ROUND THE COUNCILS CUMBERLAND: CABBIES OPPOSE PENALTY POINT SCHEME
Cabbies in Cumberland have hit out at plans to introduce a penalty point system, arguing it is unnecessary and could deter honest reporting. The proposed scheme is based on a similar system introduced by the now-defunct Carlisle City Council, which was merged with Allerdale and Copeland councils to form Cumberland Council in 2023. It would see drivers penalised for a range of offences, including not complying with their licences, smoking in their vehicles, playing loud music and failing to display the correct signage. A consultation on the scheme attracted a largely negative response, with many arguing it would create unnecessary bureaucracy and could be used maliciously by competitors. A report prepared ahead of the regulatory committee meeting on 11 November said: “the majority” of respondents called for the scheme to be scrapped. One response to the consultation said the penalty point system did not give “any space for human error”. “Small issues that can easily be ironed out in a matter of seconds or minutes should not impose the threat of penalty points or revocation of operators’ licences,” it said. They added the “threat” of points may deter drivers from being open with licensing staff, while they preferred to work “hand in hand”. Members of the regulatory committee considered the draft Cumberland Taxi and Private Hire Policy 2025 where it was recommended that they agree the amendments to the criteria consulted on and added by officers which included removing the upper age limit for vehicles. Members heard that the text of the dress code had been greatly reduced and further work will be carried out on reviewing the penalty point system before the draft policy returns to the committee for final approval in January 2025. During the meeting the public gallery was packed with taxi drivers some of who had submitted questions to be asked during the public participation part of the agenda. Speaking after the meeting Christopher Bray, the secretary of the HC and PH Association of Carlisle, said: “The age limit had to be lifted so we have got some kind of result because at the moment the white cars, or saloon type taxis, have got to be three years or under to be licensed.”
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NORTH EAST LINCS: UNMET DEMAND SURVEY AGREED
Taxi drivers in Grimsby have won a temporary reprieve from a council plan to lift a cap on the number of hackney carriages. Councillors on the licensing and community protection committee voted to defer the decision until a survey of demand is carried out. The move follows concerns raised by the North East Lincolnshire Hackney Carriage Association that the trade is already struggling due to rising costs and falling demand, warning: “The job of being a Hackney Carriage driver in North East Lincolnshire is not the bonanza that many think.” Wayne Crouch, chair of the association, described the current situation as “the worst he’s ever known”. “I was sat on Freeman Street today for four hours exactly, I took three jobs, I got £13,” said Mr Crouch. He highlighted the difficulties faced by hackney carriage drivers, who are often unable to fill their shifts. The council had proposed three changes to the local hackney carriage rules: l
However, councillors were persuaded to pause the first proposal, citing concerns about the potential impact on existing drivers and the need for a clearer understanding of demand. The council will now conduct a survey to assess whether there is a genuine need for more taxis in the area. The results of this survey will inform any future decisions on the cap. Officers also recommended to amend a wheelchair accessible exemption made by councillors in 2013 against advice. Drivers can get medical exemptions off their GP from carrying passengers in wheelchairs.
The 2013 amendment allowed such drivers to change their carriage back from being wheelchair accessible to a saloon. “We feel the link to the vehicles does cause a problem for us,” stated Adrian Moody, the council’s licensing and environment protection manager. Drivers with the medical exemption had risen from 13 to 75, since 2013, most with lifetime exemptions. Wheelchair accessible cabs in North East Lincolnshire had plummeted from 70 in 2020 to 43.
DECEMBER 2024 PHTM
Removing the current cap of 220 hackney carriages l Requiring all new cabs to be electric or hybrid l Making all new cabs wheelchair accessible
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