CHELTENHAM:


Council bosses in Cheltenham have reassured the public after admitting an error in its taxi licens- ing system. Mistakes in recording returns of old-style plates before 2008 have left the potential for unauthorised drivers taking fares in the town. But the council said there was no “sub- stantiated” evidence that the plates were being used unlawfully.


Senior licensing offi- cer,


Louis Krog,


admitted the council had not properly recorded the return of a few licence plates. He told the Glouces- tershire Echo: “The council


introduced


new style licence plates in 2009 which are significantly differ- ent


in appearance


from the old style plates. In addition, the council also regularly runs public aware-


ROUNDTHE... WEST CHESHIRE:


‘NOEVIDENCEOFUNLAWFULUSEOFOLDTAXI PLATES’


ness campaigns to ensure the public knows what to look for when taking a legal taxi or PHV. “Since 2008, there has been no substantiated report of these old- style plates being used for unlawful taxi or private hire work.” A report considered by the council’s audit committee earlier said there was a risk of unauthorised vehicles operating.


RENFREWSHIRE: U­TURNOVERAGE RESTRICTIONS


Taxi drivers are cele- brating after council chiefs performed a U- turn over rules which would have meant cabbies having to change their cars every five years. Renfrewshire Council had planned to force private hire drivers to change their vehicles every five years. How- ever,


following an


outcry, the age limit has now been extend- ed to seven years. John McIntyre, 56, has been a cabbie in Ren- frewshire for 23 years and told the Paisley Daily Express:


“If


these plans had gone through, it would have put a lot of drivers out of business. “I had to buy a brand new car on finance and interest rates are going up. Most guys take out a loan over a five-year period and the council’s plan would have meant that, as soon as your car was paid off, you would need to buy a new one. At least we’ll now have another two years to try to save some money.” Council chiefs had wanted to close a loophole where driv- ers with a four-year- old car could get their taxi plates renewed for


PAGE 64


two years - taking them over the five-year limit. They had wanted the cars to cease operat- ing


as taxis


immediately when they became five years old - but there were 23 let- ters of objection to that plan. Now there will be a seven-year age limit for cabs instead, which drivers have wel- comed. David McCulloch, managing director of Renfrewshire Cab Company, said: “We appreciate that


the


council took time to meet and listen to local operators and drivers when making a final decision.” Paisley North West councillor Mike Dillon said: “I was pleased there was a consulta- tion. It was a good piece of work between the council and the trade and I think the outcome is the right one.” A council spokesman told the Express: “The board considered all the responses received to the consultation and took into account the views expressed by the industry. “At a subsequent meeting of the board, it was agreed that all private hire vehicles –


excluding those which are wheelchair acces- sible – should be allowed to remain in service for seven years from the date of their first registration, as opposed to five years, which had origi- nally been proposed. “The age limit for all wheelchair accessible vehicles remains at eight years from the date of first registra- tion. All vehicles will be subject to inspec- tion every six months after they become five years old from the date of first registra- tion.” Mmmm… How fortu- nate that common sense has prevailed, especially in these financially restrained times, and that Ren- frewshire Council has relaxed its vehicle age restriction. As high- lighted here, the best benefit is the release from the HP trap, whereby the vehicle owners get a couple of years’ holiday from HP payments. The NPHA has beat that drum for years; let’s hope this is given serious consid- eration during the Law Commission review of legislation – and that this review is also con- sidered north of the Border. – Ed.


TAXI RULESCOULD BE STANDARDISED


Residents are being asked for their views on proposed taxi licensing changes to standardise


rules


across West Cheshire. Cheshire West and Chester Council inher- ited different policies from the previous local authority areas of Ellesmere Port and Neston, Chester and Vale Royal. Currently hackney cabs can only pick up passengers in their zone, for exam- ple, in Ellesmere Port and Neston. Unlike other zones in West Cheshire, there is also a limit of 51 hackney cabs in Ellesmere Port and Neston. People completing the consultation will be


asked if they agree that zones and the limit in Ellesmere Port and Neston should be abolished. In Vale Royal saloon cars can be licensed as hackney cabs and consultees are asked if they think saloons should be allowed to operate as hackney cabs in Ellesmere Port and Neston too. Restrictions on the colour of the vehicles may also be put in place and the fare struc- ture may be unified across the borough. The council is inviting feedback on the possi- ble changes during a three-month consulta- tion period which began mid-January.


Cllr Lynn Riley, execu- tive member


for


community and envi- ronment,


told the


Ellesmere Port Pioneer: “I would urge everyone who uses taxis or works in the trade to let us know their views on the possible changes. “All feedback will be considered when a decision is taken on whether to change any of the existing policies – so every opinion really does count.” The consultation is focused on taxis, their drivers and drivers of private hire vehicles. Licensing changes to private hire vehicles have already been introduced following earlier consultation.


PLYMOUTH: COSTOFCOMPLYINGWITHEMISSIONS RULES


New rules to cut air pollution in Plymouth have been criticised. Strict curbs on vehicle emissions that came into force on January 10 will cost some taxi and private hire drivers thousands of pounds. Hackney cabs and PHVs licensed after April 1, 2010 will now have to comply with Euro 3 emissions stan- dards. Any taxis li- censed after April 1, 2012 will have to com- ply with the much tougher Euro 4 tech- nology. Hackney carriage own- ers will be able to fit conversion kits at a cost of up to £2,000, but private hire drivers may need to buy new cars. One leading Plymouth cabbie criticised the city council’s new rules. Roy Hamilton, secretary of the Ply- mouth Licensed Taxi Association, said his organisation had nego- tiated with the council to win a better deal.


He told This is Ply- mouth: “Thanks to us, vehicles over six years old won’t have to be taken off the road. But these new rules are not necessary.


It


should have been done through natural wastage. Legislation should not be retro- spective. “The emissions rules are a hammer to crack a nut because the amount of pollution we cause is negligible compared to fireworks and the ferries.” He said it would cost up to £2,000 to modify a black cab. “What they have done is to increase the age of the Plymouth taxi fleet because people have been going up to London to buy older vehicles that have been modified.” Cabbie Jake Journ- eaux said: “ I’ll need to get a new cab which will cost thousands. It’s wrong to do this in the middle of a recession.” Cabbie


Raymond


Smith said: “Other parts of the country are not insisting on bringing in the Euro 4 standards. My cab is nine years old and Euro 3 compliant so it won’t cost me now. Originally they wanted it off the road by April 2013 because it isn’t Euro 4 compliant. “As far as I know they have given us leeway to 2015. That’s when I’ll have to retire because it would cost more than £30,000 to buy a new one. “We don’t cause a lot of emissions. I work an eight-hour day - but for five and a half or six hours I’m parked up at the railway station wait- ing for a fare. Buses and lorries cause more emissions.” The European emis- sions standards dram- atically cut the amount of gases like carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons and particles coming from a exhaust.


vehicle’s PHTM FEBRUARY 2012


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