Taxi Driver Online

Couldn't be bothered with the latest age-rule article, but this is off at a tangent about the cross-border stuff.

But this could have been written half-a-dozen years ago, and highlighting it now is presumably related to the national stuff.

But, again, it reads like it's all happening in some sort of taxi licensing vacuum in terms of what's happening elsewhere. Or, again, like the solider lost in the jungle who doesn't know the war is over. Or, to extend the analogy here, he doesn't know that the war is just getting going again, and could well end up an extinction-level event, at least as far as cross-bordering is concerned

But it's all quite formulaic, with the usual Wolves boilerplate etc


Time for change as Derby taxis get licensed in 'loophole' Wolverhampton

https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/news/d ... d-10301091

There are fears this loophole is seeing Derby-based taxi drivers - licensed with Derby City Council - lose out on trade

Action has been launched to stop taxis operating in Derby which are licensed elsewhere - because the local council can’t control their safety. Concern has been raised by the increasing number of taxis driving around the city which are actually licensed by other local authorities - with Wolverhampton City Council mainly cited.

There are fears this "loophole" is seeing Derby-based taxi drivers - licensed with Derby City Council - lose out on trade. Recent news articles nationally suggest this is not just an issue in Derby but other towns and cities too.

Taxi drivers in Derby told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) councils across the UK set different criteria for taxi licensing. This includes how it tests drivers and vehicles, the policies it sets around enforcement and how much it costs to get licensed.

Drivers spoke out after a licensing committee meeting was held on Thursday (June 26) which saw councillors raise the matter with deep concern. Councillors agreed to write to the city’s MPs to see if changes to the law can help give the authority greater control.

The issue came to attention during a discussion about the possibility of the city council reversing a new age limit rule stating that private hire vehicles should be five years old or less when licensed by the local authority for the first time.

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After the meeting taxi driver Lee Roach described the trend as “very unfair”. The chairman of Derby Area Taxi Association said: “It is cheaper to get licensed out of town. It is about four times more expensive in Derby than it is in Wolverhampton. There is less enforcement as well - so they can come here and know that nobody from the council is enforcing them.

“It is very unfair. This is why the five-year age limit policy, which we've been fighting against, has been controversial because it encourages drivers to get licensed with another authority.”

But Wolverhampton City Council stated they have enforcement officers "out across the country, every Friday and Saturday night, working to protect the public".

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Fellow Derby taxi driver Scott Baldwin said: “I can track it back to when Wolverhampton City Council removed the topographical knowledge test which Derby City Council has. It specifically relates to driving in Derby city and its suburbs. That means he/she has to have local knowledge to pass that test.

“Wolverhampton City Council removed that test. So a driver does not have to study and learn the routes (to get licensed). Therefore it made licensing easier.“

Labour councillor Martin Rawson, who attended the meeting, said the issue was restricting council control on the roads. He said: “The concern is those taxis are not monitored in the same way as Derby licensed taxis are. Those registered with us we can inspect and put checks on.

“There are lots of taxis outside Derby City Council’s control and it has been a long-standing issue. We can’t maintain the same level of safety with those vehicles.”

A spokesperson for Wolverhampton City Council said: “It is illegal for the council to refuse applicants a taxi licence on the basis of where they live. Under the current law, applicants are able to apply to any licensing authority for a licence.

“It is also illegal for licensing authorities to impose a limit on the number of private hire licences they issue. The council does not gain financially from taxi licensing, as the fees are legally ringfenced for spend only on related activities.

“Our early adoption of digital technology has allowed us to offer a simple and efficient online application procedure, with the requirement that drivers attend in person for training and strict assessment before an application can be processed.

“We take enforcement responsibilities seriously and our officers are out across the country, every Friday and Saturday night, working to protect the public. The council has three teams of compliance officers, one based in Wolverhampton, another in the East Midlands and another in the North of England.”

To be fair, there is this nod towards stuff elsewhere, but slight understatement in view of the Casey stuff etc.

And articles of this genre hardly *recent* either...


That makes it sound like Wolves had a specifically Derby knowledge element required to get a Wolves badge...


Is that the same Derby City Council that had a *long-standing* issue with the rust-bucket yellow HCs?