Taxi Driver Online

Pirate cabs exploit licensing loophole to dodge knowledge tests

A YORKSHIRE mill town has been bombarded by applications from would-be-cabbies nationwide who see it as a soft touch for a taxi licence.

Private-hire drivers can be approved by any town hall to work anywhere in England and Wales

Huddersfield, famous for being the birthplace of rugby league, is at the centre of a minicab licensing storm.

Until recent deregulation, private-hire drivers could be licensed only by the local authority where they lived.

But they can now be approved by any town hall to work anywhere in England and Wales.

This has led minicab bosses to send new driver applications to councils that do not require knowledge tests.

Some councils are being bombarded by thousands of requests from drivers with no knowledge of the area.

Now Kirklees Council in West Yorkshire is rushing in a knowledge test after being swamped with non-local applications.

Senior Tory councillor Robert Light said: “Kirklees is seen as a soft touch.

We became suspicious after we had a lot more applications than normal from all over the place.

“A lot of other councils are bringing in knowledge tests. The duty of the council is to ensure public safety and Kirklees drivers don’t want outsiders taking their trade.

"We need to know taxis are legitimate and not putting the public at risk.”

More than 250 of those badged up in Rossendale in Lancashire are working more than 100 miles away in Derby, which has a tough maps test.

Paul Brent, chairman of the National Taxi Association, said: “These pirates are getting their licences in the sticks and working anywhere.

"Trafford in Greater Manchester, where I come from, got rid of the knowledge test and ended up with 3,000 applicants. It will take three years to clear the backlog.

“One guy was talking about working in London. He could not care less that he did not know where St Paul’s or Piccadilly was as long as he had his sat nav or phone.

“Councils can’t take enforcement action against cabs not registered in their area. So anyone getting into one risks getting ripped off. It is an absolute disaster.”

The Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association said: “We are extremely concerned about cross-border hiring.

“The local licensing authorities do not then know the identity of who is driving or have the ability to check their criminal record or suitability to carry passengers in their area.”

source: http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/744617 ... edge-tests

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

I think someone somewhere has got something wrong.

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Grandad,

Since when have private hire been able to do what taxis have been doing for years

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

I thought Wolverhampton was the place now to get licensed because of their non knowledge tests? Councils now are using licensing as a cash cow to balance the books of other failing departments.

somebody change the record tell us something we don't know

what gets me is why is there this huge queue of people wanting to jump on the serfdom bandwagon don't they know they are going to be used and exploited

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

You are not alone, but well done for reacting a lot quicker than most others in a similar situation.

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IDFIMH

If your assumption is correct which I have my doubts,Councils who are using licensing money as a subsidy for other functions the only people to blame are the mugs in the trade who are paying this money.

Taxi Licensing fees are ring fenced by Law and can only be used for TAXI and private hire matters.

Taxi Licensing fees are ring fenced by Law and can only be used for TAXI and private hire matters.

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

Taxi Licensing fees are ring fenced by Law and can only be used for TAXI and private hire matters.[/quote]

correct of course but the retards continuously bleat the opposite without EVER being able to prove their nonsensical bleats

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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

correct of course but the retards continuously bleat the opposite without EVER being able to prove their nonsensical bleats [/quote]

let guess trotsky your a creative accountancy denier

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

let guess trotsky your a creative accountancy denier [/quote]

If TT's correct what the hell does Rossendale do with the licence fee's from circa 1800 drivers ? either there running a hell of a surplus or there's something fishy going on with the accounting.