Taxi drivers and their representatives will have to make some tough choices in the months ahead when it comes to the annual round of fare increases; go for an
additional costs or fall farther down the ever-decreasing wages ladder... but it’s not just the taxi trade reps that need to make tough decisions is it? Because remember this: if the wheels of the Taxi and Private Hire drivers are not turning then all those who rely on the trade will join us driving full speed ahead over the abyss and into the depths of a bottomless pit-Gloomy What?
Equality Bill (revisited)
Last month in our editorial ‘Fall on your sword time’ we were of the opinion that because of the passing of the Equality Act this year, taxi drivers in areas that still license saloon cars as taxis had some
memory, one of the provisions of the aforementioned bill, was that there was a requirement that all licensing authorities
taxis (WAV). We stated that if the percentage was set at, for instance, 50%
and an area had 100 taxis and only 10 were WAV, in our view it would be better if 40 taxi proprietors sold their cars and bought a WAV than having to deal with an extra 80 taxis.
In our editorial we also stated that the provisions did not affect areas that are 100% WAV, however we have recently had
the taxi world who begs to differ.
Currently a local authority has the power to decide the type of vehicles that they will license as a taxi, there is however some debate whether the recent High Court case Lunt v Liverpool has severely limited the council’s power (Liverpool refused an application to license a Euro-style taxi on the grounds that it did not meet the Metropolitan Conditions of Fitness - a decision that was overturned in the High Court). The provisions of the new act erodes a council’s power still further, and one of the side effects of the new act is that it will set out in percentage terms the amount of taxis that are to be WAV.
However, our friend who has asked to remain nameless on account that he is
watching developments closely is taking legal advice on the new provisions, and his
decide on the percentage of taxi that need to be WAV, and we will use the previous example of 50% where does that leave authorities that are 100% WAV? Can an existing proprietor present a saloon car to be licensed now that it is on the statute books that in any local authority ‘only’ 50% need to be WAV? It would be interesting how the courts interpreted the new law. We take the view that the architects of the Bill probably never envisaged such an interpretation of their new baby, talk about the road to hell being paved with good intentions. We await developments with interest.
And Finally
On a lighter note: Well done Swasie Turner MBE, and all involved, he pushed his wheelchair unaided 100 miles alongside
was raised in the process for the Royal Marines Charitable Trust Fund, with a substantial donation to Help the Heroes.
Till next month, try to stay positive. David Millward and Del (Ed) Cummins
Well Equipped Berlingo Multispace Taxi from the Taxi Centre
To meet a growing demand from the taxi trade for versatile and economical vehicles, the Taxi
Citroën Berlingo Multispace VTR 1.6HDi 90 MPVs. These models have been ordered by the Paisley-headquartered company for onward supply, complete with the Taxi Centre specialist
operators throughout the UK.
Allan McGinness, the Taxi Centre’s sales director, explains: “We expect to supply around 300 Berlingo Multispace vehicles per annum to our customers in the taxi trade. We have selected the Berlingo Multispace as one of our key vehicle offerings on the basis of its unique combination of versatility, big car comfort and passenger space, excellent fuel economy and low running costs. The Berlingo Multispace also delivers the reliability that is absolutely essential to taxi operators over a typical 42 month, 200,000+ mile service life.”
The well-equipped Citroën Berlingo Multispace VTR 1.6HDi 90 MPV offers taxi operators the ability to carry up to four passengers with the space and comfort of a much larger vehicle - as well as providing an unrivalled amount of luggage space. In addition, the Berlingo Multispace also appeals to taxi operators with its ability to offer - when its rear seats are folded - nearly the same amount of load space as a
4
Berlingo van, enabling courier work to be carried out as required.
The Taxi Centre is one of the UK’s largest specialist vehicle suppliers to the taxi trade. It offers its customers a wide range of vehicle
lease purchase - as well as insurance products
company also has the facilities to supply and
UK-wide customer base, which includes owner
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