Taxi Driver Online

Another question from the Blackpool Labour MP (and which TaxiPoint has headlined in terms of SHAKE-UP INCOMING ).

But apart from the specific pledge to consult on the issue, not really sure there's anything new here??

(And I wonder if this is one of those planted questions? But, again, interesting that the MP specifically mentions Uber, but not the likes of the local Blackpool ops using Wolves cars )


Lorraine Beavers, Labour MP for Blackpool North and Fleetwood

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to strengthen regulations on out-of-area working of private hire Uber vehicles.

Simon Lightwood, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department is considering options to improve the current regulatory position in respect of taxis and private hire vehicles and will consult shortly on whether to make all local transport authorities, including Strategic Authorities, responsible for taxi and private hire vehicle licensing.

We believe administering taxi and private hire vehicle licensing across a larger footprint would increase the consistency of standards and enable more effective use of enforcement powers across a whole functional economic area and facilitate integrated local transport planning. Greater economies of scale should also increase the efficiency in taxi and private hire vehicle licensing and the sector. This should reduce the factors that induce people to license out of their usual working area. This would be a significant change for the sector, and responses to the consultation will help inform the final decision.

In fact I think I was swayed by TaxiPoint's headline, and the latest question and answer doesn't really add much to the question and answer a couple of weeks ago

The only significant change seems to be the addition of the words 'significant change' in the minister's response, hence TaxiPoint's 'SIGNIFICANT CHANGE' headline...

But what was proposed was always going to be a significant change anyway, so I can't really see much of a significant change in the latest response. Except for the words 'significant change'

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=41450

And, for what it's worth, this is TaxiPoint's headline from earlier today and link to the piece, but nothing much there apart from what's in the question and answer at the top of the thread:


SHAKE-UP INCOMING: Government talks of ‘SIGNIFICANT CHANGE’ to taxi licensing rules to tackle cross-border issues

https://www.taxi-point.co.uk/post/shake ... ckle-cross

The Department for Transport is exploring ‘significant change’ to overhaul how taxi and private hire vehicle licensing is managed across England.

Making licensing areas bigger is not going to stop cross-border working, unless of course the area is the whole country.

What's needed is an end to the 'right to stay' way of working, whilst still allowing the 'right to roam' way of working.

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IDFIMH

Labours record so far on anything transport related is hardly stellar. I think we can expect lots of bluster and clueless politicians covering up their lack of knowledge in this area.

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

Some of the Labour folks are surprisingly knowledgeable about cross-border; the issue is whether they can be bothered to act.

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IDFIMH

Not sure if there's anything to see here, other than to confirm that even Labour unlikely to do anything in particular about Uber et al.

A bit of a non-answer from the transport minister, though, except in terms of freedom of 'choice' for both drivers and passengers.

Maybe slightly more interesting that it's Reform's Lee Anderson that's asked the question, though. I'd guess many in the legacy trade might consider Reform to be their saviours

Can't see Reform doing that much either, though, and of course any real Reform influence in a future Government is probably few years down the line yet.

Of course, if the current Government or its predecessors do manage to do something about the cross-border stuff then that certainly won't help Uber, but it won't do much for a lot of legacy operators either

But I suspect the overall trend will be to make it easier to get a badge anyway, and the trend seems to be away from knowledge tests, age rules and WAVs, therefore that won't help incumbent drivers and those running better cars etc.

Of course, there's still the environmental stuff pushing in the opposite direction. And we'll soon all be on the scrap heap anyway - both literally and figuratively - with driverless cars. But I should be well out of it by that time anyway



Lee Anderson, Reform MP for Ashfield

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of online taxi app companies on (a) independent taxi companies and (b) their drivers.


Simon Lightwood, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Government supports choice for passengers in the taxi and private hire vehicle sector. It is a matter for taxi drivers if they wish to use a taxi app company as an intermediary between them and the passenger. All private hire vehicle journeys must be pre-booked through a licensed operator. It is for private hire vehicle drivers to decide which operators they wish to work with, subject to licensing requirements. The Department’s taxi and private hire vehicle survey provides information on the numbers of licensed taxi and private hire vehicle drivers, vehicles and private hire vehicle operators and how these have changed since the adoption by passengers and the sector of new technology.