Taxi Driver Online

Makes it sound as if it's all just come to light in the last week or two

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

The fact that a council spokesperson is saying that is very interesting. If anything it shows that they have looked into this issue a bit more than many other councils have.

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IDFIMH

Private hire driver Richard Jackson said: "Originally all the hackney plates were given out free, but over the years they have become worth money. The hackney drivers would be disheartened if they deregulated, because they would lose money, but it's money they were not entitled to.

"It should be deregulated and we should all be the same."

Brothers in arms.

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IDFIMH

I wonder if this announcement will resurrect Gerald Grisedale from his slumber? Perhaps in response to the councillors call for a case to be made for retaining numbers Gerald can once again roll out his blue print that sunk the OFT?

Regards

JD

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Copyright notice © The contents of this post are copyright of JD and are not to be reproduced outside of TDO without written permission.

There are a number of elequent York cabbies who subscribe to TDO and it would be interesting to hear their views on the announcement that councillors are considering a change of policy?

Regards

JD

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Copyright notice © The contents of this post are copyright of JD and are not to be reproduced outside of TDO without written permission.

Taxi cab change would be unfair
By Reader's letter

1)
IN response to your article on deregulation moves (Taxi rancour, The Press July 11), I would like to put the record straight on plate ownership.

Most people who buy a plate do so by using their redundancy money or re-mortgaging their house. If the council deregulated, these people would be left paying off the loan with no hope of recovering their money.

The people who have left the trade with the £60,000 you talk about have already got their money back. Most people buying a plate see it as buying a self-employed job, and when they retire they would like to see a return for their investment.

Most owner-drivers invest in a car and pay high insurance and then employ a day or a night driver at rents well below what you are quoting for renting a plate.

Deregulation would not improve anything for the consumer. The council sets the most important factor: price. Where would all the cars go in this already congested city of ours?

The existing ranks can hardly cope with the present 158 hackney cars. In most cities that have deregulated, it has meant a lowering of standards, with too many cars chasing too little business.

It is up to drivers to work with the council to deliver a first-class hackney trade to rival any in the country.

We at Station Taxis are always looking to improve the service to the consumer. We are the only company in York to introduce a strict dress code for drivers working from York Station. We will support the council in any constructive move to improve the standards further.

Keith Hatfield, secretary, Station Taxis, The Portico, York Station.


2)
So private hire driver Richard Jackson thinks York should deregulate and "we should all be the same", meaning that private hire and hackney drivers should be free to ply for hire in the area.

This would mean a total of 800 cars, compared to the existing 158 hackneys, would be cruising around the city, looking for work.

Can anyone imagine the environmental impact in terms of congestion and air pollution?

Let's not destroy the charm of York by even considering this.

Stuart Robertson, Windsor Drive, Haxby, York.

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IDFIMH

we don't know a lot yet, think its all scaremongery

the station taxi driver who sold his plate for 60 grand is now a top councillor, he's the one who's going to CHAIR the council meeting re de- reg, thats where we think the Council was fed from

the paint it black and newish vehicles is still on going, with some drivers taking up a stand and takin the Council on, heard we are going to get a letter from the Council for our further thoughts, but not sure

the Council did flawed tinternet searches and found 60 black in colour vehicles suitable to be taxis national wide, but only 4 within a 20 mile radius of York
suppose most will put on Ford Focus or Punto as there are tons of them in black, i doubt if there will be any bmw's saaab's or mercs, drivers will by the cheapest available of the cheaper family cars

Methinks he would have to declare an interest and step down. Else the decision, whatever way it went, would be un-safe.

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IDFIMH

Maybe the council will go WAV, as there are plenty of them in black.

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IDFIMH

WAV only starts at cab No 140 ish, the ones below are saloons

For how long?

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IDFIMH

i don't know, but am getting to the stage of don't really care anymore

there was 40 thousand people in town tonight/today John Smiths racing weekend, i did the same earnings as a normal Saturday, no more or no less, wonder how they all got home

Sussex, why all the negative, is that cos you PH [lol]

the letter has arrived from the Council, i will try and scan it and put it into pdf in the next few days

the council seem to be going on about the late night drinking and the lack of late night transport that remains an issue for the night time economy, wot issue, they get home

surely they forget that the human body needs to sleep at unearthly hours after 0300 hrs, even putting more cabs on will not make sure cabs are working round the clock, unless they stipulate cab No so and so will work through the night