Taxi Driver Online

Hi and can anyone help. I am sure that around 10 years ago Birminghan had to repay a lot of money to the taxi trade as they won a ruling that said that as taxi enforcement officers were mainly in place to protect the public (not the trade) the cost of their salaries should be met by the council tax (as trading standards) etc.

Any help please?

oooooooooooooooo, i hope ths is true, we could stand to get back a few bob!

I think the costs of enforcement can quiet legally be met by vehicle licensing fees.

But the fees gathered from driver's licenses can only be used to meet the processing costs of that license.

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IDFIMH

There was definately a story about this in PHM around 10 years ago. Some where in the Midlands.

If you think about it, the enforcement officers are there to protect the public, not the driver. A council clerk can deal with the "Issue & administration" that they are allowed to recover.

Do dodgy kebab shops etc pay for Hygiene inspectors? or, rogue car dealers for trading standards?

No, so why should the taxi trade pay to keep enforcement officers. They should be paid from the council tax revenue. Their function is solely to protect the public.

But I suppose it could be argued that keeping bogus and cowboy drivers out of the trade benefits the legitimate drivers as well as the public.

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

We have an on going issue at the moment, Ranks are paid for out of licnce funds and we're about to get shelters as well.
As a PH should my fee's go towards these benefits for the Hac's? I agree that if enforcement has to come out of funds then, as PH (300+) we should chip in more than Hac's (120ish). But as we cant use them by law why should we pay?

not sure about shelters but the ph down here have to help pay for the surveys.
now what has a taxi survey got to do with ph.

Exactly Gull, paying £325 a year for the test plus the badge renewel plus the medical plus the CRB every 2 years, perhaps it's time we put our feet down like the winging Hac's (thats warringtons winging Hac's btw)
Should be interesting getting 40k off 120 drivers for the new ranks/shelters!

I would say that a council would find it hard to justify a charge to the PH trade for taxi shelters to the Local Gov Ombudsman.

If you really want to p*** off your council, then ask them for a full break-down on their costs.

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IDFIMH

My original enquiry was about a story I am sure involved Birmingham or Solihull.

I doubt whether PHVs can be made to pay for Hack surveys or Shelters.

I would take Sussex advice and ask for the licensing accounts.

Do you have a trade assoc? If not try the ombudsman, although they didn't help me much in the past. (The judge did though) LOL

Well the PHs certainly had to pay for the HC survey in Brighton, I'm fairly sure.

I think the local PH trade objected, but I can't remember what happened

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

In a survey,the PH trade are consulted for their opinions, so why should they not pay?

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Former taxi driver

As are the disabled, the police, councillors, etc etc.

Your point is therefore?

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IDFIMH

My point is old chap, it is persistently claimed that all PH drivers would become real TAXI (as opposed to "taxi ") drivers, if only selfish [edited by admin] (like me?) would let them. So a survey could be of benefit to them. Or not.

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Former taxi driver

Who says all new taxi drivers will come via the PH trade?

Take the Edinburgh situation, as far as I'm aware all the applicants are cab drivers, so WTF should the Edinburgh PH trade pay towards a taxi survey?

In many other areas PH don't do a knowlegde, so even if PH drivers wanted to move over to driving cabs, they couldn't.

SUD surveys are surveys into taxi demand, f*** all to do with PH.

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IDFIMH