...
IN THE
NEWS...IN THE HYNDBURN DRIVERS GET CASH WINDFALL DUE TO ADMIN ERROR
Hundreds of taxi driv- ers are set to get a windfall because of a £210,000 council blun- der. For nine years council chiefs failed to adver- tise increases in taxi licensing fees. Now, to avoid legal action, they will refund the cash equivalent of the rises paid by private hire and hackney drivers. A probe into the mis- take
has investigations
to £400, is said to have come to light due to a legal challenge made to the authority. Hyndburn Council leader Miles Parkinson said the blame began in 2004 with the coun- cil’s previous Con- servative administra- tion. He told the Lancashire Telegraph:
“Before been
launched by Hynd- burn Council, sparking a number of discipli- nary
into council staff. The authority said it had also taken action to prevent a similar mix- up occurring again. The mistake, which could see some driv- ers being paid back up
2004, these ads had always been pub- lished, but when Peter Britcliffe leader
that
became all
stopped. Since this issue came to our attention in 2011 we have investigated our liabilities thoroughly. “We have come to the conclusion that we must
refund these
amounts to avoid legal challenges.”
Hyndburn’s Labour MP Graham Jones also said the issue was a historical one. He said: “It is just typi- cal of
the last
Conservative adminis- tration. They just decided not to bother with these ads.
It
seems that every month a blunder from the past
is being
uncovered.” However, opposition leader Mr Britcliffe called for a through disciplinary investiga- tions of the officers involved. He said: “Considering the council have been looking into this since 2011, I am stunned that I am only hearing about it now. I find it amazing I have not been spoken to about
this and was only informed by the Lan- cashire Telegraph. “The responsibility lies with officers and I would hope that a thorough investigation takes place into why they did not alert councillors.” Drivers
in Union
Street, Accrington, said they were angry at the mistake and they did not feel they were being supported by the council. Hackney driver Ash Mahmood, 45, said: “It is only fair they pay us back. We have no business left anyway and we are not making very much money. “It is very, very hard to make a living. The pay- back won’t be much each but it will make
things a bit easier.” Fellow Hackney driver Mohammed Shabir, 55, said: “When we give our fee to the council, they should be spending it or help- ing us, but they do nothing. “We have all been really
affected
because private firms have dropped their prices and the council says we have to charge a minimum of £3 at night, so we real- ly lose out. “So it is right that they should give us this money back.” The council have pow- ers to charge non- profit
taxi licensing
fees under the 1976 Local Government Act. However the council
must give 28 days’ notice in a local news- paper, inviting objec- tions. If the rules are not
followed, the
amount charged does not take legal effect and the fee is repayable. Mmmm… Here is a council
that
has
approached this whole dilemma correctly and properly – unlike a whole lot more we could mention but will not at this stage. All we can say herein is that there is currently a major
investigation
going on into the set- ting and structuring of council taxi/PHV licens- ing fees, the outcome of which could have major national implica- tions. Do please watch this space – Ed.
PAGE 48
PHTM JULY 2013
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