..COUNCILS IPSWICH:
ONSTREET ENFORCEMENTCLAMPDOWN
Enforcement will be on the streets of Ipswich as part of a clamp- down on violence. The Pilot Taxi Marshal Service has already been adopted in other towns and is aimed at preventing street vio- lence at pub and club closing times.
It will be running from 11pm to 3.30am on Friday and Saturday
nights at Dogs Head Street outside Pals and on Cardinal Park, near Liquid.
If successful, the pilot, organised by Suffolk Constabulary, Ipswich Central, Suffolk Coun- ty Council, the Town Centre Pastors, Ipswich Borough Council and Nightsafe, may become perma- nent - provided the
partners can find the necessary funding. Without marshals, fewer taxi drivers are prepared to work late on Fridays and Satur- days, because of the threat of anti-social behaviour,
mainly
drink-related, town centre organisation Ipswich Central told the Ipswich Evening Star.
NORTH SOMERSET: TAXI KNOWLEDGE FOR NEW DRIVERS
Controversial meas- ures that previously resorted in threats of taxis striking could soon be introduced as part of an overhaul for cabbies.
Private hire licensees could soon be expect- ed to have tests on the geography of the dis- trict and the legal requirements of doing their job, as part of a licensing review by the unitary authority. An additional taxi suit- ability test for all drivers, as well as
applicant suitability tests for first time driv- ers, are also among the ideas being suggested as part of the scheme. In 2008, taxi drivers threatened to cause a town centre lock-down on a Saturday night if many of the same measures were intro- duced.
But John Koulias, who has been a private hire driver for six years, says because North Somer- set is one of the few areas that does not already use the sys-
tem, drivers are com- ing from other counties to work here, an area he says many know nothing about. He told the Weston and Somerset Mercu- ry: “It is common sense to introduce the knowledge tests and about 80 people have signed a petition agreeing with that.” The current measures were due to be dis- cussed at a meeting of North Somerset Coun- cil’s planning and regulatory committee.
NORTHUMBERLAND: TAXI FIRMS FACE NEW REGULATIONS
Taxi drivers in Northumberland face more checks, tighter rules and ultimately more cost under new plans to regulate pri- vate hire and hackney carriage operators. Northumberland County Council is currently con- sulting on a draft policy to produce a single set of comprehensive rules from the six different systems it inherited from the former districts and boroughs.
But at a meeting in Alnwick, local taxi firms expressed concerns that they could end up facing bigger bills and more red tape, includ- ing multiple vehicle tests each year and meeting obligations
APRIL 2010 PHTM
under the Disability Discrimination Act. All vehicles that are three years old and over or have a record- ed mileage in excess of 150,000 miles would also be subject to an interim mechani- cal examination during the term of the licence, while those that are five years old and over or have a recorded mileage in excess of 250,000 miles will be subject to two interim mechanical inspec- tions during the term of the licence. Both would be in addition to the usual MOT test. Taxis would also be required to conform with European stan- dards on emissions,
although there would be a run-in period to allow for any changes. And there would also be tighter regulations on advertising on the sides of vehicles. One operator,
who
didn’t want to be named, told the Northumberland Gaz- ette: “It’s just going to add a hell of a lot more cost and hassle to run- ning your taxi.”
But licensing officer Marianne Miles said: “We have a duty to protect the public. The consultation is ongo- ing and nothing has been finalised, but we need operators to give reasons if they don’t agree with parts of the draft policy.”
HEREFORDSHIRE: REVISED LICENCE CONDITIONS AGREED
Herefordshire Council has agreed revised licence conditions for private hire and hack- ney carriage vehicles. The revised conditions, which have been devel- oped in consultation with members of the Taxi Association, were agreed by the council’s regulatory committee at their meeting on Tuesday, February 9 and were ratified at their following meeting held on March 9. A full review of the licence conditions orig- inally took place in December 2004. In early September 2008 the Taxi Association contacted the council to seek a further review and submitted their recommendations. The conditions have been benchmarked against other local authorities’ conditions
and have taken into account the latest gov- ernment Best Practice Guidance document. Marc Willimont, Here- fordshire Council’s regulatory service manager, said: “We have carried out a very thorough consultation process which includ- ed all members of the trade and I am pleased the committee has now finally decided to accept these deci- sions.”
“These conditions are one of the main ways we, as a regulatory authority, can ensure the safety of the travel- ling public, by making sure that all the cor- rect safety measures are in place. They also have the added advan- tage of protecting the trade against any unscrupulous opera- tors who could then
gain an unfair advan- tage by flouting safety rules.
“I would like to thank all the officers involved, the councillors on the regulatory committee and all members of the trade for taking such care in considering these new conditions which will help ensure the taxi trade in the county remains at the highest possible stan- dard,” he added. Garnet Cresswell, treasurer of the Here- fordshire Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Taxi Association, said: “I am delighted that we have been able to work with the licens- ing authority to agree these revised condi- tions which ensure the safety of the public as well as protect the trade from unfair competi- tion.”
BLACKPOOL: ‘SHAREDSPACE’ REVIEW BANSTAXISANDBUSES
Following lengthy debate, as reported in PHTM last year, Black- pool’s St John’s Square is to become a traffic free zone now a £120,000 scheme to pedestrianise it has been given the go- ahead.
Under the plans, agreed by Blackpool Council’s executive committee, buses and taxis will be banned from the square, which underwent a £4.7m revamp last year. The move comes fol- lowing a council and Blackpool Transport investigation into the safety of “shared space” concept in the square - where vehi- cles and pedestrians use an area without pavements or road markings.
The preferred option, which councillors voted to approve, will see buses and taxis
use the Market Street, Church Street and Corporation Street loop, with traffic travel- ling up Clifton Street for the first time. Additional bus stops and changes to junc- tions will cost £120,000. The change will be introduced on an 18- month trial basis. Cllr Maxine Fowler welcomed the deci- sion and said she had been concerned after seeing examples of shared spaces in Lon- don which were not working.
She added: “There were fears about safe- ty in St John’s Square, particularly from peo- ple on holiday who may not be as aware the area is shared between pedestrians and public transport.” Cllr Fowler also claimed she had seen motorists using the square, as well as the
buses and taxis who had permission. She said: “It’s just not safe. This move is only for 18 months on a trial basis but I am sure it will be success- ful.”
But the news has not been welcomed by taxi drivers who work in the town centre. Bill Lewtas from the Blackpool Licensed Taxi Operators’ Asso- ciation told the local Gazette: “Buses and taxis encourage trade for businesses around St John’s Square.” Hackney cab driver Dean James added: “This will have a terri- ble knock-on effect to both cab drivers and other business peo- ple.
“The taxi rank will need to be replaced but I don’t know where it will go. I don’t believe this has been properly thought through.”
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