Taxi Driver Online

Taxi firm offers to chauffeur Derby Mayor if office is axed

A TAXI firm has declared an interest in chauffeuring the Mayor of Derby after plans to axe the role’s office and driver caused alarm.

Derby Carz – which was officially launched by the city’s Mayor in August – said it was saddened to learn the Mayor’s Office faces the axe.

If the proposal goes ahead, the Mayor’s staff and chauffeur would be made redundant and the role would no longer involve attending public functions or engagements. The city council said the move could help offset Government-enforced cuts.

In announcing the proposal, leader Paul Bayliss said he hoped a taxi firm would offer to chauffeur the Mayor as part of a sponsorship deal, so the councillor in the role could carry on attending public functions.

Derby Carz owner Mohammed Hasham said that he would be interested in striking such a deal.

He said: “Yes, I’d be interested in that. It’s important the Mayor continues to attend functions and being the chauffeur would help promote my business.

“When the Mayor came to our opening in August, it brought us a lot of attention. Lots of customers said they saw us in the paper and that was because the Mayor agreed to come. The Mayor is a good thing to have in a city. It helps raise the profile of local businesses.”

The council said it could save £103,000 a year by scrapping the Mayor’s Office, which includes three full-time members of staff – including the chauffeur – who organises the Mayor’s schedule. A final decision on whether to axe the office will be made after a public consultation is carried out.

Mr Bayliss said the council would contact the taxi firm. He said: “I am pleased with this expression of interest. We will respond in due course.”

Meanwhile, opinion was mixed on how important the Mayor’s role is in Derby.

In an poll on the Derby Telegraph’s website, 60% of readers said the city needed a mayor and 40% said the role was not important.


Read more: http://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/Taxi-fi ... z2ljanum24

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

It would be interesting to see if the redundant chauffeur would apply for a job with the cab operator under TUPE!

Having been the chauffeur for our Mayor I can see it from both sides. Having a "figure head" for the council is great from the point of view of representing the Borough at such things as schools and other groups and charities. The bit that I find a waste of money is the Civic dinners where the Council entertain the Mayors from all the other Boroughs in the County. Each one in our County usually organises 2 of these events each year so there is usually at least one each month and they are just a waste of money. All the Mayors from around the country also get invited to attend a Royal garden party at Buckingham palace. Our Mayor also goes on a visit each year to go on board the locally named Royal Navy ship. I say locally named, it is actually named after a town in the next borough accross from ours but they weren't interested in getting involved.

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Grandad,

interestingly a local Funeral director has offered his services and cars to chauffeur the mayor as well - In the newspaper article the funeral director openly states - or cars are often used for other things, only the other day we picked up a lady from the airport because it was her birthday


Surely they need to be licensed to do that ?

They should keep them for the Feet first traveller....I dont carry Corpses why should they carry the Living

I don't think it was a hearse that would be using but a limousine.

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Grandad,

Ok..for use solely of the family of the Feet first passenger. Definitely not all and sundry.

The exemption if for weddings and funerals. So provided the passengers are going to the funeral they can use the vehicle, they don't have to be family. However, picking up at the airport is a different matter.

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Grandad,

THAT WAS MY FIRST THOUGHT

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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

Mayors are a waste of money. There's the Chief Exec or leader of the Council to do that job.

Really

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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

My local mayor does not get paid for his duties. Town Councillors are unpaid, but can claim reasonable expenses. Mrsbus is one, and has never claimed a penny in expenses.

For some reason or another, some areas have started having directly elected Mayors who get paid quite a lot of money for doing the Job. Leicester have one. So we now have 2 mayors in Leicester. The directly elected one and the Civic one.

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Grandad,