Taxi Driver Online

Taxpayers foot bill for £200k taxis blunder



TAXPAYERS will foot the bill for an administrative blunder that will see cabbies paid more than £200,000.

Colchester Council has agreed to pay drivers the year-on-year increases in licence fees it charged in error for the last six years.

The figure is likely to be more than £200,000, shared between the borough’s 1,390 licensed drivers. Each is set to receive at least £150.

The council has not advertised its fee increases in respect of Hackney carriage and private hire vehicle licences, and operators’ licences over the last six years.

A spokeswoman said: “The increases in fees charged in respect of Hackney carriage and private hire vehicle licences, and operators licences have not been correctly advertised.

“This was an oversight on the part of the council and we have been working closely with representatives of the Colchester Hackney Carriage Association and the private hire vehicle trade to agree the process by which the refunds due will be repaid.

“Having taken legal advice, we are committed to refunding the increases that have been made since 2006.”

Refunds will issued from next month. The issue was first raised in September 2010 by Christie Wettasinghe, who runs Colchester cab firm Hawaii Five-O.

Mrs Wettasinghe said: “The council has known about this for nearly two years. If it was the other way around, it would have been taking me to court. It is one rule for them and one rule for the rest. “Business these days is a struggle and it doesn’t help the council is taking my money.”

The council was caught out because the Local Government Act 1976 says any fee rise of more than £25 must be advertised in a local paper. The increases were only advertised on the council’s website.

Mrs Wettasinghe made the inquiry after local government watchdog, the Audit Commission , found Guildford Borough Council had unlawfully increased its licence fees.

source: http://www.chelmsfordweeklynews.co.uk/n ... s_blunder/

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

Oh dear, and a good day for the little people, I bet someone at city hall is taking it personal like it's out of their own account, JOBBSWORTH COOONT!

Maybe a claim should be made against the assets of the councillors who passed the increases illegally.

_________________
IDFIMH

Can that kind of thing be done? I seem to recall that it could be done in the past, but not now.

Anyway, I suspect councillors would have to be acting in bad faith for action like this to be taken against them, but councillors simply turning up to rubber-stamp things on committees - as they tend to do - probably couldn't be characterised in this way.

I think they can, but it happens very rarely.

Sort of come about when Tories in Westminster didn't want certain areas made into council houses.

_________________
IDFIMH

Yes, you're right, the power to surcharge was only used very rarely, but I think it was abolished and replaced by a new offence of misuse of public office, or something like that, but I can only find bits and pieces on it online, so I'm not really sure what precisely the position is these days.

But I think the problem with the surcharge power was that it could only be used if whatever happened left the LA out of pocket, which perhaps wouldn't apply in the current case. Indeed, since it was lining the council's pockets at the expense of drivers it could be argued that it was doing precisely the opposite to leaving the council out of pocket.

But whatever the particular powers in place to stop this kind of thing, I think it's still safe to assume that they won't be used nearly as often as they should be

Will a FOI request see where the monies have been spent??

Lichfield DC did exactly the same....how many more have?

How many have paid the extra fees but since left the trade and wont see a refund?

_________________
Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

yes the law commission will snuff these councils out........thats why they hardly mentioned it

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

Can any one tell me what Political Party was in control during the time of overcharging ?????????

_________________
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'm sure you can find it yourself or are you being as lazy as me

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

Probably the Bolshevik Apparatchiks!!

_________________
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.