Taxi Driver Online

But when you were a PH vehicle operator you were an exponent of this as well?

Or are you saying that NE HC operators merely hand their plate in rather than selling it to the highest bidder? I think not.

If anyone profits from selling their plate then I don't really think it matters if they're a driver or not, it's all about equality, and while the owner-driver may be less iniquitious than the fleet operator scenario, it still means that they're benefiting at the expense of others, which is wrong, by normal standards at least.

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

Make up your mind - first 'dereg' forces standards lower, then numbers are restricted via standards. So do standards go down or up?

But you completely miss the point about quality control - I mean, you could control the number of doctors to keep their wages up but allow any dickhead with o level chemistry and biology to practice, which woudn't do much for patient care.

However, in practice it's done by making med students pass rigorous exams and years of training, which means that patient care is ensured and doctors earn a crust.

So in effect you say that it's the latter that's sick, but in reality it's the former that's sick, as well as the patients remaining so.

But if you think the latter kind of restriction is sick, then perhaps it's you that is?

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

What I own and what licence it operates under is of no consequence.

What Licenses I hold, I hold because I'm entitled to hold them.

What Sussex and JD are screaming about is anyone's right to operate a HC without having to pay for the licence and TDO supporting no restrictions on numbers with higher standards.

We have a mythical town in middle England called TDO-ville, its a happy and fair place to live and the standards of their services are high, taxi criteria is (possibly) as follows.

In order to obtain a licence for a HC vehicle you first had to hold a HC drivers badge. In order to attain a HC drivers badge you had to complete a comprehensive training programme that would cost (estimate for debating purposes) £400. When you had passed the training and been granted your badge you could apply for a vehicle licence.
Strict standards are in place with regard which vehicles may be licensed and as M1 status is unreliable the council have decided to adopt the only specific standard within the industry which is PCO approved, as well as an age ruling which only allows brand new vehicles to be granted licenses.

TDO-ville have a policy where the number of HC it licenses are not restricted. Fees are set to cover costs and the council tests all licensed vehicles at their own testing station. Drivers badge £50 annually Vehicle Licence £250 annually. Enhanced CRB checks and medical costs are not covered.

Here we have an example of high standards, but how much does it cost to become a HC plateholder in TDO-ville, and would that cost be considered a restriction to someone entering the trade.

B. Lucky

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"Here's a simple solution. If you don't want to pay more for a premium service then wait in the queue, problem solved".
Skull on TDO

TF pi$$ed on his chips.

Its strange that I'm always considered to have missed the point.

The point is quite clear.

IF Sussex pays his PH operator £100 a week, and if he has worked for that operator for lets say 5 years he would have paid £26,000 for the right to work.

IF Sussex had bought a HC plate 5 years ago for £20,000 and took a loan out to do so over 5 years he would have been paying an interest rate of over 25% to have paid the same money within the same period.

The difference is that after the 5 years driving HC he holds the right to work that plate without it costing him a further penny WHEREAS if he continues with PH the weekly fee remains indefinitely.

I would suggest that Mr Sussex is angry that he didn't make the correct business decision when he sought to enter the trade and conducted no research before doing so. Now that he has already speculated a considerable amount of money making his operator very wealthy he considers he has somehow been unfairly treated.

Both choices were, and always have been, available to him.

His stance and his take on fairness is highlighted when you consider the stance and policies of the council which licenses him. He has not been able to present an argument to which they have considered implementing never mind sought to adopt ............................... I wonder why.

B. Lucky

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"Here's a simple solution. If you don't want to pay more for a premium service then wait in the queue, problem solved".
Skull on TDO

TF pi$$ed on his chips.