Taxi Driver Online

I thought that in order to take a booking for a private hire vehicle, the booking had to be made at the registered office within the district. I have just had a email from Rutland Council licensing department with the contact details of a certain company and they don't even have a telephone number at the premises. I wonder how and where they take their bookings?

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Grandad,

So what contact details did they send you?

Why would your LA send you details of another operator?

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

It's all a bit messy with these new telecoms/internet things, and the old fashion wording of the 1976 act, and the many ways it is interpreted.

In theory your outline is correct, but in practise the edges have been worn away and it's getting to the stage that the act, in relation to bookings, is becoming unworkable.

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IDFIMH

I asked Rutland for the information.

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Grandad,

He is plating his vehicles in Rutland because they have no age restrictions, no vehicle inspections, just an MOT, they have no driver knowledge tests and their fees are half of what the fees are here. It is an office of convenience and a plate of convenience. He does not work in Rutland. He takes his bookings in his Melton office. The vehicles even have his Melton number on them. He doesn't even have the vehicle plate fixed to one vehicle.
He doesn't use any new telecom/internet things for his bookings. Just an ordinary telephone. In fact he is trying to get mobile phones and call divert banned by our council. Basically he is just avoiding licensing in Melton. And to top it all he uses drivers who are licensed in Melton to drive the vehicles and not licensed by Rutland.
Melton licensing say that they can't do anything, it is down to Rutland and Rutland do not do any enforcement even in Rutland so they aren't going to come to Melton to catch him at it.

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Grandad,

Has he licensed PH or hackneys?

If it's the latter he is ok, if the former it's one of those messy situations.

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IDFIMH

Grandad, If this chap takes the calls for the bookings in an office in the Melton district he MUST get his operators licence from Melton. If he does not have an operators licence granted by Melton then he is operating illegally and should be dealt with accordingly by Melton. If he does have an operators licence granted by Melton then he must use vehicles and drivers licensed by Melton. If he does not then he can be dealt with by Melton for using unlicensed vehicles and drivers. The golden rule is three licences must exist and they MUST all be granted by the same licensing authority. In this case it must be Melton...

They are Private Hire.

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Grandad,

He has an operators license in Melton and he has cars and drivers licensed by melton. He has an office licensed by Rutland and he has vehicles and drivers licensed by Rutland. Are you with it so far? Easy isn't it. Until we actually look at what he is doing. The office in Rutland is a ghost office he does not operate from there and he has no phone number in Rutland. He does not work in Rutland. ALL the calls are to his Melton number but he is sending Rutland plated private hire vehicles on the bookings taken in Melton. Also, on occasions he sends the Rutland plated vehicles out with a driver who is only badged in Melton. More confusing now isn't it.
I believe that Melton should be able to take some action on the bookings being taken in Melton and a rutland vehicle being used for the job. However, Melton say they can't do anything without evidence of wrongdoing and they won't try to make a booking for the vehicle because they say that it could be entrapment. It is begining to annoy me now.

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Grandad,

enough there to confuse and tie up both licensing departments, sounds like a top bloke!

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

It's the same chap that wouldn't recognise that TUPE existed on the contract at Christmas.

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Grandad,

sounds like hes gonna have revenge

till a MELTON plated vehicle is stopped in MELTON's LA with a RUTLAND badged driver hes almost safe

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

Ah, but all his drivers have a Melton badge but only some of them have a Rutland badge.

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Grandad,

you need a joint Rutland and Melton operation then....

good luck with that

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

You no that it's illegal to operate Rutland vehicles from a melton office, we have covered it before, Melton should be interested as it's melton people that are being carried with no insurance.