Taxi Driver Online

Taxi drivers in shock High Court battle with Worcester City Council



FURIOUS taxi drivers in Worcester are taking the city council to the High Court in a bitter dispute over buying new vehicles.

The taxi trade say they face "ruins" because of a new rule which means some drivers must fork out nearly £40,000 to stay on the roads.

Under city council rules, hackney carriage drivers typically need to replace their taxi once it reaches the age of around 12, subject to a mechanic's assessment.

Up until last November, a new vehicle aged up to three years old was deemed acceptable, but a new rule then kicked in which the replacement must be brand new.

Worcester Taxi Drivers Association says the change has infuriated the trade, with many saying they cannot possibly afford new vehicles straight off the production line.

Drivers have clubbed together to raise around £35,000 and have instructed a law firm to start High Court proceedings via a judicial review.

Lesley Borthwick, from the association, said: "In this day and age who can afford £30,000 or more for a brand new taxi?

"We haven't got the money, drivers are scratching around trying to make a living as it is.

"People say 'why don't you get another job' but for us, what other work is out there?

"The difference between a new vehicle and one nearly three years old is around ten grand - we're talking one hell of a difference.

"There are great implications to what the council has done."

The driver's case is being handled by Nolan Licensing Consultants & Advocates, a specialist firm which handles taxi disputes around the country.

Councillor Paul Denham, chairman of the council's licensing committee, said: "I'm very disappointed to hear that's the avenue they are going down.

"As far as I am concerned we are willing to listen to what they have to say - they are taking a tremendous risk in taking it to court.

"In November it was a sort of emergency decision, because we hadn't yet got a cap in place and wanted to do something to help limit numbers."

He said a forum between the taxi drivers and council was taking place on Thursday, and he hoped fresh talks could take place over it.

The city council also says it has yet to receive formal notification of the challenge, and that it could be out of date because three months is the standard cut off time for a judicial review on such a decision.

Last month the council voted through a new rule which means no more cabbies will be allowed a licence until numbers fall sharply.

Worcester currently has 263 hackney carriages, and the cap is set at 230, which means at least 34 must quit before any more are dished out.

http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/111 ... y_Council/

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

Cabs or Cabbies???

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Grandad,

I wouldn't be surprised to find that the 'cabbies' agreed to a range of measures and have now found out or realised the consequences - personally I'm completely sick of f*ckwits in this job

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

There's a lot of them about. I hope they win; it seems the council are totally ignoring the Best Practice guidelines. OK, they're only guidelines, but the courts don't like councils ignoring them.

In the bus industry, the Traffic Commissioner issue "guidelines" and any operator who ignores them will be on a Public Inquiry.

The thing is this mob sold their soul to get taxi quotas re-introduced.

Now they are trying to welsh out on their side of the deal.

Rather foolish in my opinion.

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IDFIMH

OH DEAR Capt just who are f=ckwits and what have they done............................shagged one of yer sheep

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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

Like many people from outside of the trade, who think they know best, they suggest supa dupa ideas without thinking of the long term consequences.

But worst than them are those within the trade, who think they know best, yet suggest supa dupa ideas without thinking of the long term consequences.

Still no doubt there will be some of us left clearing up the mess.

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IDFIMH

They know better than that - nobody comes between a Cumbrian and his sheep - however as sussex has correctly stated, these dupes are now reaping the whirlwind

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

£40000 ? they have saloon plates ,are they all being forced to put on jags?,interestingly enough Dundee council have stated at a recent meeting to look into ways of levelling the playing field regards wav ops paying tens of thousands of pounds to earn a living in Dundee while saloon ops can stick on a £1500 Vectra, maybe this could be the answer

Worcester taxi drivers' High Court legal battle expected to be scrapped



A BITTER High Court legal battle between taxi drivers in Worcester and the city council is set to be scrapped - after a major u-turn.

Your Worcester News can reveal how the council is looking to water down a new hard-hitting policy on taxi vehicles after it enraged cabbies.

Last November, in a bid to help reduce spiralling taxi numbers licensing chiefs agreed that drivers must buy brand new cabs once their vehicles are deemed too old.

Prior to that point, under old rules once the car reaches around 12, taxi owners were allowed to replace them with vehicles aged up to three.

Worcester Taxi Drivers Association has launched court action over the change but the city council held a private meeting with the trade on Thursday for fresh talks over it.

Councillor Paul Denham, chairman of the city's licensing committee, now says the policy will be changed.

"A number of people came along and convinced us it would be unreasonable to have to find so much extra money to buy a brand new taxi," he said.

"Our feeling is that we now ought to change the policy so it's one the drivers can live with.

"I think we can still look at ways of gradually improving the quality of the fleet without doing it in this way.

"We've listened, it's not our intention to put people out of business - in some ways the policy was like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut."

Only last week drivers said they faced "ruins", revealing new cabbies straight off the production line can cost nearly £40,000.

Older taxis can typically be £10,000 cheaper, or even lower if they shop around.

A new report will now go to the next licensing committee meeting in June for a vote on a relaxed policy.

Lesley Borthwick, from Worcester Taxi Drivers Association, said: "It's a lot more than we had this time last week.

"We've said all along the policy isn't right - it's good to hear they agree with us on that.

"But we need to see what they come up with. I'd be happier if they'd drop it now."

She said the trade would not halt its legal action until the new policy is voted through.

In February the committee passed a new rule which means no more cabbies will be allowed a licence until numbers fall sharply.

Worcester currently has 263 hackney carriages, and the cap is set at 230, which means at least 34 must quit before any more are dished out.

source: http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/111 ... ?ref=var_0

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

Why not go the other way and drop the maximum age allegedly most councils now have a max age of between 8 and 10 years

Why? Best practice guidance says that what should count is the CONDITION of the vehicle, not the age.

Make your mind up, council tells cabbies

Taxis in Worcester are still threatening legal action

COUNCIL chiefs in Worcester are pleading with taxi drivers to make up their minds over a possible High Court legal battle - with politicians saying they want to find a solution.

Your Worcester News can reveal how the body representing city cabbies has still not withdrawn the threat of a court challenge, despite indicating in April that the process was likely to be shelved.

Both sides are at loggerheads over a new council policy to tighten up the age criteria which forces drivers to buy brand new vehicles once their current one is deemed too old.

Prior to last November once the car reached around 12, taxi owners were allowed to replace them with vehicles aged up to three.

New taxi vehicles straight off the production line cost around £40,000 to buy, whereas older ones aged up to three sell at around £10,000.

The city's licensing committee now says it wants ideas from the drivers as to what policy they would prefer - an olive branch designed to try and avoid an expensive court battle.

Councillor Roger Knight, who sits on the committee, said: "We really need a proposal to come from them.

"We need to know what they want in terms of the age of the vehicles, otherwise we'll end up coming up with another (watered down) policy that the drivers still aren't happy with."

Both sides did meet in May in an attempt to meet each other halfway, but it ended without the taxi trade putting forward any alternative.

Councillors were hoping to be able to vote on a new, watered-down policy this month but it will now not be possible.

Councillor Paul Denham, who also sits on the licensing committee, said: "There was an absolute invitation to the trade to come forward with an idea last month, but they came to that meeting without any proposal whatsoever."

Worcester Taxi Drivers Association says the trade is not prepared to cancel the legal action until it is happy with a new policy.

More talks are now planned between both parties to see if they can reach a breakthrough.

Lesley Borthwick, from the association, said: "It's still ongoing at the moment - in terms of the legal action we can't withdraw until everything has been ironed out."

source: http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/112 ... s_cabbies/

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

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

You need to go to the council and iron it out then.

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IDFIMH