Taxi Driver Online

Bit of a minor political stushie over this - obviously accusations of 'bribes' etc.

Anyway, the SNP have issued a fancy manifesto-style document which outlines specific steps they'd take within 100 days of being elected.

But leaving the politics of it all to one side, this was a headline on the Daily Record's site this morning:


Taxi firms to receive £10,000 grants if the SNP are re-elected in May

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/poli ... s-24000786

EXCLUSIVE: The move would be made in the SNP's first 100 days of a fourth term


It's essentially about two things. First, finance secretary Kate Forbes' previous promise to pay another £1,500 to taxi and PH badgeholders who got the first grant. The SNP's document doesn't refer to PHDs, but I'm assuming that's just an error rather than actually excluding them from eligibility. All the official stuff about the first grant stated taxi *and* private hire drivers.

Second, there's a new promise of 'up to £10,000 for taxi operator firms'.

Of course, there's the usual 'up to' qualification, so the grant could be any sum of money below that. (Again, presumably, the word 'taxi' includes private hire here.)

But in the Scottish legislation 'operator' means a plateholder, so it's basically promising 'up to £10,000 for taxi plateholder firms'.

But whether that's what's actually meant I'm not sure. I somehow doubt each of the 24,000 plateholders in Scotland will be getting another £10k, or anything like that.

That's an extract from the official document.

Apparently Dundee City Council used a very similar or identical phrase to 'taxi operator firms' for its discretionary fund, but that turned out to just be for fleet operators or offices, and not individual owner drivers.

So the first grant was quite clear with regard to badgeholders being those eligible, and that seems to be the case with the promise of a second £1,500 grant.

However, this additional £10k grant seems as clear as mud eligibility-wise.

This is what Dundee City Council said last month under the headline 'Discretionary Business Grant Fund extended'.

Note the near identical phrase to 'taxi operator firms' used by the SNP:


https://www.dundeecity.gov.uk/news/arti ... e_ref=3893

Seeing as the SNP are going to win control of Holyrood anyway then we Scots Taxi/PH operators and Drivers can take advantage of Sturgeons bribe without having to vote for the SNP just to get it.

But I still can't see how the SNP expect to pay for all this vote buying generosity without the money coming from the British Parliament.

I've two plates, if she wants to throw £20'000 in grants at me I'll take it, if she also wants to send me and my driver wife an Extra £1500 each I'll take that as well.

But I really can't see that all happening.

I don't think it was £10,000 per plate but nice try.

_________________
Grandad,

Is it me or does anyone else think this is an election bribe ?

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

It was also described as "Up to" a £10,000 grant so if it's based on a descending scale based on size of business then my wee 2 car empire will receive around a fiver.

Anyhoos...her SNP will still not be getting my vote.

BRIBE !.....it's an outright cash offer for the votes of the trade.

I suspect you're right, but far from clear what the pledge is, and (former) finance secretary Kate Forbes has tweeted this, which to me doesn't clarify things much:


Since an operator here is a plateholder, she's effectively saying "our plans to help Scottish taxi firms applies to both taxi plateholders and fleet plateholders".

Which to me would mean that the grant applies to individual plateholders and multi-plateholders. But I don't think that's what Kate Forbes thinks it means, presumably because she doesn't know the precise ins and outs of the licensing system, and how the trade is structured

And still no mention of private hire, although again I suspect that's an error rather than deliberate.

But all points to a back-of-a-fag-packet policy that the SNP are now struggling to clarify.

Who knows, but my best guess is that it could be a grand or two a plate, say, but limited to £10k in total, to stop someone with twenty plates copping £40k, say.

Or maybe needs-based, or similar.

But if it's a fixed sum per plate, but limited to a £10k total, then it all becomes a bit murky with partnerships, companies and family members maybe having plates for tax reasons, say.

Which is why the badgeholder grant was at least relatively straightforward and transparent - one person, one grant

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=982880362483703

Quite a professional video from Glasgow Unite about the drivers' plight.

Not sure what to think of it, and maybe better not say too much, but it maybe could have been a tad shorter.

And no jokes about mill owners, please

I think the points being put across are 100% valid.

But I feel they will be ignored by the council, who clearly don't give a flying ****.

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IDFIMH

Seems that there's still hope that the underspend on the grants to badgeholders will be redistributed after all, but the election and purdah etc has gotten in the way.


Council leader 'close' to finding a solution to distribute unclaimed funding to taxi drivers

https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/193 ... i-drivers/

THE leader of Glasgow City Council says she is close to finding a solution that will allow her to distribute unclaimed funding to taxi drivers.

Councillor Susan Aitken has confirmed the taxi and private hire vehicle fund has seen 4660 drivers in the city receive almost £7 million of grant support.

The local authority is now working with the Scottish Government to shape additional support for operators to ensure they receive a contribution to acknowledge the hardship of the pandemic.

During a full council meeting Labour councillor Jill Brown asked the the Leader of the Council what engagement she had had with representatives of the taxi trade in the last two months.

Ms Aitken said: “The pre-election period has made this a very challenging issues but I, the city treasurer and officers have given a lot of time to in recent weeks.

“I do believe we are very close to finding a solution which will allow us to distribute additional support to taxi drivers in Glasgow.”

Councillor Brown asked the leader to join her in thanking taxi and private hire car drivers for providing a lifeline to many people during the pandemic by tirelessly transporting essential workers around the city day and night.

She also highlighted concerns from her constituents about a lack of communication regarding grant funding which had created additional uncertainty.

Ms Brown continued: “Does the Leader agree with me that taxi driver and their families have been short-changed by the administration during this period, with payments that have been widely recognised as not enough while funding allocation has been underspent with a significant amount of taxi drivers not receiving a payment in that period due to lack of engagement?”

Councillor Aitken refuted this and said that the issue had taken up a considerable amount of time.

She went on: “We want to thank taxi drivers for the role they have played, and we do want to make sure the trade gets the support that it needs.

“The underspend that we have is because we did not receive as many applications as anticipated and that’s why the full amount was given to us.

“We have been trying to secure the permission and ability to distribute that underspend to drivers which has been very challenging.

“The clear guidance states that any underspend had to be returned to the Scottish Government and also because of the pre-election period of which there are strict rules.

“I believe we are close to a solution which would allow us to distribute the underspend and give taxi drivers additional payments.”

Actually there is no definition of operator in the Scottish legislation.
There is nothing to set down that it means plateholder at all.
Neither is plateholder a term. It is a Taxi Licence holder.
Many simply misuse the term for their own agenda usually to deny drivers a platform for their views in fare reviews.
And the Traffic commissioner abuses it to deny drivers an appeal.
But….
A driver can commit an offence of ‘to operate a taxi in an area it is not licensed’ not the plateholder.
The Govt definitive guidance on the legislation is
Circular 25/1986: Licensing of Taxis and Private Hire Cars.
Appendix A. Goes as far as stating in point
2.49 "Operate" is not defined as it is intended to cover the whole range of operations of a taxi - ........That is, it covers plying for hire - picking up passengers without prior booking in a public place.

Drivers who rent taxis rather than being named on the Taxi Licence are still taxi operators.
Kate Forbes likely misused the term ‘operator’ and will now say she only meant Booking office licence holder.
There is no link to that misuse previously that I am aware of. But always a first.

Disclosure: I am not a renter I am a Taxi Licence holder and taxi driver licence holder.