Taxi Driver Online

It doesn't actually say here, but I'm guessing the vehicles in question may not be just standard saloons, since they're apparently used for SEND contracts. But who knows?

But, whichever they are, you'd guess they'd be replaceable for under the claimed £45k for one under ten-years-old, whatever type of vehicle it is


Reading - Taxi firms upset over 'damaging' policy change

https://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news ... cy-change/

The director of a private hire firm in Reading has slammed the council over proposed changes which could damage their business.

Sikander Hayat, 56, who runs Prompt Cars Limited, has said new rule changes, which reduce maximum age of licensed vehicles from 12 to 10 years, will 'ruin the whole trade'.

The rules, which have come into force in the town, are being phased in over the next couple of years.

Firms in the town said the measures may force them into strike action, or lead them to register their vehicles with other councils including West Berkshire or Wokingham.

Mr Hayat said the difficulties they face mean some drivers will struggle to put food on the table for their families.

He currently operates some vehicles within the company which are 12 years' old and three or four of those are above that limit.

He said: "This is very difficult for the whole trade.

"We feel very frustrated. There is no reason for this policy.

"To replace one of these vehicles, it could cost £45,000 and we just do not have the money.

"We're a deprived community."

Mr Hayat's company provides transport for pupils with special educational needs to and from their respective schools, which will now have to be reduced.

He said: "SEND children will be affected because we help a lot of schools in Reading.

"The market is very slow [as it is] and we do not get as many customers as we used to so we're struggling to cope.

"We will have to shift to neighbouring councils. We are looking at all the options to deal with this."

Naz Akfram, a manager at Ace Cars said taxi firms are 'struggling as it is' and that these new measures exacerbate their financial struggles even further.

He said: "I feel sorry for the people who are working [in this business].

"A lot of the drivers have said once these vehicles finish, they will not buy another vehicle because they cannot afford it.

"We have seven or eight drivers who cannot afford to buy another vehicle."

A spokesman from Reading Borough Council said their main priority is to ensure the 'best possible protection' of Hackney Carriage and Private Hire vehicles, while being 'fair to drivers and operators'.

The council said: "The new licensing policy brings together a number of separate policies which relate to Hackney Carriage and Private Hire vehicles, drivers and operators.

"The Hackney Carriage trade has been subject to rules on vehicle emissions and vehicle age for many years and we took this opportunity to update regulations and ensure they met our main objectives of keeping all passengers safe, and vehicles to a high standard.

"The policy also contributes to the council aims of reducing carbon emissions and improving air quality in the town.

"A consultation on the new policy was held last summer and meetings were held with Hackney Carriage and Private Hire representatives, resulting in several changes to the original proposals."

Mr Hayat said he has spoken to councillors in hopes they will consider suspending the new policy.

This is probably a bit more interesting than the article above, and explains the SEND thing in slightly more detail.


Drivers warn private hire rules will damage trade

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp38xnp79w1o

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/9 ... e.jpg.webp

Private hire vehicle operators have said changes to council regulations could damage their businesses.

New rules have come into force in Reading, Berkshire, with a reduction in the maximum age of licensed vehicles from 12 to 10 years, being phased in over the next couple of years.

Minicab firms in the town said the measures, that will also push some operators to switch to electric, have already led to some owners registering their vehicles with other councils with fewer restrictions.

Reading Borough Council said it wants to work with drivers, but passengers must come first.

One business that said it is being affected is Crown Wheelchair Travel that specialises in taking pupils with disabilities to school.

Often the vehicles only operate for two to three hours each morning and afternoon.

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/9 ... f.jpg.webp

Nazneen Ali, whose family own the business, said that meant it generates less income than the private hire cars that work longer hours, but there is less wear and tear on their vehicles.

As the upper age limit for licensed vehicles falls, that will mean dozens of the specially adapted minibuses being retired early.

She said: "Obviously we've had a lot of investment put in this, but unfortunately it has a shorter life cycle now.

"Replacing one of these vehicles is approximately £45,000.

"These are purpose built vehicles for mobility and it's a real shame that these are being scrapped by the council."

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/9 ... e.jpg.webp

Manzoor Hussain drives a hybrid executive car and said his business depended on serving a luxury market.

He said that under the new rules, drivers who do not invoice clients for their journeys may be required to display operator branding on their vehicles.

He said that not only would that damage the paintwork, lowering its resale value, but it would not tie in with what his business customers - often travelling from the offices of Reading's global tech firms to Heathrow - expected of a luxury limo service.

"We work hard to earn a good living and [the council] are forever penalising us," he said.

Hussain claimed: "They've lost 300 drivers to other boroughs who are still working in Reading, whereas the people who are loyal to Reading - they're being punished."

The borough council said it was looking at ways to address drivers working in the town while licensed by other authorities.

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/9 ... e.jpg.webp

In the past week, the man responsible for overseeing the new regulations, was at the headquarters of Reading Buses at an event unveiling a new fleet of electric double deckers, which were bought with government help.

Minicab drivers have complained that while there has been public funding to move the council owned bus company from diesel to gas and electric low-carbon vehicles, they have received no such assistance.

Cllr John Ennis said: "We want to be understanding and discuss the way forward, to make sure that they can get their vehicles, good road-worthy vehicles, which do not pollute the atmosphere."

He added: "We'll work with them, but ultimately they'll have to do a lot of that themselves.

"We want to support them and we want to be understanding, but they've got to work with us as well."

Presumably that's the executive car exemption from displaying the standard PHV signage and plates, or whatever

But seems a strange way to designate a luxury vehicle - you'd think it would be more about the vehicle etc than how the payment is transacted being a critical criterion.

Absolute madness.

Going from 12 years to 10 goes against the DfT's best practise, but also goes against common bloody sense.

I suggest those operators contact Wolverhampton, something I can't believe I'm actually saying.

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And now, according to this TaxiPoint AI, the council has realised they have dropped a bol***k, the council looks like they are going to change policy a matter of months after they implemented it.

https://www.taxi-point.co.uk/post/readi ... ucing-them

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IDFIMH

This is on the Reading Chronicle's website.

Not sure why two near-identical photos are needed. But there's a link right at the bottom to a higher-res version just in case anyone feels the need to read the signs properly

Anyway, not sure what the home-to-school transport driver is wittering on about here - she makes it sound like the changes relate to whether or not she needs to be licensed as private hire. And also that she doesn't think she needs to be licensed at all


Reading taxi drivers set for relief on emissions rules

https://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news ... ons-rules/


Image: James Aldridge LDRS/Reading Chronicle

Taxi drivers in Reading are due to get some relief from rules controlling emissions restrictions and the age of the cars and vehicles they use.

Black cabs, formerly known as hackney carriages and private hire taxis are both regulated by Reading Borough Council.

Earlier this year, changes came into effect that dictate all new licensed vehicles must be ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEV) and less than five years old.

Also, from October 2028, all new vehicles must have a Euro 6 emissions rating.

But drivers have asked for some clemency on these rules, arguing more time for transition is needed.

In the summer, the Local Democracy Reporting Service spoke with taxi drivers who objected to the tougher rules.

While Prius cars from generation four onwards (2016 to 2022) have a Euro 6 emissions rating which is compliant, the third generation from 2009 to 2016 are Euro 5 and are therefore not compliant.

He said: “The emissions limit they have set is way too low.

“I mean, not even a normal Prius would be eligible for a license.

“We can't go fully electric because the platform is not there for both public and private charging points.

“Purely electric minibuses can only do 120 miles. It would just get me to Gatwick and back, that's it.

“If I have back-to-back bookings, I have to charge up and wait half an hour to 40 minutes to charge, then I'll lose out on my next job, so that's exactly what the problem is.”

Mr Asghar is a private hire driver, who can only take passengers who book in advance.

Only hackney carriages can be hailed.

Nazneen Ali, a home-to-school transport driver, stated that drivers like her must now follow the same licensing conditions as private hire operators, despite not working the same hours and making the same earnings, arguing the rules are inappropriate for them.

She said: “We've got the issues of licensing not accepting Euro 6 and the fact that we need electric vehicles.

“We don't work like the private hires. We don't work 24 hours round the clock.

“We work entirely differently to the way private hire works.

“A lot of our workforce are senior, retired or semi-retired workers and parents.

You can't ask them to shift back into full-time work.”

Councillors have recently agreed to make changes to the Hackney Carriage & Private Hire Licensing Policy to enable a longer transition period.

A report into the proposed changes by Clyde Masson, the council's principal licensing enforcement officer, states: “Discussion with the trade representatives and operators highlighted that the limited availability of larger vehicles, namely seven-seat multi-person vehicles and wheelchair accessible vehicles that meet the criteria, was causing problems for private hire operators, especially those that provide home-to-school transport, which in some cases use specialist transportation.

“Officers conducted extensive research of vehicles available on the market that meet the new emissions and age policy.

“The outcome of this research showed that there is sufficient availability and affordability of vehicles suitable for transporting between four and six passengers.

“Officers recognise that the availability of appropriate vehicles to transport seven passengers and wheelchair accessible vehicles is not as abundant and is creating supply difficulties and potential economic disadvantage.”

He therefore proposed pausing the vehicle emissions policy to allow currently licensed vehicles to remain on the fleet, with any new vehicles being a minimum of Euro 5b.

Councillors approved the changes to the council's taxi licensing policies for a consultation, which will take place over six weeks.

The decision was made at the council's licensing applications committee meeting on Thursday, November 5.


Image: James Aldridge LDRS/Reading Chronicle

https://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/reso ... s/21695465

I really don't get all this emissions concern.

Yes, I like breathing clean (ish) air, but when vehicles are replaced, they have better emissions, and in time, every taxi/PH gets replaced.

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