Taxi Driver Online

Labour hit over taxi plans

LABOUR councillors have overruled their own scrutineers and are pressing ahead with flawed reforms to the taxi fleet, opposition leader Howard Sykes claims.

Councillor Sykes, who heads the Liberal Democrat group on Oldham Council, spoke out after the cabinet this week decided to implement proposals to phase out saloon car Hackney carriages within three years in favour of black cabs, and increase licences tenfold.

Consultations have started, but the controversial issue was examined by backbench councillors from all parties on the regeneration and environment overview and scrutiny commission last month. They rejected the plans and their views were put to cabinet on Monday by the commission chairman, Councillor Jim McMahon.

Asking cabinet members not to pursue the changes they said: “The current policy has the support of the trade and will result in a fully accessible and purpose-built fleet by 2012.” But the commission’s findings were rejected by the cabinet, which decided to press ahead with consultation on its original plans.

Among the issues raised by the commission were why was the report not open to the public, why was the commission not consulted earlier, why was the report to the commission not more meaningful, and does the council need to train people about the functions of the commission and its role. At first the taxi issue was included in the private part of the agenda, but it was transferred into the public section at the last minute.

Today Councillor Sykes said: “The report should never have been considered secret in the first place. “At least the matter is now at long last in the public domain. People will be able to make their own mind up about this sorry state of affairs. “The commission listened to the evidence, and came to its own conclusions, the main one being that we should not pursue this policy change.

“However, the Labour cabinet knows best and appears hell-bent on pursuing this matter. “Its action is not surprising, just disappointing, and a real wasted opportunity to get something right for once.”

The cabinet member for the environment, Councillor Jeremy Sutcliffe, stressed at the meeting that the consultation process is still on-going and no conclusions have been reached. And he said he was not convinced that the council should instigate a major increase in new Hackney licence holders. He said: “I am not convinced that full derestriction is right for the borough. I would like to see that fully debated. “We need to involve ourselves in a wider survey.”

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IDFIMH

Phase out saloons.

Black Cabs only.

Increase licenses tenfold.

Now that does not sound like the well worn formula of 100 cabs 200 drivers, 200 cabs 200 drivers.

Anything to add, Sussex, TDO, JD?

Well one thing is for sure, anything could happen there.

But there is a chance, just for once, that a council might consider those that pay our bills, and ignore the doom and scare mongers.

Who knows?

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IDFIMH

Well, not you ,Sussex.

No chance of anyone putting on a black cab if licenses increase tenfold, or are you on your way up north to claim your "free" plate?

Well if someone is prepared to pay £45,000 for a piece of plastic, then I would hazzard a guess they will pay £20,000 for a WAV.

And if they don't, well there will be more work for those that do.

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IDFIMH

And be a little less vague, "Who Knows" what the hell do you think?

Didn't you berate someone for answering a question with a question a while back?

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IDFIMH

What was the question?

Oldham. 100 cabs, 200 drivers, 200 cabs 200 drivers?

Not sure, but what's wrong with the 100/200 200/200 analogy?

Unless your an owner it's a win win situation.

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IDFIMH

Yes, it doesn't sound like the well worn formula because it's rubbish.

A 'tenfold' increase is about as plausible as your claim that going WAV would mean no taxis at all in Kings Lynn.

The other big nonsense is the oft-heard claim that derestriction would mean no PH.

Both claims complete nonsense and mere scaremongering.

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

Well then licenses won't increase tenfold surely

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

What is wrong with the "100/200 200/200" analogy, is, to put it as simply as I can for you, a complete fantasy. Bolton Councillors talk about a "TENFOLD" increase in licenses. If I were a plateholder in Bolton, the prospect of having to purchase a black cab within the next three years, whilst facing a huge increase in numbers, would have me considering a change in career.

So, what is so wrong with the 100/200?

Take a town, call it, say, Anytown. In Anytown, they restrict Taxi licenses to 100. There are 200 drivers. Some bright spark says "de-limit!", and they do. Half of the jockeys takeup their own plate, the others stay put. 100 PH drivers decide to go over to hackney, and another 100 people who have never been involved, decide Taxi driving is the life for them. Still more drivers come on down! So from a position of 100 doubleshifted cabs, you go to 350 mostly double shifted cabs, and nobody can earn a decent living. Still, at least the plate barons are stuffed eh? Bancrupcies soar, and many decent hardworking one car owner drivers lose their business. But the plate baron is stuffed, so what the heck,you cannot make an omelette without breaking eggs, can you?

So Mr Sussex, (or JD, or TDO,) Give us one real LA example where de-limit has actually produced the 100/200 200/200 model.

I doubt if the tenfold claim has any basis in fact - just seems like political posturing to me. Do you know where the tenfold figure came from? If you say that requiring WAVs would mean the end of the HC side in Kings Lynn then surely you can't believe the Oldham claim? Or are you just saying whatever suits your purpose at the particular time?

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

I disagree with the dynamics of what you're saying Jimbo. But in any case, you clearly can't count, since you start with 200 drivers and by the end you have 400.

Yet you say there are 350 mostly double-shifted cabs at the end, which would mean 700 drivers, but lets say 600 since you did say mostly double-shifted.

So where do the extra 200 drivers come from?

And since you've decided to start to point out my typos, I would have another look at 'bancrupcies'

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

Good shot!

Could you now please give us one example of an L.A. where, on de-limiting of plates, the number of Taxi's has increased, but the number of Taxi DRIVERS has not. Certainly not Sheffield. A straight question. Over to you.