Taxi Driver Online

Doesn't specifically say so, but I'm assuming this is about plying for hire.

Of course, you can read similar stuff about cross-border drivers south of the border, but of recall that in Scotland you can't do that sort of thing. You can do cross-border work, but you can't station cars in another area on an ongoing basis, so the Wolverhampton scenario and normal Uber style of things isn't possible here.

That said, it's a bit messier in practice than in theory, particularly in large urban areas encompassing several bordering councils. But the particular issue here sounds more about plying for hire.

(The piece does refer to cross-border drivers 'plying their trade' but that's a broader thing than specifically 'plying for hire', but I'm fairly sure it's about the latter.)


Midlothian taxi drivers under siege

https://theedinburghreporter.co.uk/2020 ... der-siege/

Taxi drivers have asked for help in a row over rogue operators taking their business.

Claims that drivers who are licensed to operate in neighbouring East Lothian and Edinburgh areas are picking up passengers in Midlothian will be made to Midlothian Council’s Police and Fire and Rescue Board on Monday.

In a letter submitted on behalf of Midlothian’s Taxi and Private Hire Trade, councillors are warned local operators could be put out of business by the rogue traders.

It says: “We implore the council to act, as Scottish law is being broken on a daily basis within the constituency of Midlothian, which as the fastest growing authority in Scotland, is certainly not the type of news we want put in the public domain.

“The public require and should deserve the backing of their local authority on these matters as what will it take to happen before action is taken?

“An accident? Fraud? Or worse, a crime of a sexual nature? Single women after a night out jumping into a vehicle that isn’t licensed and who knows what may happen without any tracking mechanisms or recourse?

“The introduction of preventative measures, therefore being proactive instead of reactive is required.”

In their appeal for support, taxi drivers express frustration that when drivers and operators who are crossing the local authority boundary lines are reported to Midlothian Council’s licensing officers, they are told it is a police matter.

They say when they raise it with Police Scotland, they are told it is a licensing matter.

They say: “Strong enforcement must be enacted within Midlothian immediately and certainly, along with the proper agreements between each local authority and Police Scotland, to give our trade some respite.

“If the out of authority vehicles are allowed to ply their trade with no repercussions, then the impact on the hackney trade could be disastrous due to the Midlothian vehicles losing work constantly and therefore exiting the trade.”

The letter also calls for a Taxi Examination Centre to be set up in Midlothian adding it would be supported by drivers in the county.

Sounds about right

PH can pick up from wherever they want in the UK if they are pre booked by a Customer.

no one said they couldnt,the problem is plying for hire,ie,pirating which is rife and illegal but as there is virtually no enforcement of it they act with impunity,blatantly picking up hires from the street and stopping for flag downs,they even pounce onto ranks if there are no hacks around

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i started out with nothing and ive still got most of it left

Taxi trade in Midlothian to be discussed with police and council

https://theedinburghreporter.co.uk/2020 ... d-council/

Police will meet with representatives of the taxi trade and council in Midlothian to address concerns about rogue drivers.

Midlothian’s taxi and Private Hire trade have claimed they are losing business to operators from Edinburgh and East Lothian who are illegally picking up passengers on their patch.

Representing the industry at a meeting of Midlothian Council’s Police and Fire and Rescue Board this week, Angela Reid told councillors the activities were threatening the livelihood of drivers licensed to work in the county.

And she said drivers from outside the authority area were seen parked in car parks waiting for jobs in breach of the law.

She said Edinburgh drivers, in particular, had been coming into the county and parking up while waiting for a job adding that attempts to tackle the issue led to frustration with police saying it is a licensing issue and licensing officers saying it is a police matter.

She said: “No one seems to know who deals with it.”

A letter to the board said it was both Edinburgh and East Lothian drivers and operators who were crossing the borders however the board was also told by legal adviser Alan Turpie that the legislation was difficult to police.

Taxi and private hire firms are able to travel across local authority boundaries if they have a passenger who is travelling from their own area, travelling back to their area or part of the journey back.

It is against the law to operate solely in another area unless they can prove they are heading back to their licensing authority area and any driver convicted can face a fine of up to £2,500.

Mr Turpie said: “There are ways in which these cars could be legally travelling through Midlothian, the difficult the is trying to police it.”

Chief Superintendent John McKenzie, divisional commander for Lothians and Scottish Borders, told the meeting he was “not convinced we are the only people who have a role in this”.

It was agreed representatives of the taxi trade would sit down with police and council officers to discuss the issue and look at ways to resolve it.

Pretty flimsy evidence to be honest. I mean, there's going to be cars coming in for pre-booked jobs and waiting a while for them, and sitting in car parks etc. Nothing illegal about that.

Kind of reminds me of the story about the dozens of illegal cabs in an Aberdeenshire town, sitting around in car parks etc.

Which sounded more like the boy racer fraternity than pirate cabs.

But no doubt an element of illegality, and no doubt an element of that in Midlothian. But suspect the degree of it is being a tad overdone

Maybe, but if it's the same cars parked in the same place day after day then that needs to be looked at.

If it's a firm like Uber it should be very easy to investigate via their booking/job records.

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IDFIMH

Not much more clarification here on whether it's out-of-area cars plying for hire, or whether it's out-of-area cars actively working in Midlothian, which isn't allowed under the Scottish legislation. You can take passengers to another area, or go to another area to pick up pre-booked jobs, but you can't work full-time in another area like Uber in many English licensing areas.


Midlothian taxi incidents: Police investigation after 10 unlicensed taxi drivers caught in Midlothian

https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/ ... an-3240433

Police officers in Midlothian have launched an investigation after catching 10 taxi drivers not licensed to operate in the area over just six months.

The 10 taxi and private hire drivers – who were licensed outside of Midlothian – were charged for their offences and a report has been submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.

They were operating between September 2020 and March 2021.

Officers are now carrying out further enquiries into private hire and taxi drivers who are working without a license in the local area.

Actually, rereading the later stuff above, it does seem to be about cars working out-of-area full-time rather than plying for hire.

So it's interesting, because although I'm not sure how widespread abuse of this is, it's certainly unusual to read about official action being taken against it.

Also ironic in view of the stuff we posted earlier today about vehicles 'operating' in another area without a licence.

IF there was no work for them to grab they wouldn't be there

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

Be an interesting case to follow.

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IDFIMH

This is a neighbouring authority, so could well be related the above issue. But if it wasn't entirely clear what was going on from the reports above, this is even worse

And while it's quite normal for council 'comms' departments to release a statement saying the obvious, this must take the prize in that regard. Makes the recent Birmingham Mail piece on the PHD taking bookings without an operator's licence seem like an object lesson in clarity


Unlicensed taxis operating in East Lothian

https://www.eastlothiancourier.com/news ... t-lothian/

UNLICENSED taxis are operating in East Lothian, it has been claimed, with passengers asked to check that drivers and vehicles have the appropriate documentation when booking.

Police in East Lothian have received complaints recently regarding the issue.

An East Lothian Council spokesperson said: “We support Police Scotland’s view that taxi vehicles and drivers should be properly licensed.

“It is not acceptable to operate a taxi on an unlicensed basis and would urge members of the public to only used licensed operators.”

Thanks for that clarification and reassurance


Also good to know

Well that cleared that up then.

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IDFIMH