Growing safety concerns as Stockport Council target Hackney carriages from outside borough in bid to quell fearsThe safety of Stockport’s travelling public is being put at risk by an influx of Hackney Carriages operating as private hire vehicles, the chair of the borough's licensing committee has warned.
Over the last six months taxis licensed by Rossendale Borough Council have been working across Greater Manchester giving rise to concerns over their legal status.
Councillor Chris Gordon has revealed the extent of the problem after Stockport Council’s licensing team received hundreds of complaints from members of the public, licensed drivers and taxi trade associations.
“The real problem is the safety, comfort and general well-being of the town’s people,” said the licensing, environment and safety committee chair.
“A situation exists where hackney carriages can act as private vehicles outside their area and legally if you are plying for hire you cannot be hailed.”
The confusion arises as Rossendale taxis have lights and signs showing their availability and suggesting the vehicle can be hailed when in reality this is not the case.
Rossendale Borough Council stipulates the ‘hailing’ stickers cannot be removed, which is causing problems when they operate outside their borough.
“If people see a taxi with a sticker on then you would assume this vehicle can be hailed but legally they cannot be outside their area,” Cllr Gordon added.
And while increased competition is a matter of concern for the town’s authorities, a much more serious issue of invalidated insurance exists.
“It is not just one of commercialism but the fact you are then uninsured and that’s the big issue we have,” he said. “Not being insured worries me.”
A spokesman for Stockport Private Hire Association also expressed their passenger safety concerns and believes Rossendale Hackney vehicles are exploiting a 166-year-old loophole in the law.
Previously, Hackney vehicles were horse and carriage and could not travel more than a few miles so they were allowed to work anywhere in England and Wales.
“We feel it's only a matter of time before someone gets in a Rossendale Hackney vehicle thinking they are for public hire,” he said.
“Outside Rossendale they are not so this would invalidate the taxi insurance.”
Stevie Bradley, 23, of Poynton, who works at NatWest in Stockport, uses a taxi firm she knows well and chooses not to hail cabs whenever possible.
“I only use Lynx taxis who are reliable,” she said. “I don’t trust getting into taxis I don’t know and there is no such problem with Lynx.
“I don’t like hailing cabs, particularly when I’m on a night out – my parents wouldn’t let me – and there is the insurance issue also.”
Another concern is Rossendale drivers having limited working knowledge of the area, ultimately providing a lesser service compared to drivers licensed by Stockport Council.
This is caused by a difference in licensing regimes as Rossendale Borough Council does not operate a knowledge test whereas Stockport’s test – strengthened in March 2012 – is rigorous.
“We have a very strong knowledge test in Stockport for private hires as well as Hackneys but it’s more intense for Hackneys than private hire,” said Cllr Gordon.
“Rossendale drivers do not have a knowledge test and they come to Stockport and haven’t got a clue where they are and rely on SatNavs to drive people about.
“People have said they have got in these cabs and the driver hasn’t got a clue where they are going.”
The Private Hire Association welcomes the strict nature of the knowledge test in Stockport and echoes Cllr Gordon’s view about the sub-standard service on offer.
“We have waited a long time in Stockport for the taxi test to be tougher on knowledge and it has finally happened,” added the spokesman.
“But now we have drivers coming from outer areas with no local knowledge working our streets.”
Richard Adshead, an IT worker from Stockport, said the situation of taxi drivers not having a working knowledge of the locality is a concern.
“It would certainly be a comfort to me to know drivers were from Stockport and know the area,” he said.
“You don’t want to be driven around by someone who doesn’t know where they are going.”
Stockport Council are carrying out regular targeted enforcement action – including “sting” operations – in a bid to curb the problem.
And there is collaboration across Greater Manchester as the situation is becoming increasingly common across the city.
“The licensing team are carrying out targeted enforcement and they are testing compliance for plying for hire requirements and they will be dealt with,” said Cllr Gordon.
“As chair of the committee I’m going to write to Rossendale licensing committee to ask them to implement the policy of just licensing drivers plying for hire in their local area.
“But the really important thing is asking them to remove their condition which stipulates the hailing sticker cannot be taken off.
“Our licensing people have a very close connection across licensing teams across the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities and enforcement is not just going to be in Stockport.”
source:
http://mancunianmatters.co.uk/content/2 ... e-borough-
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