IN THE NEWS ALL THE SEVENS OWNER RESPONDS TO
WILTSHIRE COUNCIL’S PROPOSED LICENSING CHANGES
On 6 May, Wiltshire Council announced that it was seeking feed- back from taxi and private hire drivers and the general public on proposals to change the county’s taxi licensing zones. This Is Wiltshire reports that at present, the council area operates four taxi licensing zones – north, south, east and west – and it is proposing to change this to one single licensing zone that covers the whole Wiltshire area. If the licensing area is changed to one council-wide zone, a taxi or private hire operator will be able to accept fares in any part of the Wiltshire Council authority area. The council says this could save it money and reduce fuel consumption, as if drivers were dropping off in one area outside of their current zone, they wouldn’t have to travel back to their original area to pick up a new fare, as they currently do. The council adds that this would be particularly useful for drivers that take and collect school pupils, as they could take the pupils to school, work for the day in the same area if they wish, before collecting the pupils at the end of the school day. As part of the current system of four licensing zones, the council also has to keep four different workshops open in each of the zone areas to inspect the vehicles. If the proposals go ahead, some of these workshops could be utilised to support other operations. The consultation began on Friday, 6 May and will run until 5pm on Friday, 10 June. Councillor Dr Mark McClelland, Cabinet Member for Transport, said: “The four taxi licensing zones are a legacy from before we turned into a
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cross border, drivers work in an area they know and understand. “It could cause customers to be overcharged as drivers wouldn’t know their way around the area.” Wiltshire Council require two annual inspections for hackney carriages which are
unitary council in 2009, and while these zones have worked well in the past, the proposed single zone will give taxi drivers more opportunities to operate throughout the county and enable us to develop our work- shops to support other services. “This proposed change will also help reduce carbon emissions, as taxis will be able to have fewer journeys with- out passengers. “We recognise that some taxi opera- tors may be concerned that more vehicles in an area may cause an oversupply of taxis and in turn a reduction in passengers, but we feel this competition will settle down based on the supply and demand. “However, it’s really important that we receive all feedback on these proposals and what they may mean for taxi operators, so that we can make an informed decision.” However, a Salisbury taxi company owner is “very much against” Wiltshire Council’s proposed licensing changes, saying that “it won’t be beneficial to drivers” to work cross borders. Gary Taylor, owner of All The Sevens, is concerned about how much knowledge of the county his drivers will be expected to know and the potential impact it could have on customers. He said: “In my 17 years of taxi driving I’ve never known anyone want to go
currently carried out in either Salisbury, Devizes, Trowbridge, or Chippenham. Part of the proposal will centralise all vehicle inspections in Devizes which is a big concern for Gary and his drivers.
He said: “Everyone, like us, in the south would have to use three hours of their working day to take a 50-mile round trip, costing £10-15 in fuel, to do an inspection which is being done weekly in Salisbury.” Wiltshire Council say the proposals would be environmentally beneficial and reduce carbon emissions as there would be fewer passenger-less journeys. Taking into account the biannual trip to Devizes, Gary is sceptical that the changes will be more eco-friendly. He added: “Wiltshire Council need to track taxis to see if it actually would be environmentally beneficial.” Cllr Mark McClelland, cabinet member for transport, said: “We are really pleased that taxi operators are engaging with this consultation and will be carefully considering all the responses and views expressed.” All taxi drivers and anyone with an interest in the industry can take part in Wiltshire Council’s consultation and express their views before the closing date of 10 June by visiting:
https://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/licences- permits-transport
JUNE 2022
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