Taxi Driver Online

Toots, you also forgot:

Some will opt for the "Peak Time Licenses" proposed by the LC (eventually turning wet Tuesday mid-mornings into "no taxis available") and do another job as well.

I also foresee a dramatic rise in completely un-licensed vehicles.

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Chris The Fish

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

So will it have a detrimental effect on your income if drivers go from full-time to part-time?

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IDFIMH

Part time licenses are a daft idea, how on earth will they police them?

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

No detriment to my income Sussex - I don't work "nights". My Pension and War Pension combined, means I don't have to do that. On the other hand I will be working on wet Tuesday mid-mornings.

I was underlining the stupidity of the Peak Time Licence idea really.

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Chris The Fish

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

Forgot to mention another rather pointless aspect of OFT (as alerted by a post in another thread), namely the recommendation for best practice guidance, which in fact the DfT was already dealing with.

Thus the OFT looked more like an exercise to endorse what was already on the table rather than anything more independent and radical, and in particular stuff that could be implemented without the need for a full-blown Act of Parliament.

Ditto the LC?

I think you got it in one.....this thing is being pushed by the DfT.

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

It is interesting that this document talks of old antiquated taxi law and I presume is supposed to be taking the Taxi trade into the 21st century and beyond.

I don't know of any major shop that doesn't have a cash register and clearly prices it goods. Yet we are supposed to believe that it is progression having Licensed Vehicles without meters.

It appears that nowadays every profession you enter you have to have the appropriate qualifications, followed with on going training. Yet again it appears that this 21st century document is going backwards regarding knowledge testing.

If this document was/is truly about making a trade work better for both public and drivers. It would have sustainability and safety at it's core. Why not go the whole hog and have all fares regulated and work to a national formula, like the Brighton formula, that allows for local costs. Set not just a maximum but a minimum. This would alleviate what could end up a complete bloody mess with price wars everywhere with no boarders.

If safety and accessibility are truly at the top of the list then having porous boarders, no knowledge, low minimum standards, peak time licenses, and no meter. One wonders how many hours drivers will end up working to scratch a subsistence. What conditions their vehicles will end up in, and as for purchasing the larger WAVs. The reduction in license fees would be have to be debit to the tune of thousands.

The job should have full professional status, for both PHV and HAC

Minimum level of English, both written and Spoken (that's me out )
Disability Training.
DSA test.
CRB( fully checkable for a minimum period of 10 year's)
Full and comprehensive Knowledge Test.
Taxi Meters (with a national formula that provide a minimum and maximum fare)
National set License fees, with significantly cheaper licenses for full time working drivers.
Vehicles that are rental only pay a higher license fee.
Fixed priced rental of vehicle only, no 30-70 deals ect.
No limit on Hackney numbers, however all must be Wheelchair accessible.( rear loaders allowed)
High minimum standards for PH, such as 4 door, minimum back seat dimensions, condition ect
10 year age limit coupled with rigorous testing for condition as well as roadworthy.
Permanent appropriate signage.

Cross boarder I can live with, if all authorities adhere to the above.

You are assuming that all ph work in a similar manner to taxis but they don't. If I remember rightly there is a company that offer a service for bridegrooms in a little sporty number. I've always been a believer in a single tier taxi service and then everything else that doesn't operate in the very similar manner (ph as we know it) would then be classed as private hire e.g limos, party buses, sporty little numbers

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

True I did wrongly assuming that these "other" vehicles would have special dispensation. I'm not sure the LC have allowed for this scenario.
I have to agree the more I think about it, a one tier system For public transport (taxi PH)isn't such a bad idea. Especially when you work in an Area like mine when the ONLY difference is the plate on the back.

In your little dream of a one tier system,how would you envisage this to work all over the country ? Where would all this rank space come from ? What about places like blackpool where the influx of visitors makes most of the work seasonal ?

Where do all the ph sit at the minute and who's to say whether taxis will have to sit on a rank in the future?

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

So i would sit on some obscure rank that probally 2 jobs a day go off ? I dont work for a company i rely on street work.But maybe you think wed all be better of working for one big company maybe mctaxis.Another 100,200 taxis trying to work a town centre just doesnt work

In my little dream world, if there are

100 Hackneys and 100 Private Hire.....there are 100 Rank Jobs and 100 Phone jobs

In a one tier system there is still 200 Taxis and still 100 ranks jobs and 100 Phone jobs

All that changes is the plate on the back, as Toots has said why in the future would they all "have to" sit on a rank.

You have the same amount of drivers, the same overall amount of vehicles, the same ratio of work....yet all of a sudden no one can make a living? Interesting logic.

They should really sit in hell, in fairness.

Taxis will sit on ranks for as long as ranks are there.....unless we're living tootsville, where the markings are pink and they'll sit on floating platforms

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