Taxi Driver Online

SCRUTINY
Two types of examination into how/what we do in Taxi and PH licencing in Warrington are currently in progress. One is an internal audit covering not just our cash handling/recipting/recording but also examining our proceedures to see if we are provinding effective value for money.

In addition to this, we have engaged an independant Consultancy Firm (Jacobs) to complete an independant view of our hackney/Private Hire provisions as a licencing authority and to compare us with similar Local Authority Licencing Offices. They will be considering costs, enforcement & monitoring , resources available, accessibility issues and Knowledge testing etc. Work in now well underway with the first nighttime economy survey having been conducted last friday night 17th November. Although the firm is working independently, we do know that they concentrated on Stockton Heath and the Town Centre. As part of the process they wantto have the views of as many local people (those within the trade, stakeholders/customers and even people who do not use this type of service. As part of the process, you will find attached their questionaire. Please consider completing and returning it. You can either return it directly to the consultants (by posting it to Reading) or by putting your response into the sealed ballot box in Palmyra House reception.

W.B.C WEBSITE

We have asked for this to be updated in relation to the information given on Hackney/Private Hire services within the town.

MINUTES OF THE JOINT LIASON MEETING

You will find the minutes of the last meeting available in both Palmyra House reception Information Folder and also on the W>B>C Website. The next meeting takes place on 27th November and the Minutes from this meeting will be similarly available.

RECENT ENFORCEMENTS OF PARTICULAR INTEREST

One driver exposed for false identity (had five alias names and three dates of birth) and concerning convictions in his alias names. He was immediately suspended and has now had his Joint Hackney/Private Hire Driver and Private Hire Vehicle Licences revoked.
You will now be aware of the additional enforcement/monitering activities being conducted by some of the Transport Inspectors. In the main, this is coming from Mr Phil Gleave and Mike Withers. Already Phil Gleave has been in the right place at the right time to recive complaints from customers about both "cherry Picking" and "overcharging" and has been able to start the investigations into these seperate unacceptable practices. REMINDER-within the Licencing Legislation there is no referance to "Enforcement Officer" only "Authorised Officer". Just the same as Phil and Mike - the Transport Inspectors are appionted as "authorised Officers" under the legislation and carry their accreditation which will be produced on request. Please be aware it is an offence to obstruct an Authorised Officer.
In addition to the above - we will still be recruting an additional member of staff who will have an important "Enforcement" role.

DOOR SIGNS - PRIVATE HIRE VEHICLES

A further request to remind drivers of private Hire Vehicles that failure to display both operators (both front doors) and W.B.C (both rear doors, or as authorised) door signs is not only a breach of licencing conditions, but is also an area of failure when presenting a vehicle for testing.

HACKNEY TARIFFS

The new Tariffs became effective on 9th October and in terms of national placing. Warrington are 225 out of 377 listed Local Authorities with Cardon holding first position @ 2.50 flag (4.25 1st mile) and Bolsover holding last position @ 1.80 flag (1.80 1st mile). Bank Holiday Tariffs will apply for the Christmas/New Year period from 18.00 Sunday 24th December to o7.00 Wednesday 27th December and 18.00 Sunday 31st December to 07.00 Tuesday 2nd January only. Remember that the displayed tariff is a maximum, you can charge/negotiate a lower fare if you wish to.

PINK LADIES

Following representations to Government regarding the way section 75 of the LGMPA was being interpreted by various Privat Hire firms. The Government has proposed that section 75 is widthdrawn and this is being achieved by an amendment in the road safety bill now before Parlement.
It is expected that this bill will become operational in early 2007. This will mean firms such as Pink Ladies in Warrington will have to be licence their drivers and vehicles.

BANK QUAY STATION

Following reports in the Warrington Guardian regarding the "moving of taxi rank" clarification was sought as to the proposals. The new plan now includes for a separate lane and Taxi Rank for 10 vehicles to be positioned adjacent to the main enterance. A second lane is being created for general traffic, which requires the removal of the parking bays outside the main enterance.

BRIDGE ST HACKNEY RANKS

Two years ago the Police introduced "Operation Negator" in an attenpt to reduce the problems of disorder in the town centre late at night. Part of this work included the introduction of Taxi and Private Hire Marshals. The Private Hire marshals scheme has proved tobe very successful over this period, unfortunately the Taxi marshal scheme did not continue after the first weekend of operation due to a reluctance by WTDA (Warrington Taxi Drivers Association) to part fund the scheme (private hire firms have fully funded their service).

The problems associated with people waiting at the Taxi rank and general disorder together with the shortage of vehicles at peak times has continued to raise concerns. Helen Southworth MP chaired a series of meetings over the night time economy. From this meeting came proposals to have a late night buses again over christmas period but this time using Bridge St as the major pick up point. A series of meetings has been held and following advice from the Police and Town Center manager and the Passenger Transport Unit, buses will be picking up from Bridge St over this period. If this proves successful then longer term provisions of a similar nature will be considered.

END

Sorry, but refusing to part fund the marshals and not enough Hackneys working nights has caused the introduction of the Buses according to this.
So i suppose the hac's have shot themselves in the foot. Now with jacobs doing a survey it cant be long before de-limitation of hac's.

It will be a first if they do.

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IDFIMH

Are they THAT bad?

Whatever you do FFS don't ask JD, or Jim and Garry from Edinburgh, about Jacobs.

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IDFIMH

If my information is right your Taxi marshals are not actually Taxi marshals they are private hire marshals, people directing customers into private hire cars, actually think that is call touting which is illegal ( criminal), was this not instigated by Mr Barnes , another of Mr Barnes things was the driver's test, one question was when can a police officer or hackney officer stop a Hackney or private hire, any time or only at certain times, good question this, which ever way you answer it you're wrong,

And the one I like best of all, was insisting that hackney carriages have to have a private hire operators Licence to do telephone bookings through their set up with the council.

Mind you, isn't he he an ex-police officer, say no more: hello, hello, hello, what we got here.

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

Is your Office a one there was the old public toilets in front of the hackney stand

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

The problem with using a headset to type is that sometimes it completely and utterly fouks up.

what I'd meant to say was, it is your Office the old public toilets that is in front of the hackney stand.

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

Firstly yes about the marshal's, but they direct punters who have been into the office and already booked a car, they merely stop others jumping the queue. When it's busy there can easily be a couple of hundered punters milling around waiting.

Secondly, as far as i'm aware the Hac office i think your talking about also has a few PH on the system so they'd have to keep records for them anyway. And if they didnt, they have to have records for pre booked jobs so they knew what where everyone was going hours later. (and yes i think he is an ex copper).

Third, yes the Acadamy Way office is one of ours (it was inherited when we accuired Crown Cars) I cant remember it being toilets althought it might well have been at some time.
We're opening a new state of the art office accross the road very soon with all the latest facilities.

I remember there being a Hackney stand, and then the private hire operator was granted permission to convert the toilets into a private hire office which was directly behind the stand, which meant private hire cars had to stop on a Hackney stand to pick up, and then to add insult to injury the hackney trade was asked to pay for the private hire marshals who were directing the public to the private hire Office, I personally think they were well justified in saying no......

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

And your council says there's no SUD.

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IDFIMH

I dont know where you get your info, but it's wrong.

Planning permission was asked for and obtained, the hac's had a chance to object to the position of it but didnt.
Hac's have never been asked to pay for PH marshals, the Hac marshals we're to go on the bridge st rank around the corner but as usual the hard done to Hac drivers wouldnt pay for it. So rather than get involved in trouble, punters head for a safer place to wait, which happens to be a PH office.
And now the council plan to put buses next to and in between the 3 ranks on bridge st. At last PH and Hac have joined together to fight it, so common ground is being reached at last. Although i think it's to late now, as sussex said, if buses are needed, then there's clearly a demand that 's not being met by the current number of Licenced Hac's.

And to add insult to injury, i've had an ongoing debate with the head of Transport about where, within the new £8m bus station the public and PH can pick up and drop off punters.
I was informed on Thursday, in writing, that we can pick up and drop off on the rank enterance.

I am not too sure about it being wrong, I remember speaking with members of the taxi trade before the Office was granted permission, and at the time they told me they had objected and their objection was overruled.... and as for Taxi marshals or private hire marshals, the subject of marshals was refused from the very beginning, as for the busses, when drivers refuse to take 40 odd drunks and the subsidies stop guess what happens....
I was told that apart from the taxi rank outside that Office there was nowhere else Stop and pick up. is that correct....?

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

Bus companies are constantly on the lookout for places where the public congregate, especially for Taxis. They then apply for a bus route close to where the congestion takes place. Buses are acting more and more like Taxis every day and if they can take work away from the Taxi and private hire trade then they will do so.

Buses ranking outside or close to nightclubs is a common feature in Manchester but this type of activity is happening all over the country and everyone should be made aware of it.

Regards

JD