Taxi Driver Online

M.P.H.O.D.A.
Will be pleased with new drivers and will have to extend the rank to get the limos in

What happened to him anyway?

More than likely trying to get a good lawyer now that the council have been informed about the illegal activities

Well well, single tier licensing!!!!

I agree the devil is in the detail, I would go for County level licensing.
A requirement to display top/door signs for all of the new taxis, but no expensive re-painting should be required.
On the question of fares maybe we could have 3 sets of rates from which a Council could choose such as North, South and Somewhere In Between.
Also with different rates for day/evening/weekend/night as in London.
Automatic inclusion of all new taxis in bus lane access.
No council to be allowed to impose stricter seating regulations than allowed for the sale of the vehicle to the general public eg take a seat out of your Galaxy cos our highly unqualified council experts know better than VOSA...LOL...
Restrictions on hours is not going to be popular but I think necessary, they could be quite simple though, just to stop the idiots from driving while asleep eg Max 12 hour day, after 4 x 12 hr days you must take a day off, you must take at least 1 day off every week and 3 days in 14.
Requirement for a proper Taxi driving test, CRB for ALL ( including foreigners ie an equivalent check from their home country), decent standard of knowledge test, say at least 100 questions and 25 POI including regional direction finding as well. No use to made of maps or Nav system in test.
Only cabs Licensed in area A, can market their services in that area eg no out of area phone numbers

I've thrown some details in here so no doubt people will want to tell me I've got some bits wrong but hey it's only a first impression and I might change my mind with good positive argument!

Are the LO's now going to insist on Tachos?

Are the LO's now going to insist on Tachos?

I feel the chances of the licensed taxi/PH trade being bought under the working time directive, as slim at best.

If all the time we spent in the car was actually time we spent working, then maybe it might just happen. But we all know that just because we spend up to 60/70/80 etc hours in the cab, a large proportion of that is reading, sleeping, gossiping, moaning and eating.

But if it could work, then I would far sooner work less than 48 hours a week.

Surely the working time directive is on its way. Our drivers are currently given the option to opt out, but I believe that option will disappear.

And the issue discriminates against an employed driver. If you have two drivers sat on the rank , one employed and one self employed, the time sat there will be regarded as 'hours worked' by the employed driver, but 'rest time', not counted, for the self employed.

Surely the working time directive is on its way. Our drivers are currently given the option to opt out, but I believe that option will disappear.

And the issue discriminates against an employed driver. If you have two drivers sat on the rank , one employed and one self employed, the time sat there will be regarded as 'hours worked' by the employed driver, but 'rest time', not counted, for the self employed.

I find it highly unlikely that the government will adopt a single tier of licensing ..................... after they have only recently introduced a two tier licenisng structure in the capital.

The reason I can't see it coming into being is not because of any ideological reasoning, but because I can't see how you will get 250,000 licensed drivers currently working 60/70/80/90+ hours suddenly being told to work no-more than 48.

If the enforcement folks in this country can't stop the vast amount of illegal limos from working, then what chance of someone getting 250,000 drivers to keep to their hours?

And because the gov wont (IMO) bring in a rule which is destined to fail, then I just can't see it happening.

All that said, I believe the theory behind it could help out the trade. It's just that 249,999 folks don't see it that way.