Taxi Driver Online

Had a quick read of the DfT's response, and it all seems a bit pointless, and seems to simply rehash the best practice guidance.

Funny, too, that there's zero mention of checking the plates etc - wasn't that supposed to be what punters were to rely on in addition to vehicle info via texts or apps, or whatever?

And the DfT mentions the exemption from the signage ban if there's an 'exclusive relationship' between operator and driver

Which I'd guess would apply to just about every one of Wolverhampton's 400+ PH operators, apart from, um, Uber and Bolt.

So even under the guidance, the vast majority of operators' cars can still use what's described by the DfT as 'discrete' signage? Which I think, from memory, Wolverhampton Council defines as A4

I mean, A4-sized door signs, discrete?

Therefore - and maybe I'm missing something - apart from possibly some Uber and Bolt drivers, nothing much has changed?

And I would say a significant number of the drivers on Uber and Bolt only work for Uber or Bolt.

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IDFIMH

These A4 signs have to be on the rear of the vehicle.


Towards the beginning of this thread I mentioned that up here Premier were going to start relicensing their Wolverhampton cars/drivers back to Blackpool and Fylde Councils.

So I took the numbers from their respective council public registers on the 16th Aug and just done them today.

1st Number - 16/8/24 , 2nd - 1/11/24


Blackpool
PHV
Operators. 25 : 26
Vehicles. 376 : 387
Drivers. 663 : 657

Hackney
Vehicles. 252 : 252
Drivers. 536 : 531

Fylde
PHV
Operators. 30 : 31
Vehicles. 168 : 222
Drivers. 60 : 57

Hackney
Vehicles. 99 : 98
Drivers. 15 : 12

Duel badge drivers. 268 : 328

It looks like Flyde is doing quite well.

Guessing their entry criteria isn't as stiff as Blackpool's.

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IDFIMH

Not done this for a while so here's the latest Blackpool and Fylde vehicle and driver count.

I've only seen a couple of Premier Wolverhampton plated cars recently so I assume there driver owned cars. Premier must have lost lots of drivers, so had cars sat not being used. So the owner has a new business started earlier this year renting out these Blackpool and Wolverhampton plated cars. I wonder which company they are working on.

A lot more Blackpool plated Ubers around now, but still dwarfed in numbers by out of town cars (especially Wolverhampton and Knowsley).

1st Number - 16/08/24 , 2nd - 1/11/24, 3rd - 15/09/25


Blackpool
PHV
Operators. 25 : 26 : 29
Vehicles. 376 : 387 : 464
Drivers. 663 : 657 : 720

Hackney
Vehicles. 252 : 252 : 252
Drivers. 536 : 531 : 514

Fylde
PHV
Operators. 30 : 31 : 33
Vehicles. 168 : 222 : 252
Drivers. 60 : 57 : 53

Hackney
Vehicles. 99 : 98 : 99
Drivers. 15 : 12 : 9

Duel badge drivers. 268 : 328 : 361

So numbers increasing and yet hotels and pubs are closing and getting demolished or at least that's the impression i get off you tube channels

maybe the new University is having an effect even though it's not been built yet

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

dont worry, the government is right on top of this!

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin