out-of-town cars having purposely removed livery and licence plates to work incognito with most of them being caught by us and reported back to their respective licensing officers. This is the major downfall of councils allowing magnetic licence plates and door signs. But I am sure that the majority of the trade looks at this major change with distain and disbelief that this has been allowed to happen. Localism has been destroyed by politicians and that cannot be a good thing and we now see loads of cars without any licensing markings transporting people which looks the same as before the 76 Act came in. This cannot be right... can it Baroness Kramer?
that were needed for future fare changes and the look those ancient cabbie faces knowing that they would have to fork out good money for a new fangled electronic Lucas meter!
We also still had a couple of Vauxhall Viva’s and I remember one of these going up in smoke.... much to the relief of others who had started buying brand new 1.6d Vauxhall Cavaliers and 2.3 Carlton’s which were the trend at the time, then the new trend of 2.3d Ford Sierra’s came in. I also remember a few bought Ladas which were quite frankly a joke and the constant look of embarrassment of one journeyman who hated every minute of driving one. I don’t think any of the car doors fitted on these but they were a cheap throwaway car and didn’t last very long.
Very certainly some of my fellow drivers were characters. One old chap who had a Volvo would sell his old car oil to another driver to use in his car... I kid you not! Another who give me the advice several times to “
..always have a grand in your pocket to grab a bargain.” How he never got mugged was a miracle!
I have seen so many drivers come and go although there are still a handful around from way back then. I have dealt with the many various licensing officers and plenty of local councillors... bless them. And of course I have driven thousands of customers from all backgrounds which includes celebrities, multi-millionaires, the poor and the lonely. All of which I would like to think I have treated equally.
When I look back and reflect I do wonder if there are other professions that have so many changes and challenges thrown at them? However never did I ever imagine that licensing legislation would be changed which would make it legitimate for a private hire driver/vehicle that was licensed in one area to be allowed to predominantly work hundreds of miles away from its respective local licensing enforce- ment. Natural cross-border hiring has always been around but what happens now is a complete and utter joke.
Some of course will say that this is good thing that they can be licensed and work anywhere regardless of local conditions of licensing such as compulsory CCTV and vehicle specifications. However, our experience here in Brighton & Hove has shown the downfall of this with so many
JANUARY 2022
I am fully aware that things change and the old adage should be ‘adapt or die’ but quite frankly that is utter tosh. When I joined the trade so many years ago as full-time ‘local’ taxi driver, I felt as if I had joined a profession that took pride in its service, that knew the local area inside, from knowing all the pubs and drinking clubs to every church, and got paid a reasonable amount for do so.
However. looking back over my nearly forty years in the trade and the dramatic change in cross-border hiring since the 2015 Deregulation Act, it I would never have imagined that it would become the norm for drivers/cars to pre- dominantly work out of area under mutli-billion dollar cab apps, such as Uber, that charge three times plus the standard fare when it rains. More incredibly though that the public have effectively allowed themselves to be hypnotised to be ‘Hip and Trendy’ and accept this along with being driven by a driver with eyes stuck on a satnav or with an ear plugged into the navigation instructions. I look at it in the same way as when I get standard service for my boiler every year where I would not expect someone to come along and have to look up the instructions.
With the use of ‘surge pricing’ as being the norm now and accepted by Joe Public, it is laughable that a local hackney driver charging Mrs Jones £3.40 to go to the local launderette who “
...never pays more than £3.20”... can be hauled in explain this to the council licensing officers then there is something not quite right.... along with having to go cap in hand for an extra 10p per mile for the fare reviews.
So, 2022 will be my 39th year in the trade and I wonder if I will make it to the 40th?
But then again I suppose I still have a bit of time left to get a proper job..... have a great 2022!
Andy Peters Brighton & Hove Cab Trade Association
info@bhcta.co.uk
facebook.com/groups/bhcabta
www.bhcta.co.uk @cabsbrighton
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