Taxi Driver Online

Blackburn taxi fare increases put on hold

BLACKBURN with Darwen councillors have put a bid to raise borough taxi fares on hold, asking for two rival drivers’ groups to agree a common position.

The Hackney Drivers Association put in an application for a fare increase four months after its previous request was turned down.

Last week the borough licensing committee vetoed the rise until the organisation and the rival Blackburn Taxi Association agreed on the issue.

But Ashraf Mangera, vice-chairman of the BTA, said its members were happy with the fares.

If approved, the rise (the first since September 2011) would have increased the starting tariff for most journeys from £2.30 to £2.50, with the subsequent cost of 10p per 110 yards staying the same.

Christmas and New Year journeys would have started from £3.50, and then 10p per for each subsequent 110 yards.

The charge when a passenger soiled the vehicle would have risen from £25 to £30.

Coun John Wright, chairman of the licensing committee, said: “An application to increase the hackney carriage fares was considered. On careful consideration, members of the committee said they would not recommend the current application. Members felt that any request should be brought jointly by all representatives of the hackney trade in Blackburn with Darwen.”

Hackney Drivers’ Association chairman Charles Oakes said the cost of operating a taxi, including buying the car itself, was around £19,471 per year — a rise of eight per cent since 2010.

Mr Oakes, whose organisation represents cab drivers across East Lancashire, said: “We believe this increase is needed so drivers can maintain their cabs to the required standard. I think the council and BTA are wrong.

“I have asked our barrister to look into taking the council to judicial review over this decision.”

Mr Mangera said: “We asked our drivers if they wanted a fare increase and 90 per cent said they were happy with the current position in the economic climate. It is hard enough getting customers at the current price. We will look again at asking for a rise some time next year.”


source: http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/ne ... t_on_hold/

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

No no no.

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IDFIMH

What does No No No mean? we cant review it.

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C. Oakes


The Hackney Association Ltd
bbha@btinternet.com

Well yes you can, but the best you can gain from a JD is for the judge to say the council have been naughty and they should look again, this time doing it right.

Will take 12 months and cost up to £50,000.

Is that what you want?

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IDFIMH

it will not be the Frist I done one did one in backend of 02011. I know what you or say but if the trade keeps allowing councils to get away with things we will not get anywere. we took this counicl to court in 02011 and won and got £2500 in cost back.

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C. Oakes


The Hackney Association Ltd
bbha@btinternet.com

Taking to Court and taking to Judicial Review are two very different things Charles.

Be very, very careful.

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Chris The Fish

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

A Judicial review is a review of a council's actions, not the pros and cons of an issue. Although they are usually the same thing.

So should you win, at high costs to some, you will only gain a direction from the judge that the council reconsider issues that the judge has deemed wrong.

In short this is not a good move.

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IDFIMH