Taxi Driver Online

My council has published its statement, its on thier internet site.

Tell me how much more competition can we take? as i have stated many
times, people can use the bus, walk, or use PH.

What do you think will happen when more and more cars appear on the road? It will inevitably mean less takings for all of us, and eventually a worse service for customers, drivers having to work longer for less.

But I forget, you guys are "free marketeers". Also where will all these extra customers come from? Are you going to rub your magic lamp and ask the Genie?

How is it detrimental to those seeking entry? all they have to do is buy a plate, or wait on the list.

Which council is this?

JD

Without any extra drivers then they wont go very far. If people are that desparate to join the trade, then why aren't they in it already?

In truth it may lead to more cars being licensed, but if they are being driven by existing drivers, then is that so bad?

_________________
IDFIMH

The only attempt of a justification I have come across is Blackpool, and if the trade is as bad as Halcrow say, then one has to wonder how thick the folk are up there to pay £45,000 for a plate.

_________________
IDFIMH

Or pay someone an obscene rent for the right to work.

_________________
IDFIMH

Mr Hamilton subscribes to the theory that under de-restrictioon there will be less cars on the roads. It would seem you and him have a slight difference of opinion?

Regards

JD

You have a funny way of twisting peoples words, what he said was:



Also I suggest that you re read point 31 from the Best Practise, here it is for you:

Are you blind or just selective? What he said was that under restriction there are more vehicles available. Now you might not like what he said but it is plain for everyone to see that he did actually say it.

Now I made a statement that none of the 55 councils that have retained numbers control has publicly justified their policy. You come along and state that your own council is an exception and they have publicly justified it on their website. I gave you the opportunity to back up your statement and for some reason you can't do that? So I can only assume one thing.

Heres what Mr Hamilton said, I think you better read it again.

"The consumer benefits from limited numbers because there is reinvestment in newer vehicles, better maintenance and more vehicles available, as they are better utilised, with two drivers covering longer hours."

JD

try to follow the argument and you might understand the logic. I have no problem with what he is saying, infact I agree with him, he knows his market, i dont, and nor do you.

I am curious though, who authored the quota's document? did you enjoy sending it to the councils? or the Licensing Officers?

I suspect more LOs than you would think, and like, visit TDO.

And most are more than capable of down-loading it themselves.

_________________
IDFIMH

So you agree with this guy when he says "less cabs means more vehicles available".

If thats the case why did you state that there would be more cabs on the road causing congestion and polution if there is going to be less cabs on the road under de-restriction? Who's logic is that?

JD

Mr Hamilton seems to subscribe to the contradictory say whatever-we-want-to-make-our-case logic, which is why his letter basically amounts to groundhog day all over again

_________________
Taxi Driver Online
www.taxi-driver.co.uk

So Mr. Hamilton believes that 70% of Hackney carriage drivers in England and Wales lack professionalism? Are we to understand that professional cab drivers only exist in those authorities that are restricted? That would mean there are no professional cab drivers in either Mansfield, Gateshead or indeed the Wirral. I might not be surprised at that but to hear it from the mouth of a trade representative is unusual to say the least.

Mr. Hamilton is full of contradictions. In one sentence he states, "there are less cabs on the road under de-restriction" which as we all know if this were the case it would mean more work available for those that are on the road. Then he states "the consumer receives a poorer service from de-restricted licenses because there is less income per proprietor/driver" well according to Mr Hamilton's logic he would be earning more under a policy of de-restriction than he would under restrictive policy.

Mr Hamilton perhaps doesn't realise how silly his misguided logic sounds. In his vain attempt to brainwash the general public he should take note of what the TGWU said to the select committee in 2004. They said, "they have no reason to doubt that Taxi numbers do increase under de-restriction". Yet here we have a man from the same organisation implying that Taxi numbers do not increase.

I'm inclined to go along with the hierarchy of TGWU and believe that Taxi numbers do increase and without quality control they will almost certainly increase dramatically. Mr Hamilton places a great emphasis on the word "service" but what does service mean to the general public who want a Taxi? I think it should be noted that when Mr. Hamilton talks about service he is probably thinking of the two main elements that make up a good Taxi service they are availability of Taxi and a courteous incident free smooth ride to their destination.

Availability of Service comes about through more taxis on the road, that assumption is uncontested. You can find the model for this reasoning in any de-restricted authority throughout the UK. Examples are Dundee, Mansfield, Gateshead, Wirral, etc. You might wonder why I mentioned these four areas? I did so because so called trade representatives from all these areas have voiced their opinion that since these councils lifted numbers control vehicles have increased dramatically. So it’s a case of who do you believe? Mr Hamilton who says the public suffer through a shortage of Taxis under de restriction or the Trade reps in the four areas I have highlighted who state vehicles have increased dramatically?

I think we all know the answer to that question.

Mr Hamilton then goes on to mention the other service factor implying that the people in those four areas I have mentioned are unprofessional? Can anyone offer a reason why Mr Hamilton is more qualified as a professional than Mr Royden of the Wirral Taxi association or Mr Wayne Caaasey in de-restricted Carlisle and a representative of the National Taxi association?

I would like Mr Hamilton to come on TDO and tell us why he and his colleagues are more professional than the likes of those Taxi drivers in 70% of de-restricted authorities?

Mr Hamilton's theories on de restriction might appear logical to him and even to some of his disciples, the fact of the matter is that the vast majority of people will probably look at what he has written and probably decide that rather than being logical it is manifestly illogical.

Regards

JD.

How mr. Hamilton can say that the public benefit from reinvestment is a joke. You just need to come to plymouth on a Saturday night and see some of the old sheds that are being driven around.

When a driver wants to enter the trade they are forced to to do one of two things. Either pay and outrageous amount of money to someone for a plate or pay and equally outrageous amount of money each week and rent a taxi and plate. Roy hamilton seems to think that two drivers jockeying the same cab is a good thing? there are 359 HC cabs and some 500 licensed HC drivers, so thats 141 that share, do you really think they would still be sharing if the plates were issued for free on presentation of a new WAV?

Perhaps if those drivers where not forced into a position where they need to buy a plate for £25-30K before they even start to drive then they would have the available funds for a better vehicle.

He even provides the figure to show the increase in public demand for taxis and PH has grown by 6.5% HC plates since 1990, where as PH has grown by 270%. it doesn't take sherlock holmes to work out there is a real increase in public demand for a taxi/PH service. He then goes on to say that the private hire trade has taken the traditional markets, this may well be true but that is because the so called 'traditional market' is dying off, they invented a thing called a mobile phone a few years ago mr. Hamilton and the public like to use them. The PH market has moved with the times, and the customers want a professional taxi service that comes to them not them needing to walk to a rank.

How mr. Hamilton can say that the public benefit from reinvestment is a joke. You just need to come to plymouth on a Saturday night and see some of the old sheds that are being driven around.

When a driver wants to enter the trade they are forced to to do one of two things. Either pay and outrageous amount of money to someone for a plate or pay and equally outrageous amount of money each week and rent a taxi and plate.

Roy hamilton seems to think that two drivers (even three in some cases) jockeying the same cab is a good thing? there are 359 HC cabs and some 500 licensed HC drivers, so thats 141 that share, do you really think they would still be sharing if the plates were issued for free on presentation of a new WAV?

Perhaps if those drivers where not forced into a position where they need to buy a plate for £25-30K before they even start to drive then they would have the available funds for a better vehicle.

He even provides the figure to show the increase in public demand for taxis/PH. HC has grown by 6.5% plates since 1990, where as PH has grown by 270%. it doesn't take sherlock holmes to work out there is a real increase in public demand for a taxi/PH service. He then goes on to say that the private hire trade has taken the traditional markets, this may well be true but that is because the so called 'traditional market' is dying off, they invented a thing called a mobile phone a few years ago mr. Hamilton and the public like to use them. The PH market has moved with the times, and the customers want a professional taxi service that comes to them not them needing to walk to a rank.