Taxi Driver Online

Alpha Cars Brings Private Hire into 21st Century


Liverpool's biggest private hire taxi firm today (July 24) won the go-ahead for a trailblazing city centre booking office and waiting lounge.

Alpha Cars’ base will be an historic warehouse in Duke Street, close to Liverpool One.
It will enable passengers to book their private hire car and wait in the safety of an adjoining lounge for their vehicle to pick them up at the front door.
Liverpool City Council's Planning Committee today unaminously approved the plan after council planning officers recommended the go-ahead be given.
The innovative scheme has been devised by veteran taxi operator and owner of Alpha Cars, James Bradley.

Mr Bradley said: "This will be yet another first for Liverpool, a service not yet available in many British cities.

"I have been working on this scheme for some years in response to requests from passengers, and particularly female customers, who want, and deserve, a safe and secure environment.

"Our scheme involves creating a well-run city centre booking office and waiting lounge where there will be a coffee bar, all overseen by extensive closed circuit television. During the evenings registered and experienced security staff will be on duty for added safety and security.
"I am delighted Merseyside Police gave its full backing to this scheme. In the past few years Liverpool has developed leaps and bounds as a tourist city with a thriving evening economy. Simultaneously, the private hire side of the taxi trade has also improved dramatically. This scheme will finally bring the private hire business into the 21st century.

"Additionally it will make a major contribution to greener transport by introducing a central pick-up point, reducing the number of cars circulating in and around the city centre.

"We are a major employer in Liverpool with a fleet of 400 private hire vehicles and we have the most sophisticated GPS (Global Positioning System) available to control and manage our entire fleet.

"Liverpool has been crying out for the kind of facility we want to provide. We aim to start work as quickly as possible".

Mr Bradley's planning consultant and former Liverpool planning officer, Steve Chapman, Managing Director of Liverpool-based Devaplan Ltd said: "This is an exciting and an innovative scheme for Liverpool City Centre. The council's own Unitary Development Plan policies recognise the importance of encouraging the provision of taxi facilities to serve the city centre and following helpful pre application comments from planning officers, and input from highways consultants SCP, our scheme ticks every box for satisfying relevant planning and, highways criteria. I'm sure this operation will set a new high standard in taxi facilities for city centre visitors and shoppers.
"We are delighted council planning officers recommended approval, with the City Council’s Planning Committee adding their own approval at a meeting of the committee on July 24, 2012."

The one-time Victorian warehouse earmarked for the operation has been vacant for some years and its owners say the proposal presents the best chance of bringing it back into productive use.

Have you moved recently from RTFC?

viewtopic.php?f=14&t=19867&p=248533#p248533

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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.

No Brummy cabby but
Liverpool Taxi Drivers Association, Liverpool
Hackney Owners, Liverpool Fleet Owners . Were all asked for there comments by the Planning Committee , no
comments were received.

I find it astounding that that a P H office . Could be opened feet away from the busiest taxi rank in Liverpool .

Why was Unite Liverpool not asked for there comments. I'm sure Mr Cummins (the legal brains in Unite Liverpool a very astute man ) would have had something to say.

Could it be there all running about ,dumping plates. Or wetting them selves, in case the value of there plates fall .Or talking aload of drivel about the Law commission .

That they (the Liverpool taxi trade) have taken there eyes off the ball.

What's your point?

A PH office can open anywhere as long as the local authority's criteria is met.

You wait until you have a licensed private hire operator office inside one of your biggest night clubs; then you'll have something to whinge about.

_________________
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.

You are clearly easily impressed and I'm curious how many feet away it is or at what time of the day/night it is the busiest rank in Liverpool

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

Because they are a shower of sh**.

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IDFIMH

How long before they have bouncers on the doors stopping people who've had one or two over the odds from going in??

Do Alpha still have the 2 offices in 2 different licensing areas or have they closed one?

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

.[/quote]
What's your point?

A PH office can open anywhere as long as the local authority's criteria is met.

You wait until you have a licensed private hire operator office inside one of your biggest night clubs; then you'll have something to whinge about.[/quote]



My point is, never in the History of Liverpool , has a P H office been allowed. To operate in Liverpool City Centre. Every time some one applies, for planning permission, to open a walk in office in Liverpool . The the joint trade group tells, the council to pi$$ them off and they do .( usually on the crap grounds , noise ,traffic congestion any bloody thing.
Whats new is this Law commission abortion has distracted , the joint trade group .
AND THIS DISASTER (FOR THE HACKNEY TRADE) WHICH IT WILL BE . HAS SOME HOW SLIPPED UNDER THE WIRE.

we've got 001 about twenty meters down the road from carfax on st aldates, we send customers to them, and they send them back.....cant see what the big deal is

they've got an office etc, but where this PH Baron really makes his dosh is on wait for it - gambling machines, he literally coins it in

As far as i know they still have two offices . I have heard they don't care, how many drivers they have on their circuit .

Its a lovely world you live in i envy you. I really do .
Here things are not quite so relaxed .

Welcome to STaN, this is the model that is being used illegally by private hire in London. It will be the "Death Knell" to Licensed Taxis in Liverpool. In order for it to work the police and local authorities have to turn a blind eye to illegal activities of touts.

Hubs, satellite offices, operating centres. They are all the same thing, mini-cab offices strategically placed by local government to: Clear the streets, reduce drink related crime and the burden of overstretched police public order patrols.
This is not a new concept at all. It revolves around an existing policing public order model. It will be introduced by stealth and with a lot of smoke and mirrors, until Licensed Taxis are deregulated. Be warned !!

http://content.yudu.com/Library/A1pnsf/ ... esentation

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Never argue with an idiot, they drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.

I suspect Mr 187ums is taking the pish.

After all, a few days ago he was saying the following about the same firm:

Gosh, I'll have to refer everything that I post to a moderator first, so it doesn't upset you, or you can try to use it against me at some point. Anyway talking about points, they're just down the road, I may object to them using tricks and cheats or what ever else, but the thing is, we get along. Unlike me and you.