Taxi Driver Online

Taxi drivers to lobby parliament

CABBIES from Southampton will join a lobby of Parliament today against proposals to reform the laws governing the taxi and private hire trade.

The Law Commission ins consulting on proposals to strip out regulations and open up the trade to more competition, including removing limits on the number of taxis set by councils and allowing private hire operators to take bookings across local authority boundaries.

Struggling Southampton cabbies last month persuaded councillors to keep the number of hail and ride cabs in the city capped at 283 after warning more competition would ruin their livelihoods.

Perry McMillan, from the cab section of the Unite union in Southampton, who will join the lobby, said the Commission proposals would “threaten existing jobs” and “mislead people into getting taxis only to be sitting around on ranks waiting for work.”

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/9807015 ... arliament/

They better not let those nice MP's see this story;


Southampton cab driver to make huge profit on taxi licence

THE owner of a new Southampton taxi plate is trying to sell it for a £30,000 profit just weeks after it was virtually given away by the council in a lottery-style draw.

Shouyb Mohammad Yaqub beat 342 other applicants to win one of four £180 Hackney Carriage licences issued in December.

But he has now put his money spinning taxi plate, together with a £25,000 seven-seater wheelchair friendly taxi, on the market for £55,000.

Defending the sale of the plate and Citroen car, a‘59 registration with 5,000 miles on the clock, Mr Yaqub said: “It’s a good deal. I will sell to whoever wants to buy it.”

Last night taxi trade chiefs accused him of profiteering and said he could have prevented a genuine driver from entering the trade.

Southampton Hackney Association chairman Ian Hall said: “Selling for profit is not the right way to go about this. I think it’s disgusting, “These people are trying to make money out of our trade by buying and selling plates. I find it very distasteful. It’s stopping genuine people coming into the trade.”

Mr Yaqub, of James Street, St Mary’s, denied profiteering, insisting he had no intention to sell up when he won his licence.

He said he was now moving to Australia, although refused to discuss his reasons why.

Yaqub claimed he had already received an upfront cash offer of more than £40,000 with the balance to be paid in six months, but was holding out for more. His taxi was being offered for sale through a notice at the offices of Radio Taxis, a leading city cab firm.

The Daily Echo revealed in September how taxi plates were fetching up to £35,000 on the open market, but legally the council could only charge £180 per licence when issued to cover its costs.

The number of hackney carriage taxis, cabs that can be hailed in the street, had been limited to 263 in Southampton. But a survey found "significant unmet demand" and councillors agreed to issue 20 new plates.

Twenty names were picked from a hat in a draw held behind closed doors.

In a bid to limit abuse of the system, licensing bosses demanded applicants prove they had the £20,000 needed to put a taxi on the road.

But a council spokesman admitted that once the licenses have been issued the authority has no say in when it can be sold on or who to.

Matthew Elliott, chief executive at the Taxpayers' Alliance said it was “ludicrous” that taxpayers could not cash on the taxi plates.

“These plates are worth a small fortune, money that could make a real difference to council tax bills or public services. The law needs to be looked at.”

Four of the winners were issued with their plates in December. Eight more plates will be issued at the end of this year with the remaining eight issue in 2011.

http://mobile.thisishampshire.net/news/ ... 180_plate/

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

Maybe he's planning a nice long holiday in oz and a free plate when he gets back, courtesy of the LC?

Risky buy at the moment, I'd have thought.

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

Sorry Gus, I should have put a date on that story, its from Thursday 4th February 2010.

But you're right.

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

http://mobile.thisishampshire.net/search/9766212.Taxi_numbers_capped_as_cabbies_struggle_in_recession/



Council sticks to ‘hail and ride’ cab limit of 283 in Southampton

By Matt Smith

1:00pm Saturday 16th June 2012

Taxi numbers capped as cabbies struggle in recession

Taxi numbers capped as cabbies struggle in recession

Taxi numbers capped as cabbies struggle in recession

THERE will be no increase in taxis on Southampton’s city streets – after cabbies said more competition would ruin their livelihoods.

Cabbies, who complained to councillors about already overflowing ranks from a lack of work, feared even more taxis will make it even harder for them to make ends meet.

Councillors agreed to follow the recommendations of a once in three-year review by transport consultants and keep the number of hail and ride cabs in the city capped at 283.

Clive Johnson, chairman of the Southampton Trade Association, which has around 450 members including 100 Hackney Carriage drivers, welcomed the decision.

“It was inevitable really. At the present moment in time we’ve got taxi drivers being booked for parking at the end of ranks because we’ve nowhere to go. There is no work out there.”

Consultants Halcrow, who were paid £15,000 to carry out the survey, found sufficient taxis were “generally available” in the city although there was a need for more wheelchair friendly cabs.

Only one third of those surveyed felt the taxi service could be improved, but nearly half thought fares should be cheaper. Nearly half the cabbies surveyed said they would leave the trade if more licences were issued, and 84 per cent said they wanted additional and longer ranks.

Ian Hall, chairman of the Southampton Hackney Association, told councillors there were only 15 24-hour taxi ranks in the city with spaces for 73 taxis, leaving a shortfall of 210 spaces. He added the council had shortened the ranks in recent years.

Despite opposition from the trade, three years ago the council agreed to issue 20 more lucrative taxi licences - worth up to £35,000 on the open market – in a controversial secret lottery exposed by the Daily Echo.

Perry McMillan, from the Southampton taxi section of the Unite union, said: “This survey confirms what we’ve been saying all along. We feel the decision three years ago to ignore our pleas has caused a lot of hardship for the trade. And the timing of the (latest) survey, before the last eight new plates went on in December, shows we didn’t need them.”

The survey also found more permits should be issued for taxis to work the docks, and that more needed to be done to improve access and reduce congestion.

Docks owners ABP signed an agreement with the council three years ago to issue permits and enforce standards after concerns about scruffy drivers, cherry picking of fares, and allegations of overcharging. The permits cost £63.

But the decision could be challenged as under Government guidelines Southampton City Council must show that retaining a limit on the number of taxis in the city benefits customers.

One Conservative councillor, Brian Parnell, questioned whether the city should remain closed shop to new cabbies.

The number of licensed private hire vehicles - around 550 - is not limited.

I hope that those attending the London outing actually disuss more than one issue.

But I bet they don't.

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IDFIMH

There were so many there they couldnt all get in.

as for what they discuss SUSSEX what was stopping you showing up and throwing in your pet line ???????????

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All posts by this contributor are made in a strictly personal capacity

I AM PROUD TO BE A CITIZEN NOBODY'S SUBJECT http://www.republic.org.u

F88K EM ALL WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND

BOOZE BOOZE BOOZE

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

?

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

The company.

That aside im surprised that a union with more ph drivers in than taxi drivers is sucking up to the anti ph unions.

What did Crow say about minicabs at his Heathrow meeting?

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IDFIMH

It shows as a smiley for me CC - but not when you quote him - now that is strange.

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Chris The Fish

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

and your point capt whose sucking up to who ????????

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All posts by this contributor are made in a strictly personal capacity

I AM PROUD TO BE A CITIZEN NOBODY'S SUBJECT http://www.republic.org.u

F88K EM ALL WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND

BOOZE BOOZE BOOZE

There's various points, most of which pertain to the idiocy of the cab trade; I referred to this in a post last night.

I dont need suck up to anyone, as ever have my own views, which aint the same as PH, Unions or the NTA

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

Your quote above Capt was quite specific would love to see the evidence re the Union with more PH members sucking upto other Unions, clearly your entitled to your opinions and they are respected by me! but that quote is as i say specific so wheres the evidence you base that opinion on?

_________________
All posts by this contributor are made in a strictly personal capacity

I AM PROUD TO BE A CITIZEN NOBODY'S SUBJECT http://www.republic.org.u

F88K EM ALL WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND

BOOZE BOOZE BOOZE

I think you'll find I didnt mention sucking up to anyone, if you scroll down, you'll find it was Sussex.

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

Sorry Capt that explains it wouldnt expect him to produce evidence

_________________
All posts by this contributor are made in a strictly personal capacity

I AM PROUD TO BE A CITIZEN NOBODY'S SUBJECT http://www.republic.org.u

F88K EM ALL WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND

BOOZE BOOZE BOOZE