Editorial comment...
Be careful, you just might get what you wish for a taxi, whether ‘taxi’ is on the vehicle or on the poor third behind rail and buses and it is hardly
One of the few things that taxi drivers all agree signage or advertising? Moreover, the courts have surprising that anything taxi is an ill informed, ill
on is the need to overhaul taxi legislation; the ruled that a private hire vehicle with an illuminated judged afterthought. However, if the revolving
two acts that regulates the taxi and private hire roof sign that displays the phone number or the door approach to Transport Ministers is a problem,
trades are the Town Police Clauses Act (1847) name of the private hire firm does not contravene the ‘here ‘til I die’ Department for Transport (DfT)
which obviously pertains to taxis as there wasn’t the section! However, another case ruled that a mandarins are a lot more scary, just take a look
too many reliable Skoda Octavias around at council COULD ban private hire from having roof at that Farmer feller. Over the years we have
the time, and the God-awful Local Government signs, confused? You betcha. Another example met with them and have gained a pretty accurate
(Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976, written and is the Transport Act (1985) - on second thoughts picture of the taxi service they would like to see,
rushed through Parliament in haste, and doesn’t don’t go there we are only allotted two thousand which is a single-tier system. We have asked them
it show, that essentially regulates the private hire words for the editorial. repeatedly if the single-tier system did not work
trade. However, functions such as inspection in London, why would it work in the provinces?
and testing, appeals et al for both the taxi and Recently, the trade launched a campaign to change So far they have yet to respond. And what about
private hire trade is found within the 1976 Act. In
the law on cross border hiring, a problem that is
limited numbers policy to be abolished completely
addition, there are bits of legislation that pertain to
wholly the creation of the 1976 Act. It would be
in favour of a free-market approach? We also
the taxi and private hire sprawled across various
an easy assumption to make that on the back of
suspect that there is a body of opinion within
Acts, ranging from the Town Police Clauses Act
the Berwick situation, which has seen licensed
the DfT that takes the view the Berwick situation
(1889) to the Disability Discrimination Act (1995)
Berwick taxis working on private hire systems all
around the country, coupled with the situation in
should be encouraged and that taxi drivers should
via the Transport Act (1985) and a host of others.
Liverpool and other large cities that have private
be like other workers and ply their trade when and
Nevertheless, even though we, like everyone else
hire companies from another borough (mainly
where there is a demand for taxi provision. And
think that the legislation is outdated, unworkable
Sefton in the Liverpool case) working exclusively
finally, it has been expressed that in this age when
and unenforceable, an example of which is illegal
in those cities unchallenged by the local authority,
everyone has access to a cell phone, taxi ranks
plying for hire that happens thousands of times a that it would be a matter of some urgency that should be abolished, given the time and cost spent
day and night up and down the country, we also the situation would be remedied; not a bit of it, in on commissioning ranks, which are invariably sited
urge caution, because if modern (and by modern
fact the minister was ‘not persuaded’ a change in
in prime locations where councils can charge ‘top
we mean anything in the last forty years) taxi
the legislation was possible without a complete
dollar’ for parking.
legislation is anything to go by, might be a case of
overhaul of the legislation. And as this isn’t going
better the devil you know?
to happen anytime soon, that minister, Paul
A lot of you out there - in fact all of you out there -
Clarke (the pompous-looking chap on the front
of a London magazine recently with Dial A Cab
are working in the toughest financial circumstances
Take section 64 of the Transport Act (1980) that
chairman who was apparently appointed his body
in living memory, and we know from personal
makes it an offence for a private hire vehicle to
guard at a gentleman’s function) ended by stating
experience the anger felt by drivers sweating on
have a sign on the roof which has ‘taxi’ or ‘for hire’
that he believed the new touting law would alleviate
ranks for hours only to see an ‘out of towner’ private
or ‘cab’ or any wording would make the travelling
the situation (?!), yes you’ve guessed it another
hire pick up in front of you, while laughing in your
public to believe that the vehicle was a taxi. Nice Transport Minister that doesn’t know what he’s on face. The calls for action grows ever louder, but
and clear we hear you say, what are the Doom about. What does this feller know about the taxi and beware it really is a case that you just might get
Twins on about this time, well firstly, the section
private hire trade… we’ll tell yer, sweet FA!!
what you wish for…
specifically mentions ‘roof signs’ and does not
mention the body of the vehicle! The first thing to And that is the problem, ministers get shunted You can talk, but they ain’t listenin’
say is why not - why didn’t the legislators go the about so much that they know little about their Britain has a long tradition of fairness and the
whole hog and make it an offence for a vehicle that brief and ministers of transport are usually not rule of law; the right to have your say and defend
is not a taxi to have ANY signs that would make around very long to get to know anything about any charges against you is the first law of natural
the travelling public believe that the vehicle was transport, add to that the taxi trade comes a very justice. Over the years this has now been extended
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