tx_op wrote:
J.D. The implementation of Tax Reference numbers and National Insurance Numbers to be submitted on all Plate renewal and Badge renewal forms was actually a request from the Trade Associations ! After discussing this at liasion meetings with DDC's legal department, it was decided to use such a method in order to slow down applications for both badges and plates as. DDC were fearful of legal action if they regulated numbers within the Trade.
I suspected the idea probably came from the trade but even though the idea is inviting it is certainly not legal.
You may as well say, "lets restrict national driving licenses to only the employed"?
What happens when a housewife wants to obtain a license in order to drive her husbands Taxi for the purpose of pleasure? Or their son of 21 who just happens to be a student?
What about those drivers who lose their job and become unemployed will they be allowed to renew their badges or will they have to reapply?
Like I said, I have thought about this many times in the past and put practically every scenario into the melting pot and I still come back to the same conclusion and that is, "without specific legislation it cannot be done and even then it is debatable if it could be done because it wouldn't pass the human rights or equality legislative hurdles which are getting stronger year on year.
I fully understand your sentiments but from my point of view I can only look as far as that which is lawful. I suppose that's a good thing because otherwise you might not get the other side of the argument?
If Dundee council have agreed to this condition and their legal department has put their seal of approval on it then I can only draw the conclusion that both the legal department and councillors are not fully conversant with the law or they think they can do a Carlisle and change national legislation by the back door.
Regards
JD