Dear Editor…
On the 31st July 2009 I attended a meeting with were and the users put forward the problems After reading the DfT Best Practice Guidance
Ben Fuente, member of the Car Trade Advisory they had with travelling. Note 13 on accessibility it states that disabled
Committee at the disability headquarters in people often use wheelchairs. Out of the
Chelmsford, Essex. The subject was options
The two groups then met and the Chairman
people that are registered disabled only 5% are
for Independent Living Transport Group;
asked the questions to both sides. After a long
wheelchair bound. I also understand that only 20%
the meeting consisted of suppliers and
discussion both sides agreed they had learnt a
of wheelchairs are in fact tested. So in conclusion
users. The suppliers were from the Railways DfT and local authorities should look into these
Watchdog, Ben Fuente from the Unite Union
lot about each otherʼs needs and requirements.
issues before deciding their action plan…Come
and myself from Basildon Hackney Carriage
One thing the users stressed was if you have
and talk to the people on the front line.
Association. The users were from various
a disability this does not mean that you need a

disabled groups across Essex. The suppliers
wheelchair accessible Taxi. They informed us a
R F Morgan
were asked to put forward questions to ask the Government Minister visited them in June and Basildon
users to find out what their needs for travelling they stressed to him they wanted a mixed fleet. Essex
Dear Editor…
Just a few lines to update your readership on frayed. The Reigate and Banstead driver was 3 Drivers without I.D. badges
the Mid Sussex Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle advised regarding tyres on the legal limit and
2 drivers advised with regard to dirty vehicles
safety check carried out last month along with defective lights. The relevant Licensing Officers
1 driver advised regarding wrong Fire
Sussex Police, Vosa, MSDC Benefits and have been informed of the findings.
W.S.C.C. School contracts.
Extinguisher.
1 M.S.D.C. Hackney Carriage was issued with
1 Private Hire driver advised to have vehicle
First my thanks to Andy Judson and Graham an Immediate prohibition notice with regard
checked by a garage as one of its drive shafts
East for supplying Mark Bassett and Bill to an illegal tyre, and 2 M.S.D.C. Private Hire was covered in grease the origin of which could
Sedgeman. Vehicles were issued with immediate prohibition
not be established.
notices for illegal tyres (1 with 2 tyres and 1
A total of 34 licensed vehicles were checked with 3 tyres). The licences were suspended and
The Benefits Officer also detected 5 persons
throughout the day. 11 Hackney Carriages and plates removed from the vehicles. On two of the
15 Private Hire Vehicles licensed by M.S.D.C. vehicles (1 Hackney and 1 Private Hire other
acting as escorts who appeared to be working
plus a further 8 licensed vehicles (4 licensed defects were high lighted while the vehicles
while claiming benefits from Crawley, Wealden,
by Crawley, 2 licensed by Wealden, 1 licensed were under going the MOT test to clear the
Lewes and Reigate and District councils.
by Lewes and 1 licensed by Reigate and prohibition notice.
Banstead).
The Police Officer also detected offences on non-
Of the 26 M.S.D.C. licensed vehicles checked
licensed vehicles; these were one vehicle with
1 Crawley Private Hire vehicle had accident the following were advised for:
damage to it, 1 Wealden Private Hire vehicle
out an excise licence, one driver using a mobile
the driver had no I.D. or badges plus a delayed 3 vehicles with tyres almost on the legal limit
phone and one driver not wearing a seat belt.
prohibition notice was issued by the Vosa 3 Hackney Carriages without Tariff Cards
Inspector with regard to the rear seat belts being displayed Ian Craigen
Dear Editor…
After reading “The Casey Column” in Septemberʼs interesting, and a little scary in the context of In passing, our friends at Her Majestyʼs Revenue
issue, certainly gave me considerable food for thought. restricting hours. and Customs are apparently still living in Cloud
Cuckoo Land when the matter of tips comes
As a through tracker (journeyman to Southern
From leaving home, to returning to the arms of my
up. 10%? Youʼre having a giraffe. My tips today
readers) in the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford,
beloved, I was in the cab for 13 hours, give or take a
came out at 7.6%, and thatʼs actually quite decent
I need weekly takings of at least £850 to have a
couple of minutes. My meter shows that I was actually
by current standards. HMRC need to realise that
decent standard of living. The reality is that I get to
PAID for a mere 2 hours 22 minutes! Since my paid
an increasing number of passengers in our multi-
take home about half of what I ʻearnʼ, including tips.
mileage was approximately 44%, it follows pro rata
racial society are from cultures where tipping just
Of course, the taxman will subsequently want a
that I actually drove for approximately 5 hours 20
doesnʼt happen. And itʼs increasingly reflected in
decent bite out of that.
minutes. Therefore I was sitting on my backside doing
my takings.
Jack for 7 hours and 40 minutes! During my 13-hour
Trafford is still regulated, but after our 2006 unmet
demand survey showed a need for 12 cabs there
stint, I actually drove just over 90 miles, this equates
So… letʼs say we were restricted to a 48-hour week.
Yes, I know itʼs possible to take better figures at
and then, plus 6 more for ʻlatent unmet demandʼ (a
to 7 miles per hour! Tiring stuff eh?
weekend, and in the ʻpremium rateʼ periods, but
fairy story dreamed up by some sick mind at the there are other times when takings are LESS than
OFT), our Council had a brainstorm and issued
Quite how any form of regulation would cope with
in this example, and weʼre a 24/7 industry after all.
FORTY extra licences over three years… just as the
this Iʼm damned if I can see. Meal breaks? I ate
At £4.60 per hour, I could expect a pre tax ʻwageʼ of
recession bit hard.
my way through the day with my packed meal and
just £220.80 - for 48 hours! How many of us do you
flask of coffee while crawling down queues of 15-20
think are going to be signing up for THAT piece of
I wonʼt bore you with the tales of grown men
cabs for an average of approximately 3 jobs every
nonsense? Luckily, I have a very appealing black
weeping on taxi ranks, but the grafters among us
2 hours (21 journeys). Twice, I was marooned on a
and white dog at my disposal - now where did I put
quickly realised weʼd have to work harder. I was
rank for over an hour. So what did my efforts yield
that kazoo?
already doing a 65 hour week, so harder was quite me? I took £119.60 all-inclusive; of which about
a big ask. On Thursday 17
th
September 2009, I half is really mine. This equates to £4.60 per hour. Phil Jordan,
logged everything I did, and the conclusions are Minimum wage? I wish! Stretford, Manchester
Dear Editor…
Recently I attended a meeting at the Ministry of Transport, between unions and people who have a considerable knowledge of the rules and
Mr Paul Lawry and the members of the group known as the “meeting regulations, which govern the trade, have put aside their own petty squabbles
of minds”. Paul Lawry is a man who has a history with VOSA, at last
in the hope of taking forward proposals for change that they all agree on.
someone who knows something about vehicles! He is also someone who
is prepared to get up from behind his desk and step outside of London to
Issues such as driver safety, the training of licensing officers and clearer
see how the Taxi and Private Hire trades work in the provinces.
interpretation of taxi law will certainly be on the agenda at all times. It is
my sincere hope that the members of all national taxi and private hire
For years the Hackney and Private Hire trades have been ignored at
Government level or, if I was being generous, placed firmly on the back
associations and unions ask the question: “are we part of this group, and if
burner with the power turned off. Singly, any group has the right to make
not, why not?” and mandate the fossils at the top to join.
representation for changes in the law, but this usually ends up with the
tradeʼs associations and unions being played one against the other with
Will your representatives be at the next meeting?
the result that nothing ever happens.
Trevor Jones
The meeting of minds group, which is made up of national associations and Trade rep. Sefton
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