unmet demand surveys, we are already unlimited, indeed you couldn't give a hack away in our town at the moment.

I've got a good feeling it's going to be the complete opposite.

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IDFIMH

If what you are thinking you are probably correct, but I think you will find the free for all attitude of large PH is about to get reined in and they should and will be more accountable for the actions of their drivers.