The views expressed in this column may not be those of the National T

Wirral to survey, taxi talk takes credit?

Very often when I start writing this column I’m many days, sometimes many months away from the actual point where you’ll be sitting in your cab (or on the toilet) reading the magazine. Today for example it’s Good Friday, although there’s been nothing particularly good about it, save for Carlisle United’s 3-1 win over the mighty Bristol Rovers.

Those of you who regularly read the magazine will realise that during the course of this year various writers, well the Reiver to be completely accurate, has severely questioned the various motives and moves of Wirral Borough Council. Two issues of questioning and then all of a sudden, and in complete surprise to even the most optimistic trade representative, Wirral MBC order a survey of demand.

I am somewhat sceptical about Wirral council’s motives, whilst I welcome the sudden change of heart, I can’t help but think the criticism the council has received for its cantankerous attitude about all things taxi is something more than a mere coincidence. I can say that we are in an election year, the votes of the taxi community and of course their family and friends are quite important, as is the timing of the survey decision.

If I was of the suspicious type, I would suggest the timing was everything. By the time the survey has taken place, the good councillors of the Wirral will be safely back in their seats ready to take a fresh look at the taxi situation.

What will have changed? Well in my opinion nothing. Wirral will still be the same size as it was at the time of the previous survey, there will be an oversupply in places like Birkenhead and ranks bereft of taxis, therefore showing a latent demand, in other parts of the Borough.

Unless the taxi trade of the Wirral dispense with the unused ranks in the outer areas, or dare I suggest moves are made towards zoning the borough, then the survey will neither address the situation nor regain regulation. Of course, if you do, questions will need asked as to what has changed since the last survey?

How refreshing

Very often the good councillors of our nation do receive the wrath of my keyboard, yet this month I’m quite happy to report to you

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position ensuring their licensing department know who is actually in charge.

The Birmingham Mail reported immigrants and refugees arriving from war-torn countries will

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no longer have an easy ride into a career as taxi drivers in Birmingham under plans being considered. The councillors were responding to a sharp increase in private hire and hackney carriage licence applications from people coming from abroad.

They are apparently not happy that many cannot provide criminal record checks from their former home countries, forcing them to approve for work applicants who have given British citizenship or permission to stay on the

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or councillor.

Now members of the council’s licensing committee have proposed that those from what the authority termed “failed states” should spend

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UK before they will be given a licence.

The committee also refused to delegate



councillors should be the judges of whether

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Coun Bruce Lines said: “I am not happy about this delegating power. It seems that if you have left an aggressive regime you can be here for

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Coun Barbara Dring added: “There seem to

be an awful lot of these coming to our sub- committees lately. I wonder if people know they only need a reference and their licence will get a rubber stamp. We have got to be more robust, there has to be another way of checking





Coun Nigel Dawkins who said: “There is no

evidence available from these states. Perhaps

 



investigate whether such a policy would meet with human rights legislation.

Whilst I applaud the good councillors of Birmingham’s licensing committee for this decision, especially when many other areas are seemingly now dispensing with their power and giving licensing departments a free hand, I do wonder what the legal people will come back with. I’ll try to keep you informed.

My “disappointing” Skoda

One of the advantages of writing in taxi talk is that I can write about anything that comes to mind. Currently there is one thing on my mind; it’s my Skoda gearbox, which whines like a Liverpool supporter talking about Rafa Benitez.

axi Association

I have been reliably informed the ‘diff’ bearings are, and I quote the correct mechanical term; ‘completely f*cked’. The formerly reliable Skoda name is therefore now in question. I now look in despair at the useless thing on the driveway shake my head and think ‘you ugly b*stard..... how could you let me down when you were otherwise so reliable.The Skoda will now have to go, I search therefore, for a new beast of vast acceleration, which must have no less than 4 doors and be over 1600cc to comply with my councils somewhat idiotic requirements.

Yes I want something that will do 0 – 60 in a little less than 7 seconds, it must take corners like a bullet train on full tilt, and it must have a Quaker like attitude towards quenching its thirst. However, my choice is seemingly limited. Ford Mondeo, Vauxhall Insignia, Toyota Prius, Toyota Avensis, Peugeot 407, Mercedes E class, Volkswagen Passat, Chrysler 300C, and Kia and so on. You would imagine I would have a decent choice of vehicles to select from, certainly more choice than those of you who have no alternative but to license WAVs.

Unfortunately I haven’t, and pah!.....a WAV is an absolute ‘no-no’. So let’s go through this list. Firstly, I must remove those who don’t advertise in taxi talk, and then I have to remove those who are not members of the National Taxi Association and therefore have no interest in my trade and my job. Tough rules I know, but why support those that don’t support us?

The Kia is out of the question anyway. Yes, it has a massive warranty, yes it is built on proven technology, but my faith is destroyed by the Korean likening towards consuming our four legged friends. I could never buy a car which has been made by a person who may have chewed on “Fido sandwiches” during lunch.

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it comes from a nation to which I have a passionate dislike, France. I’m sorry; any country which eats horses has got to have a serious problem.

Toyota? When I was growing up my old next door neighbour was called ‘Tom’, he was a

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garden and a Vauxhall Chevette, he used to wash and polish the Chevette each Sunday. He was tortured by the Japanese in World War Two. How on earth could I buy a car from a nation who tortured my favourite ever next door neighbour?

Besides, my old man once tried to join the masons and was blackballed by the local Toyota dealer because the vehicle he sold my dad was a bag of bolts and my old man had the

The Casey Column

By Wayne Casey

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