...COUNCILS CALDERDALE:


TEN­YEARTAXISTO BETOPNOTCH


Taxis more than ten years old need to be kept to the highest standard if drivers want


to keep their


licences. The warning comes after a meeting of Calderdale Council’s licensing committee. Members


refused


three applications from private hire operators who wanted to use ten- year-old vehicles. None of the vehicles was found to be in a suitable condition to renew the licences. The ten-year limit was put in place to protect the public from being conveyed in cars that are not roadworthy. Committee chairman, Cllr Pat Allen, said if private hire vehicle proprietors wanted to


continue to operate older vehicles they had to be in the very best condition. “The whole committee wants to make it clear that the safety of the public is absolutely paramount and we expect very high stan- dards,” she told the Halifax Evening Couri- er. “These are difficult times for all business- es.


The


vehicle’s tenth anniver- sary if they are in the very best condition.” Before 2008, private hire operators were not allowed licences for cars more than ten years old. However, this policy was amended to allow vehicles past


council


recognised this when it changed its policy so that private hire proprietors did not need to change their vehicles once the cars reached ten years old. “But our main priority is the safety and the com- fort of the public and we will only allow pro- prietors to extend their licences beyond the


their


tenth anniversary to continue working if they were well main- tained and in top condition. Since this change in policy a number of extensions to licences have been issued where the vehicles met the exacting standards of the committee. However, cars are still being brought before the committee that are not up to scratch and are promptly refused.


ABERDEEN: PICK­UPATDOOROF PREMISESCOULD BEARRANGED


Late-night revellers in Aberdeen could bene- fit


from a new


door-to-door taxi serv- ice from city night- clubs under plans tabled by a local coun- cillor. Depute Provost Bill Cormie has suggested a joint scheme bet- ween the city council, the taxi


trade and


licence holders. The idea is to provide a service to allow club- goers to pre-arrange a pick-up at the door of the premises. Cllr Cormie said the move would improve safety in the city centre and ease pressure on nighttime taxi ranks. He told the Aberdeen Press and Journal: “Anything we can do to make things easier for people I


think


would be a great help. They run a similar sys- tem in Glasgow, and it seems to work well. “Basically, people at nightclubs would be able to pre-book a taxi


that would go door to door, so that cus- tomers don’t have to go wandering out looking for a cab. “The majority of folk, especially in the winter time, just want to get home at that time of night. It would help the police and it would help people looking to get home safely. “I think the idea would also appeal to parents of youngsters who are out on the town for the first time.” Mr Cormie’s motion could come at an opportune time, with funding for the city’s taxi marshal initiative under threat. Administration coun- cillors are considering withdrawing


the


£70,000 annual budg- et for 2012-13. The taxi marshal scheme was first pilot- ed from December 2005 to January 2006 and was later fully adopted on busy weekends such as


FEBRUARY 2012 PHTM


public holidays. The marshals, cou- pled with the late-night taxi


greater police pres- ence on city streets, were credited with a turnaround in the rate of violent incidents. The city centre was at one stage branded a “no-go” area after dark, but serious assault


figures


dropped by 46 per cent between 2007 and 2011. Last month, the coun- cil’s licensing commit- tee agreed to put a temporary cap on the number


of taxi


licences in the city. The move followed a report from transport experts at Napier Uni- versity in Edinburgh which found that demand in the city was well catered for. The motion from Mr Cormie was to be con- sidered by elected members at the next full council meeting on February 9.


ranks and a


SHROPSHIRE: ROGUEDRIVERS SPARKCONCERNS


Taxi drivers posing as members of local firms in Bridgnorth are causing chaos, it has been claimed. Local private hire driv- ers say they are being impersonated by out- of-town drivers who do not know the area and are not giving a good impression. David Gordon, who runs TD Taxis, told the Shropshire


Star:


“These drivers have Shropshire plates and badges and are imper- sonating local firms. “It’s becoming a big


problem for the public because once they get in the car they are responsible for what- ever’s on the meter.” Shropshire Councillor Steve Charmley said the council would not tolerate any illegal activity by licensed drivers. The licensing committee has recent- ly


revoked hackney one carriage


licence and 20 more are under review. James Mason, who runs A-Line Taxis and has driven hackney cabs in the town for 21


years, said: “They do not know the area and that’s when they start driving the wrong way up one-way streets and they don’t know where to pick up.” Cllr Charmley said all taxi drivers had to pass a knowledge test but were licensed to work within Shropshire, so the test was not specif- ic to Bridgnorth. He said: “As far as we are aware, no drivers have obtained a licence by falsely claiming to work for a local operator.”


SOUTH TYNESIDE: TOUGHNEWTEST PLANNED FOR ‘RISK’CABBIES


A tough new driving test is planned for South Tyneside taxi drivers considered a potential risk to the public. The advanced test would only be used in extreme cases – where hackney carriage and private hire drivers are known to have exten- sive traffic convictions. The changes are con- sidered necessary to strengthen the policy for applicants with a history of offences. It


follows a recent


appeal case when South Tyneside Coun- cil


refused an


applicant with three convictions for driving a motor vehicle with excess alcohol. The applicant had wanted to return to the trade after the restora- tion of his driving licence. The new framework, which members of the council’s regulatory committee will be rec- ommended to en- dorse, also outlines measures to deal with drivers convicted of drug abuse, violence and sex-related crime. Under the guidelines, applicants guilty of serious traffic offences


will have to demon- strate a period of five years free from con- viction before they would be considered. The council is also planning the use of a facility provided by Tait Walker


Accountants, a com- pany offering a driving assessment conduct- ed by an ex-police officer. The officer assesses the driver’s standard at the cost of £150 – a fee paid by the appli- cant. Gateshead Council has used the advanced test for the past two years and it has been deemed a success. A report to the com- mittee says: “It


is


considered necessary to update the current policy in order to intro- duce further amend- ments due to changes in legislation, updates in local government regulations and the experience of officers following


appeals


through the courts. “Hackney carriage or private hire drivers are not legally required to undergo any ad- vanced driver training before being granted with a licence.


Chartered


“But the council can consider driving ability to deem whether a person is ‘fit and prop- er’ along with com- plaints, convictions or any other information received which is of concern. “The proposed intro- duction of the driving assessment process is a major revision to the current policy. “Rather


than their


licence being sus- pended or revoked or upon


application


refused; provided the applicant passes the assessment the coun- cil will take no further action other than to grant the application.” South Shields hack- ney carriage driver Ernest Fearon wel- comed


the new


advanced test. He told the Jarrow and Hebburn Gazette: “It’s not something we could possibly object to. “As responsible driv- ers we’d welcome any move to ensure there are no irresponsible cabbies on the bor- ough’s roads.” Members of the coun- cil’s regulatory com- mittee were to meet on Friday 13 January.


PAGE 63


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