Taxi Driver Online

This is the official press release

It says it will create one HC 'zone' across the authority. Of course, strictly speaking it isn't a zone, and neither were the former seven areas zones, as opposed to distinct licensing authorities in borough and district council areas.


County-wide policy for taxis and hackney carriages to be launched

https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/news/arti ... e-launched

Plans to introduce a county-wide policy for licensing taxis and hackney carriages in North Yorkshire are being drawn up ahead of a major change in local democracy.

Members of our decision-making executive will meet next week to discuss plans to launch a consultation on the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy for the whole of the county.

The existing seven borough and district councils currently have their own hackney carriage and private hire licensing policies. But ahead of the launch of the new North Yorkshire Council, which will deliver all local services from 1 April next year, the county council’s executive will be asked to endorse a consultation for the new policy.

A comprehensive review of the seven existing policies has been undertaken and although they have several factors in common, there are differences in terms of applicant criteria, vehicle specification and procedures.

The new policy seeks to ensure that the public continues to be provided with safe and accessible hackney carriage and private hire vehicles, as well as a coherent regulatory framework for the trade across the county.

It is proposed that the new council will operate one hackney carriage 'zone' for North Yorkshire. This will provide drivers with the flexibility to operate across the county, encouraging environmental efficiencies and creating a wider distribution of wheelchair-accessible vehicles.

Executive member for open to business, Councillor Derek Bastiman, said: “I would encourage anyone who drives or regularly uses taxis or private hire vehicles to take part in this consultation to help us shape the new Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy for North Yorkshire.

“The policy plays an integral part in demonstrating the council’s commitment to ensuring that the public is provided with safe and accessible hackney carriages and private hire vehicles by the trade.

“And as a single local authority for North Yorkshire, it also ensures hackney carriage and private hire licence holders and taxi operators across the county are treated equally.”

The 12-week consultation allows licence holders, taxi operators and the public to have the opportunity to share their views and help to shape the policy that will serve North Yorkshire Council.

There are no plans to impose hackney carriage quantity restrictions on the creation of a new single zone, and hackney carriage fares and fees will be reviewed at a later date.

If approved by the decision-making executive on Tuesday next week (18 October), the consultation on the draft Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy for North Yorkshire will run from Tuesday, 25 October, until Monday, 16 January.

All comments received will be fully considered by the executive in the new year with the aim of implementing the policy with the launch of the new authority.

That's clear enough, but not clear whether the seven existing councils have any quantity restrictions or not, and can't be bothered looking it up

But a rehash of the press release in the Richmondshire Times includes this small addition:


Which might indicate a quota-related thing, but of course it wouldn't require existing quotas to envisage a degree of resentment caused by cars being allowed to operate across the whole new super-council area.

It's also maybe related to the WAV dimension and the like, perhaps if there's some compulsory WAV plates in some of the old areas, and they're being taken forward under the new regime

Another council mega merger is there one yet than has actually been successful ? most seem to cause more problems than they solve

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

Those with a good memory* will recall that this guy was complaining last year when Harrogate and Ripon was to delimit based on presentation of a WAV.

So this will be a double-whammy for him

*Or, like me, often make use of the site's search function


Taxi licensing changes will cause ‘chaos’, says Ripon cabbie

https://thestrayferret.co.uk/council-ta ... on-cabbie/

A Ripon taxi driver has said plans for a single licensing policy for North Yorkshire will lead to “chaos”.

Under proposals just put forward, the new North Yorkshire Council would create a single licensing policy for hackney carriages and private hire vehicles in the entire county.

It would mean drivers in Harrogate could operate anywhere in North Yorkshire whereas they are currently restricted to the Harrogate district.

Richard Fieldman, who has operated his cab in Ripon for 28 years, said the planned changes would see drivers “swamp” areas during the busiest times of day.

Mr Fieldman said the move would see quieter areas deprived of taxis during the busier times.

He said: “It will mean that any taxi can work in any area.

“You are going to have swamps of taxis in busy areas at busy times. That in itself brings chaos.”

Mr Fieldman added that he feared the council could introduce a single fare rate for the county, which he said would make business “unviable” for drivers.

The Stray Ferret has approached North Yorkshire County Council for comment.

County council officials said the planned policy would offer drivers “flexibility to operate across the county”.

The authority has launched a public consultation on the changes, which is set to last for 12 weeks.

A review of fare rates across the county will be carried out at a later date.

The council said in a statement: “In accordance with the Department for Transport’s best practice guidance, it is proposed that the new council will operate one hackney carriage ‘zone’ for North Yorkshire.

“Thereby providing drivers with the flexibility to operate across the county, encouraging environmental efficiencies and creating a wider distribution of wheelchair-accessible vehicles.

“There are no plans to impose hackney carriage quantity restrictions on the creation of a new single zone. Hackney carriage fares and fees will also be reviewed at a later date.”

A consultation into the policy changes is open until January 19, 2023. You can have your say here.

Who would have thought.

_________________
IDFIMH

Although it says they will operate one single hackney carriage zone in the county, i've not seen anything that says York will be included with these plans as York is not one of the 7 areas that will be affected, even though the current City of York council thinks the merger would be good for the County, unless anyone knows any different.

_________________
now a licensed hackney driver

Indeed, agabbycabbie, from what I can work out the City of York is already a unitary authority, and the new North Yorkshire Council will amalgamate seven former authorities at the taxi licensing level, ie boroughs and districts, thus City of York is unaffected.

The new council seems to be a unitary authority as well, so will deal with the functions of the old boroughs and districts that were responsible for taxi licensing, as well as the old county council responsibilities. I think

But as far as the trade is concerned, the new council amalgamates the former seven licensing councils, thus it's now one big area, but City of York was and will be a separate licensing area.

The new North Yorkshire Council's website says this:


https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/more-info ... ew-council

Confusingly, the new authority's official title is North Yorkshire County Council, but it's a unitary authority rather than a conventional county council, which is the tier above the taxi licensing district and borough councils.

So the new unitary authority will deal with the functions of the old *county* council and the districts and boroughs below it, but confusingly it will be called the North Yorkshire County Council

Probably because North Yorkshire is NOT a county the county is Yorkshire which encompasses the whole county including York , Leeds & Sheffield

i.e. they are the council that covers the North Yorkshire area but are a unitary authority as they are not actually a county

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

Wasn't that what I said earlier, Edders?

Conventionally, the county councils don't do taxi licensing, and are a tier above the district and borough councils, which are the ones that do the taxi licensing.

So to that extent calling the new unitary/single-tier authority a 'county' council is a bit misleading, because more generally a county council is the upper tier authority encompassing several borough and/or district councils.

And Yorkshire as a county has no real administrative relevance these days, and is purely ceremonial.

Sheffield is in South Yorkshire, and Leeds in West Yorkshire. Both Sheffield and Leeds are I think effectively unitary authorities, but South Yorkshire still has some functions as a metropolitan county and West Yorkshire is a 'combined authority'.

Or at least, that's what I've found out on Wikipedia with a few minutes Googling, so it's just a rough outline, and it's all very messy, and potentially a huge rabbit hole

And it's all incredibly messy, but of course bureaucracy is very often all about complicating things to the bureaucracy's own benefit

Have a quick skim read of this, for example

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_York ... _Authority

By some miracle, up here in Scotland it's all very straightforward, at least compared to England as a whole. All our 30 or so councils are effectively single-tier/unitary authorities, and I think they all perform precisely the same functions.

Anyway, and getting back to the point, City of York Council is entirely separate from the new North Yorkshire County Council for taxi licensing purposes. I'm 99% sure of that

Call to retain taxi zones in North Yorkshire amid proposed changes

https://thestrayferret.co.uk/call-to-re ... d-changes/

Calls have been made for North Yorkshire to consider keeping local taxi licence zones amid a proposal to move to a single policy.

Cllr Andrew Williams, county councillor for Ripon Minster and Moorside, called for assurances that council officials would look at retaining local licensing zones after concern from cabbies.

Under proposals already put forward, the new North Yorkshire Council would create a single licensing policy for hackney carriages and private hire vehicles in the entire county.

It would mean drivers in Harrogate could operate anywhere in North Yorkshire, whereas they are currently restricted to the Harrogate district.

Cllr Williams told a council meeting yesterday that local drivers had raised concern that the changes would lead to taxis flocking to areas during high demand, such as a large event, leaving customers in other areas struggling to get a cab.

He said: “I have been approached by taxi drivers who I represent who are very concerned that any form of deregulation could lead to problems in terms of actually being able to get a taxi because taxi drivers will move from rank to rank depending on when there is a busy day in a certain locality.”

Cllr Williams added that fare rates for the entire county should be based on the highest charged otherwise drivers could lose out on income.

The council said previously that fares for hackney carriages would be reviewed at a later date.

In response, Cllr Carl Les, leader of the county council, said that all views submitted to a consultation over the changes would be considered.

He said: “I think they are all valid points.

“Hopefully they will all come out in that consultation and then we will make the decisions when we have heard what people have actually said.”

Changes will cause “chaos”

The move to propose a single licensing policy has caused concern for cabbies in the Harrogate district.

Richard Fieldman, who has operated his cab in Ripon for 28 years, told the Stray Ferret previously that the planned changes would see drivers “swamp” areas during the busiest times of day.

Mr Fieldman said the move would see quieter areas deprived of taxis during the busier times.

He said: “It will mean that any taxi can work in any area.

“You are going to have swamps of taxis in busy areas at busy times. That in itself brings chaos.”

A consultation into the policy changes is open until January 19, 2023. You can have your say here.

Then you get the Corby problem. Fare amalgamations never easy, and that's probably why the council has decided to leave that alone for the time being.


I see his point, but to an extent that's how the trade works already, particularly over bigger, less urbanised local authority areas.

I would hazard a guess as to say that this will end up a similar situation and result to that in North Northants

here's some trivia for you Stuart how long is the border between north Northants and South kesteven is it

a) 19 centimetres

b) 19 metres

c) 190 metres

no cheating

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

Pretty sure it wouldn't be 19 centimeters. Could be wrong, but even council pen-pushers wouldn't be nitpicking enough to measure a boundary distance to that sort of (spurious) accuracy, surely?

I'll go for 19 metres. 190 metres doesn't really seem that noteworthy, so I suspect it's a much smaller distance.

So 19cms seems to short a distance, but 190 metres seems too long

(Spent so long humming and hawing about this that eventually forgot about it

Luckily another post came up about North Yorkshire, so reminded of this when I looked back for the thread.)