Taxi Driver Online

The strapline here makes it sound like the HC rep wants some kind of dual badge system, or similar. But looks more like he wants a saloon option for HC proprietors, so it's effectively misreported.

(Note that this was published around 10 days ago.)


Sheffield’s black cab numbers are ‘plummeting’ as trade is hit hard, says union rep

https://www.thestar.co.uk/news/politics ... ep-3305841

Hackney cabbies should also be allowed to drive private hire taxis because the industry is struggling, says a trade union rep.

Black cab driver and GMB rep Ibrar Hussain says the number of hackney carriages in Sheffield has fallen from 857 to 631.

Drivers are given a licence for either a black cab or private hire but Mr Hussain is calling for more flexibility.

He said: “Black cab numbers are going down fast because drivers are moving over to private hire.

“Black cabs cost more than £58,000 and no one can afford them, especially under current financial circumstances as the pandemic has left the trade dead.

“Another issue is every customer now wants to pay via card but the majority of cabs don’t have that facility.

“The trade has been asking licensing services at Sheffield Council to review the hackney carriage policy.

“We want them to allow a mixed fleet of vehicles with saloon cars otherwise the black cab trade will be decimated.”

Coun Douglas Johnson, Executive member for transport, said the taxi trade had been hard hit by the pandemic.

“Even before Covid, drivers were giving up black cabs in favour of the changing market of Uber and, more locally, City Taxis.

“Many people find it easier to locate and pay for a cab via a smartphone app, which takes all the hassle out of handling cash for an individual fare. The demand for taxi ranks has fallen in comparison.

“Many cab drivers now offer card payment facilities which are available to small businesses and individuals at much more affordable costs.

“This has helped those drivers competing for trade, as people have used less cash over the pandemic.”

But he said black cabs provided a vital service for passengers in wheelchairs.

“A mixed fleet simply means that not all vehicles are accessible to disabled people in wheelchairs.

“This is a real concern, given that many disabled people are heavily reliant on taxis to get out and about.

“Disabled people tell of many cases where drivers still refuse to pick them up if they require assistance with a wheelchair.”

Big question is, who decides who's allowed to run the saloons, and who's forced to run the LEVCs?

Anyway, a mixed WAV/saloon HC fleet not quite as unusual as the councillor makes it sound, like in nearby Leeds, for example.

But I suspect what happened there was a 100% saloon HC fleet once upon a time, but new plates issued only to WAVs, which is a bit easier to implement than what the HC rep is proposing here.

So chances of it happening in Sheffield now? I'd say about 0%

A dual badge shouldn't be beyond the wit of the council to implement.

But a separate PH badge isn't going to break the bank IMO anyway.

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IDFIMH

Can't really argue with that.


Those £20 machines are really hard to come by aren't they.

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IDFIMH

but getting drivers to have one is a problem several of mine stubbornly refuse even though they are missing out on good jobs as a result

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Taxis Are Public Transport too

Join the campaign to get April fools jokes banned for 364 days a year !

Sadly they haven't got a cure for utter stupidity.

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IDFIMH

Don't think it's really about that at all, though.

Suspect 'private hire taxis' above should read 'saloon HCs'.