Taxi Driver Online

If Licensing Officers can be delegated to give fines, a Whitehall Mandarin could be delegated to set standards, leaving Politicians free to rack up expenses.

They cannot solve problems that may develop on a local level - we are all sensible enough to realise that both taxi and PH policy on a local level develops over time with experience......

I'm sure I've asked for an example of a good local policy numerous times before but never get an answer, so perhaps you could provide one now?

A local authority may decide on a knowledge test for all licensed drivers?

A local authority may decide DSA tests for drivers?

A local authority may decide colour policies for vehicles?

A local authority may decide to either introduce age policies or relax age policies?

A local authority may wish to introduce DVLA license checks as part of the process?

A local authority may attach a condition specific to a particular license......in the case of both vehicle and driver?

A local authority may vary its conditions as to circumstances?

What I was alluding to was why these things should vary from area to area.

Because taxi and private hire law is a strange and wonderful thing allowing for local circumstance, for taxis and ph in shap or in Brighton.

See what I mean?

Dodge the question, why don't you?

I think I need to put the often used (flawed) reason to allow cross border hiring to be put to bed once and for all. In relation to vehicles breaking down miles from home and needing help to complete the job.

1) It hardly ever happens. The firm I work with do in excess of a 1,000,000 jobs a year, included in that is a very large amount of long distance work. The Operations Manager confirmed to me today it happens about 2 or 3 times a year.
2) Should it happen, and the job was taken by a taxi firm, then that job can be passed onto any licensed firm they choose i.e. not ever a problem.
3) Should it happen, and the job was taken by a PH firm, then that job can be passed onto any licensed taxi firm they choose i.e. not ever really a problem.
4) Should it happen, and that job was taken by a PH firm, then there is nothing stopping the customer ringing any firm they want direct (having been assisted by the PH driver or his firm) and booking them to complete the job. The bill for that can be paid by the driver in cash, or credit card over the phone by the PH firm i.e. not a problem, just a little inconvenient.

However should all the above not address this minute problem, then surely it's not beyond the wit of the Act's Draftsman to add a section allowing a PH firm to pass work to another non-local PH firm in exceptional circumstances.

So please next time someone gives the above reasons to inflict such a major change to our future livelihoods, please feel free to punch them on the hooter, and say it was from me.

What I was alluding to was why these things should vary from area to area.

Don't forget these little 'Pol Pot' dictators just love the power and will invariably abuse it, hence all the court cases.

And you were doing so well until you added the exceptional circumstances bit. As soon as you allow something to be done under exceptional circumstances you have created a loophole for anyone to claim that whatever they decide to do was "in exceptional circumstances".

I would expect those exceptional circumstances to be outlined in the act.

I personally don't have a problem with the odd job being passed, its the wholesale destruction of the PH trade I take issue with.

It's difficult to outline exceptional circumstances because of the very nature as to why they are exceptional circumstances. You seldom think of them until they happen

Not difficult at all.

Or no more difficult than working out if it was reasonable for a driver to refuse a job off the rank.