Taxi Driver Online

I originally studied for my topography test with the view of buying a plate and renting the taxi out, driving it on the drivers day off.

I passed my test but before investing £38K in a plate decided to do some investigation. I then discovered this site (which is excellent) and this highlighted the risk in investing in a potentially worthless plate.

As I cannot afford to lose £38K I cannot buy in so am left in the position where I rent a taxi 1 day a week and drive for someone else.

I my limited experience if De Regulation happens then everybody loses to varying degrees. The Plate holders will be the biggest losers, firstly they will lose on the plate then on the rental of there taxi as it will be allot harder to rent out with people simply buying there own taxi. Drivers renting or drivers who invest in there own taxi will lose also as allot more taxi's on the road means allot less work and earnings. Customers could also potentially lose out as currently I feel Glasgow City Council and Glasgow TOA runs a very tight ship which insures high standards which the end customer benefits on, this could potentially change with de regulation. Other points to consider are that the PH trade in Glasgow has a bad reputation with criminals using them as money laundering operations where as Hackney Taxi is 99% honest people choosing to do this as a trade.

Whatever your view on if De-Reg would be a good or bad thing surely you would agree with me that the Council MUST lay down a workable system for the future.

Situation at the moment with me is I want to invest in the industry and potentially be an owner/driver although my original plan was to buy and work 1 day. I cannot do this without risking £38K, allot of people must be in a similair position.

Bottom line is I feel the trade is currently being hampered by the Council's inability to take action 1 way or the other.

Your View would be much appreciated, especially from fellow Glasgow drivers.

So what kind of standards are you talking about, and how would getting rid of numerical controls mean that the 'tight ship' quality wise couldn't continue?

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

I'm not sure many on here would disagree with having high standards, but that's down to councils in the main, and of course well run firms.

If as you say standards are high in Glasgow then that's a good thing, but for every well run trade in a restricted manor, you have a well run trade in an un-restricted manor, London being a good example.

For every un-restricted manor that runs sheds, you have restricted manors that run sheds, Blackpool and Liverpool being good (if that's the right word) examples.

My point is that standards have little to do with quotas, but everything to do with council enforcement.

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IDFIMH

I think many councils that restrict would dearly love to de-limit, alas most of them haven't got the balls to do it.

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IDFIMH