Taxi Driver Online

Clamp-down to stop illegal pick-ups by hackney carriage operators


Concern has been raised by a local private hire operator about the increasing problem of illegal hackney carriage pick-ups on the Kings Road in Harrogate.

Their concerns have prompted a response from Harrogate Borough Council with the aim of making sure people understand the types of vehicles they use and further action to discourage the illegal pick-ups by the operators.

Within Harrogate there are private hire vehicles, that must be pre-booked and hackney carriages that can either operate from an official taxi rank or can be flagged down in the street.

A number of hackney carriage operators are loitering on Kings Road and touting for business. At times they are picking up fares where the individual has a private hire vehicle on the way. It is illegal for them to loiter and tout for business in this way.

Hackney drivers are also operating in a similar way outside the Apprentice Army College, loitering for business in an area that is not a taxi rank and taking fares from other operators that have been pre-booked.

•Hackney Carriages - easily be identified as they all display a sign on the roof. They have a black plate on the rear of the car and blue coloured plates on the front doors. A hackney carriage can operate from taxi ranks within the Borough or can be ‘flagged down’ in the street

•Private Hire Vehicles - has a white plate on the rear stating that it is a private hire vehicle and red coloured plates on the front doors. A private hire vehicle must be pre-booked through an Operator and cannot be “flagged down” in the street

The problem has prompted a clamp-down by Harrogate Borough Council and the licensing team will have enforcement officers work late into the night on the weekend, the time when most of the problems occur.

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Councillor John Ennis, Harrogate Borough Council’s Licensing Committee Chairman said: We have received complaints from licensed drivers in Harrogate that their pre-booked jobs were being taken by drivers who were picking up customers illegally, resulting in lost time and income. The council has listened to these concerns and we are acting to address this issue.

The council’s Licensing Team have carried out enforcement and monitoring operations, and have written to all drivers suspected of committing offences giving them a final warning. Test purchasing exercises have also taken place, but to date haven’t yielded sufficient evidence for formal action.

The town is already monitored by Enforcement Officers who will take action against anyone breaking the law. From February we will also be engaging the services of the Night Marshals for a trial period, who operate until 4am or 5am on a Friday and Saturday night. The Night Marshals will be reporting drivers who are not observing the rules to the Licensing Team to follow up.

We are also considering whether a new taxi rank could be created to help alleviate the current situation.

All taxi drivers must ensure they are aware of and abide by the rules and regulations. The vast majority of taxi drivers operate within the law, but the council will continue to monitor and will take action against any private hire driver who picks up unbooked fares, or any driver who does not comply with legal requirements. Private hire drivers need to be aware that picking up customers illegally can have serious consequences such as a significant fine or the suspension or revocation of their licence.

source: http://www.harrogate-news.co.uk/2015/02 ... operators/

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

so if i am driving down the road and someone who has booked a PH sticks his hand out, should I enquire if they've made a booking with a PH company? I think not, I'll just pick up and go and so should the Harrogate Hacks.

If I am licensed in that area then its the PH's tough luck, after on a busy night they are looking to nick the hackneys work.

I think that the point is that the Hackneys are not just "passing by" and getting flagged. They are parking up at certain venues where there is no rank.

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Grandad,

same difference, if a customer puts his hand out, its simple. if they don't want to wait then its the customers fault and the PH's bad luck

If there was a Private hire Office where it's busy then I'd be outside there with my light on.

Sounds like sour grapes to me on his part.

There is nothing to say that the Hackneys are not entitled to also be waiting of a booked call!

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Common sense........is just not that Common.

Of course not, but you and I both know that this was not the case.
In our town we make our own "unofficial" ranks at night outside the main pubs and the nightclub. The police and Licensing are quite happy for us to do this provided we don't cause any obstructions.

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Grandad,

If someone comes up to you and asks if you can take them to such and such and your on no "offical rank" and your hackney whats the problem?? your insured for public hire same as getting flagged while moving.

That would depend on the interpretation of being "hailed". Unless booked in advance hackneys can be picked up from a rank or hailed in the street. They are not supposed to wait anywhere else if they are not booked they are supposed to proceed to the next available rank or basically, keep moving.

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Grandad,

You can try and word it how you want,but at the end of the day its a job/hire.I might be parked up to go to the shop,or pulled over to answer phone.If theres a punter wanting a taxi its my job.

That can only apply if and I say IF the council have enough ranks for alll of its hackney fleet otherwise it is unreasonable, A hackney can stop and park anywhere an ordinary car can park, What they can not do is park together forming an illegal rank

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

why do hackneys play at being private hire and slag ph down all the time

strange lot

You got that well and truly upside down..

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

Explain how a hackney "plays" at being a ph ?