Fae Fife wrote:
JD wrote:
Whether or not Taxi operators subsidising Taxi driver licenses is legal i do not know but I'm sure we will find out?
Sounds dodgy, but even if it was legal how does that explain the huge discrepancy between the initial application and renewals? It looks more like a case of new vehicle license applications subsidising existing vehicle licenses.
I don't know if you've come across an SDD circular (I think the SDD is the Scottish Development Department, which was part of the old Scottish Office, and this will now be the responsibility of the Scottish Executive).
The circular said:
"Differing levels of fees should bear an obvious relationship to costs incurred (for example a taxi driver's licence involving a "knowledge test" should cost more than a private hire driver's licence )and the Secretary of State expects that authorities will ensure that costs are kept to the minimum, and that the basis for the fees charged should be explained to the local trade organisations, who should be consulted well before charges or adjustments are proposed. It may often be convenient to adjust charges at the same time as taxi fares are reviewed" - para 2.25 of App A to SDD Circular 6/1983, as substituted by SDD Circular 25/1986."
The most relevant part of that is the opening words, therefore the council should have to show that the costs incurred in processing a new vehicle licence application are sufficient to justify to fee charged. It seems unlikely that there are costs incurred in relation to a new licence as compared to a renewal to justify the extra fee.
This information is extremely valuable to me because in the case of Edinburgh they intentionally failed to itemise the disrepancy in the huge difference between the initial grant and yearly renewal. The huge difference in grant and yearly renewal can also be seen in some other Scottish authorities.
I believe Edinburgh's Initial grant is set to increase to around 1250 pounds later this year, which means an increase of practically 50%. In other industries license costs are standard throughout the country and there is no unearthly reason why taxi licenses shouldn't be standard or issued by the same organisation that issues PSV licenses.
In fact there is no reason why councils should have anything whatsoever to do with Taxi licensing because Taxi licensing could be adequetly administered by PSV Transport Regulators.
Councils try and justify their license fees by citing administration costs but this situation will be never ending until such time we get our act together and divest them of their Taxi licensing powers.
Regards
JD
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