Taxi Driver Online

Of course, there's been a bit of this previously in light of the cap on PH plates in Glasgow, as is now permitted in Scotland (although not aware of any other councils imposing a cap).

Ludicrous comments from the licensing convener though, in my opinion at least

And article comes to a very grinding halt, and reads like there's something missing. But can't find any more...


Cab drivers' bid to operate own private hire car refused by Glasgow City Council

https://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/news/glas ... e-30223562

Mahid Tariq, Khalid Mohamed Ali and MD Robiul Islam each appeared separately before the licensing committee on Thursday morning to present their cases on why they should be awarded a licence.

Three Glasgow private hire car drivers who applied to operate their own vehicle throughout the city have had their bid rejected because of the council’s overprovision policy.

The policy, which was introduced in 2019 to try and help cut emissions, doesn’t allow more than 3,450 private hire car licences operating in Glasgow at one time.

Mahid Tariq, Khalid Mohamed Ali and MD Robiul Islam each appeared separately before the licensing committee on Thursday morning to present their cases on why they should be awarded a licence.

Mr Tariq claimed that being able to work as a private hire car driver would help him and his family deal with their financial woes.

He said: “This would help me to secure more income as my family is going through a financial difficulty.

“Through the granting of this licence I would be able to avoid renting a car which is a further financial change and is something I would be doing alongside my other work.

“I already work 70 hours a week and already do deliveries. I would replace that with private hire car driving and was awarded a licence with Glasgow City Council earlier this year around March.

“My intention is to use this licence and have worked for other councils but they are not as satisfying.

“For me this would greatly help with the financial stress.”

Chairman, councillor Alex Wilson advised: “When we award a licence we expect them to be used straight away, not lie in a drawer for months.”

Applicant: “I can assure you I will be using the licence if it is granted to me.”

Khalid Mohamed Ali had also applied for a licence to operate his own vehicle. Mr Ali said he had been granted a private hire licence last year but didn’t use it.

Councillor Wilson said: “When we grant a licence we expect them to be used. If you aren’t going to use it then give it back.

“I would like to fly an aeroplane but I don’t do it. You would like to be a private hire car driver but you don’t do it.”

MD Robiul Islam told the committee how his wife had health problems and working as a driver would help him navigate a work life balance.

He said: “My wife has health problems. This would allow me to spend more time with her and the children. I stay in Glasgow and this would allow me to work here.

“I have a licence from Glasgow City Council which I was awarded three months ago.”

Which has what to do with running their own car, precisely?

And maybe if they had their own car, they'd actually use the badge

And this is why I used the c-word in the thread title. (No, not that c-word )

And this is bad enough as regards the basic argument being made in the piece below

But is the UK's most prominent trade publication encouraging fare discounting now?


URBAN MYTHS: Why the taxi industry is NOT a cartel

https://www.taxi-point.co.uk/post/urban ... t-a-cartel

What a numpty?

Do you think these fellas are applying to hang any new license on the f***ing wall?

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IDFIMH

And a couple of days later TaxiPoint advocating, um, a cartel for PHVs


Will a new Government consider capping private hire vehicles numbers?

https://www.taxi-point.co.uk/post/will- ... es-numbers

Not in a million years will any government restrict PH numbers.

Clearly it would have to be a national restriction, not a local one, or else one council would restrict only for the Wolverhampton infestation to take over.

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IDFIMH

Sussex, it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if a PH cap was introduced (or, at least, a local option) and if it's brought in with a cross-border ban then that would prevent the Wolverhampton problem you mention.

My money would be on it not happening, but there's always lobbying for that sort of thing (as indicated by some of the stuff on TaxiPoint), and there's bound to be a lot of it going on as part of the cross-border thing.

And the likes of Sadiq Khan wanted one for London, and the Task and Finish Group wanted one nationally.

Both of which the Tories rejected, but obviously Labour are a different kettle of fish, and a lot closer to the unions etc, and very probably a lot closer to the trade at the local level.

And, after all, there's probably been more adverse publicity and comment about HC quotas north of the border, but they still managed to introduce a PH cap up here.

Of course, ridding England and Wales of the Wolverhampton problem would help in many ways, and assist any council that wanted to restrict PH numbers if the law was amended.

However, I take the view that councils can, albeit indirectly, restrict PH numbers now by upping any vehicle standards.

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IDFIMH