Taxi Driver Online

There's a fundamental contradiction in your argument, since if people are so sensible, why are they getting into unlicensed vehicles and PH illegally plying for hire in their thousands, as you keep on telling us?

And to that extent your 'solution' to the Glasgow scenario would hardly have prevented it, surely?

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

The thread is useful in that it highlights the different approaches which cause the confusion in the first place, and if WE don't know what's going on (other than in our own area) and can't agree on the way forward, then what chance the punters?

One particular point that stuck out in the article was that the girl was on holiday from Northern Ireland, which underlines the above.

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

Councils have to be very very careful how they gain enough evidence to prosecute. Some do the ply in the street way i.e. stop a PH and ask if he is free, but many will only go up to cars whilst parked.

But from speaking to people who know the full inns and outs, it's a proceedual night-mare, thus many councils will turn a blind eye to licensed un-licensed pick ups, and concentrate their efforts on un-licensed un-licensed pick ups.

But they wont admit it in public.

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IDFIMH

Please note the part of the Act highlighted in BOLD, the prohibitation does not apply to anything issued by the licensing authority, ie. stickers as in Renfrewshire

This is not the case in Glasgow where the licensing department appear to be insisting on the companies own illegal advertising

With regard to your other point I have had many conversations with the licensing team at Mill Street (Mr Hadden & Mr Parham) over the many ways Renfrewshire Council are breaking the law regarding taxi licensing

Their insistance on comprehensive insurance & there failure to act against chauffeur companies to name but a few


Please note just because a licensing authority insists on a condition does not mean it does so legally

Remember that especially here in Renfrewshire...this is after all the area where, through the licensing departments incompetence, 4 taxi operator licenses were deemed to have been granted because they wrote on the legal documents 'taxi driver' instead of 'taxi operator' when they seeked extra time for consideration from the Sheriff

You have highlighted one of the major problems regarding taxi & private hire licensing in that every local council has their own conditions in place, be it vehicle type, age, colour not to mention plates, dress code etc., this only goes to confuse the public especially those visiting from a different area

Surely one way to solve this would be a national licensing structure similar to that of bus regulation & the traffic commisioner

One things for sure this will never happen, local authorities crave power & once they have it will never relinquish it

It is ironic that according to Renfrewshire Council 'special event' licensing ie. limos & fire engines, is being held up because they & neighbouring authorities want to create a licensing regime with similar conditions to each other,.... it is a pity they cannot do this with existing licensing !

Yes, I entirely agree Buddie with everything you say above, except that I think it could happen.

After all, they've now got a national taxi regulator in Ireland - in 2004 we reported:

Meanwhile, Mr Gerard Deering, a departmental director with Carlow County Council, has been appointed Ireland's new national taxi regulator, and will take office in September.

Transport Minister Brennan said that Mr Deering would be armed with the Act and the National Taxi Council chaired by a former Garda Commissioner.

Among Mr Deering's responsibilities will be the setting of standards for vehicles and drivers, including age, size and a national uniform colour for taxis, and a high standard of knowledge and a dress code for drivers

And late last year TDO broke the news that an Irish economist who was a strong advocate in favour of Ireland's taxi regulator had been made Chief Executive of the OFT here.

http://www.taxi-driver.co.uk/fingleton.htm

Never say never.

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

Crystal ball Sussex stricks again.

http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/hi/news/5048721.html

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IDFIMH

Yes, that would help, but I think the major problem that such a system leaves unadressed is that many won't bother waiting for the specified car, and will instead get into the first thing with four wheels and a driver that comes along.

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

As night follows day, that will always happen.

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IDFIMH

http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/hi/news/5048721.html

In relation more or less

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The views and comments of Charlie are virtual only - as this is t'internet boys and girls!

No running to the bosses - nobody likes a grass!

Any time you wish to grace London with your presence just PM me and i'll meet you at the station for a tour of the touts in action.

Meanwhile I'd just like to say, and i'm sure I speak for all, what a pleasure it is to have your aquantince once again on TDO, without searching the web for you.

Cough, yes anyway.

Here's a page from this weeks premier London Taxi trade publication which touches on the subject.




http://www.ltda.co.uk/taxi/issue_111/pg04.htm

Heres a selection of what London Minicabs can use at the moment, in addition to the discs, customer call back systems that have already been mentioned elsewhere on this thread.

Now I can't see whats wrong with these? They look clear enough to me, and apparantly i'm a 'pratt', according to one forum member who has never driven a Taxi or PH car in his life.


http://www.ltda.co.uk/taxi/issue_111/pg05.htm

I must admit one thing you can always rely on the LTDA to do, and that is to fail.

Fail to get the E7.

Fail to stop pedicabs.

Fail to stop PH licensing.

Fail to now stop PH signage.

Fail to run a profitable cab firm.

But they did succeed in one thing, and that's sell out to those nasty foreigners you keep banging on about.

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IDFIMH

Nothing wrong with them at all, so why not suggest them to the big three cab firms.

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IDFIMH

The E7

The LTDA has nothing to do with the E7. It was calling for an alternative vehicle on behalf of its members who were sick of LTI. I type this of course knowing you hate any organisation that represents anyone in the Taxi trade. (until, one day, you get a plate to ply your trade and then you may reconsider?)

It was Allied vehicles who failed to get the E7 licensed for the time being, not the LTDA.


Fail to stop pedicabs.

How can you stop them, they took them (the operators) all the way to the court, the court decided they were not under the terms of the London act which covers plying for hire.
So what else do you expect a representative body to do Sussex? go out and shoot them? I think your being blinded from reallity by your dislike of trade unions and representative bodys.

Tell me this. What did our 30'000 Minicabs do about push bikes blocking the roads and stealing their central London office work with their 'lobby'? Easy answer: Jack [edited by admin]. They cannot organise a pee up in the brewery with their lack of trade representation. (Eh Blobby? )


Fail to stop PH licensing.


Your half asleep again Sussex. Show me one iotta of evidence that the LTDA was against Minicab licensing. On the contrary they made sure the standard was as high as the PCO could achieve.

Fail to now stop PH signage.


The campaign was 100% sucessful, the Mayor banned external signs on Minicabs. So how did it fail?

Its irrelevant that the same people within the PCO who got their noses put out of place, are now trying to overturn that decision, the campaign was successful, and you know it, so why make trouble?


Fail to run a profitable cab firm.

The LTDA did'nt run Com Cabs, for the 7th time.

It had Geoff Kaley at its helm, and it was in debt.

It was a members circuit, and they took the decision to sell up for the wind fall.


But they did succeed in one thing, and that's sell out to those nasty foreigners you keep banging on about.


I don't 'bang on' about 'nasty' foreigners otherwise I would'nt get on very well with her indoors?

I tend to use factual information, for instance every tout I see at work is of an African or East European appearance.

But of course why let factual information get in the road of the left wing wet rags of the world who can instantly shout 'racist' from the sidelines.

Especially ones who turn out to be Bus drivers, eh Blobby?