Taxi Driver Online

Well at least I hope he has.

https://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/ ... 350#g173.3

Christopher Vince Labour/Co-operative, Harlow

I apologise for standing up for too long earlier, Mr Speaker. May I thank you and your office for the support that you have given to new Members, which has been really great? I congratulate the Leader of the House on her position.

I would like to call for a debate on an issue that is affecting taxi drivers and their passengers, not just in Harlow but in other parts of the country. As a repercussion of the Deregulation Act 2015, taxi drivers are no longer required to get licences from authorities in whose areas they operate. Different authorities have different standards, meaning that some taxis are checked less regularly, and some authorities do not require the same signage that we require in Harlow. That has a huge impact on the taxi trade and, particularly in the case of signage, on the safety of passengers. Can we have a debate on this important issue?

Powell Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons

I congratulate my hon. Friend on raising such a big issue on his first outing. As the Member of Parliament for Manchester Central, I know what a big issue this is for taxi drivers and others who are worried about safety and other issues. I will ensure that he gets a full response from the Department for Transport. This would make an excellent topic for an Adjournment debate, which I think would attract attention from across the House.

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IDFIMH

I think we need a national debate on the claims that signage is a safety issue.

poor maintainence coupled to lack of enforcement is, lack of proper background checks due to drivers being only recently arrived in the UK can be but signage ? Yes it can lead to people mistaking an insured PH for an insured Hackney but is there a major difference between the vetting of PH and hackney drivers ?

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

If I go out of the country for 3 months I need a certificate of good conduct from every country that i visited yet if some one from a country that they have fled applies for a license they don't need anything.

Looks like the fella is on a mission, and I for one wish him well.

https://www.yourharlow.com/2024/07/19/n ... f-commons/

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IDFIMH

Well signage *is* a safety issue, particularly in view of how often councils very often make the point about checking plates, badges and door signage etc, and how this impacts on the HC/PH divide, and illegal plying for hire and/or 'fake taxis'.

And to that degree the impact of signage etc, is obvious, and to the extent that cross-border working just further confuse the whole issue then it's worth highlighting.

But you're right insofar as in a short parliamentary speech the MP zeroed in on signage in particular, as opposed to the stuff you mention like vetting issues and on-street enforcement.

On the other hand, the use of the t-word by both the MP and the responding minister surely demonstrates a lack of, er, insight.

But it's a start, at least

so if a vehicle is operating cross border it must have been issued with licenses by A council following due dilligence which to me says the vehicle and driver were classed as fit and proper by that council. I fail to see how that driver has suddenly become dangerous because his signage (plate etc) haven't been checked by the council for the district the vehicle is operating in.

As for plying for hire by a hackney outside it's district I fail to see how that makes the vehicle dangerous for the passenger as they would be covered by the insurance in the case of an accident. The same for a PH plying

It's an illlegal or potentially criminal act on behalf of the driver but are they endangering the public more by operating cross border ?

now a fake taxi displaying false signage is a problem but is that the fault of the signage itself or the actions of the driver of the vehicle ?

A vehicle being operated outside it's licensing area and improperly maintained might be dangerous but is that down to signage ?

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

Don't really have anything more to add to what I said earlier

But, Edders, take you arguments to their logical conclusion and there's no point in having badges, plates, door signage and markings, nor the likes of tariff cards at all.

So good luck with promoting that argument

Don't think we should get side-tracked by the signage issue.

The issue is drivers/owners predominately working in areas to which they are not licensed, not what they look like.

Signage is also, IMO, not as important as it maybe once was. Apps tell punters where the car is, and what it looks like, not signage.

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IDFIMH

A few more comments from the MP via TaxiPoint.

https://www.taxi-point.co.uk/post/mp-vi ... ber-debate

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IDFIMH

This article, more the picture, from TaxiPoint tickled me.

https://www.taxi-point.co.uk/post/cross ... orking-for

Vehicle has two licenses, none of which is the one it was working in, and no doubt a driver living in Timbuktu.

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IDFIMH

Wonder why the two plates?

Best guess would be that he's working for a Harlow operator who also has a Wolves operator's licence, and also working for Uber under a TfL licence. But whether at the same time, or maybe he's moving from Uber to the Harlow op or vice versa, he's currently plated by two different authorities at the same time. And hedging his bets with different operators

(Of course, TfL doesn't require plates in the physical sense, and instead uses window stickers. To that extent, it would be interesting if TfL did require an external plate, and the vehicle had two at the same time

That would be interesting, particularly if both licensing authorties require the plate to be positioned at the same point on the rear of the vehicle )

I didn't think you could have your vehicle plated in 2 places at the same time.

More than likely an insurance hire car, and they haven't taken the TfL disc out.

A few years back one of my mates had similar, and some naughty so and so removed the disc ( ).

Now our council insists insurance companies sign a declaration that the vehicle isn't licensed elsewhere before they are licensed. So it's no longer a case of removing the disc/plate, they have to delicense it with the previous council.

I'm told it's quite easy to check.

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IDFIMH

You can't.

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IDFIMH

Says who? Or what?