Opinion


NationaL Private Hire Association 8 Silver Street Bury BL9 0EX 0161 280 2800 www.npha.org.uk


NOW IS THE HOUR: YES OR NO?


Once again, dear readers, I am forced to return to the Law Commission review and consultation. We now appear to have a footprint of what is likely to happen. Up to date the LC advises me that they have received some 250 responses, of which 50 per cent are in relation to wedding cars. I am advised that Unite the Union will be spreading a petition amongst the trade, together with windscreen stickers entitled “No Submission to the Commission”. Don’t get me wrong: I don’t think they are suggesting that we shouldn’t respond, but rather that we shouldn’t bend our knees to some of the suggestions contained in the consultation document - surprise surprise, deregulation being one of the biggest. But in addition to this, and what is more worrying, is the huge number of people who have contacted me to say “Well, I’m not reading 241 pages... I’m not printing off 241 pages. I’m not sitting and reading these 241 pages on line. More importantly, I don’t understand these 241 pages, and OMG - do I have to answer 73 questions????!!!! And what am I going to answer them on? Can I just write down the numbers 1 to 73 on a piece of paper and say Yes or No? And as I don’t understand many of the questions anyway, what if I leave answers blank?” My concern is that, with at least a quarter of a million people out there driving licensed vehicles, 0.005 per cent (less than half a per cent) have replied so far from the ordinary trade, as opposed to those who have wedding cars. I know that the three unions - Unite, GMB and RMT - are getting together on this petition, and they may end up with thousands of


A view from the trade by B. M. ROLAND npha@btconnect.com


signatures. It is unfortunate to have to say that those signatures will for the most part come from the hackney carriage trade, who feel them- selves most at risk through this consultation. And I would not seriously challenge that view. But if everything is going to be as one-sided as that, it might mean that the door will be closed and locked long before the new legislation is even drafted. So how can we assist in getting more responses back to the LC, with evidence if possible, in a way that the trade and the Commission will understand? The only way I can think to do that is by setting out a fresh set of questions which, looking at the generality of the consultation, will refine and cut down the number of points to be responded to - whilst at the same time keeping the views of the trade clearly highlighted. Right - well, having written the last paragraph, I turned to the task of writ- ing the questions. And two days later I have reduced them from 73 to 51. Hopefully in a more understandable and easier format. So if you are sit- ting in your car, hoping the next job will come along before lunch, or teatime, you should have plenty of time to tick the boxes Yes or No. Then all you’ve got to do is to post it, fax it, scan it and send it to the address- es/email in the Opinion box at the top. I can assure you these will all get to the Law Commission. Alternatively, you can send them on to the Public Law Team (Taxi and Private Hire), Law Commission, Steel House, 11 Tothill Street, London SW1H 9LJ. And by email to :- tph@lawcommission.gsi.gov.uk Or fax to 0203 334 0201. That is of course if you’re not going to answer the original 73 questions. And if you do go onto the Law Commission website, you would find a Word version of the document you could type your Yes’s and No’s onto before saving it and sending it on. Are you getting the message? Answer. Reply. Write it in ink. Type it up


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PHTM AUGUST 2012


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