JANUARY 2009
PRIVATE HIRE AND TAXI MONTHLY
COUNCILS DURHAM:
CABBIES WILL BE CONSULTED OVER PLANS
Taxi drivers are con- cerned that a council may ignore their views on its proposals for a shake-up of licensing. Durham County Council will consult the county’s 2,500 hackney carriage drivers about its plans to harmonise licensing arrangements in the seven districts when it takes over as unitary authority in April. Each district has its own policies on fares, conditions, and the colour and age of vehi- cles. The council’s proposals include mak- ing the county one licensing area, insisting on white vehicles, and a London-style knowl- edge test.
The council’s cabinet
was told that the rules would be phased in from next year until 2012 and would initially apply to new licence holders.
Councillor Bob Young, cabinet member for environment, said: “We are looking to har- monise standards to provide a better service for everyone. “We have drawn up this draft policy which we want to circulate as widely as possible to get the views of local people and the taxi trade before any deci- sions are made on a range of options. “These include retaining the seven taxi zones, retaining the seven zones after next April,
but for a limited period, limiting the number of taxis in the zones, and having a single taxi licensing zone. “We will take on board the views and opinions we receive and use them to help us come to a decision.”
But Steven Pratt, secre- tary of the NPHA affiliated Durham Inde- pendent Taxi Association, told the Northern Echo: “We think it’s already been decided. We are up against the time factor. There are 16 weeks until the new council begins and there isn’t enough time to invite us to meetings, collate our views and consider them.”
DERBYSHIRE DALES: TAXIS POSING SAFETY THREAT
Taxis are causing a “serious health and safety risk” in a Dales town, according to a report commissioned by council chiefs. The video survey was part of a 50-page report, commissioned by Derbyshire Dales District Council. It calls for stricter regulations and better communica- tion between drivers and authorities.
The report, by Mouchel consultants, states: “Taxis were witnessed frequently driving
straight through the bus station as as a shortcut causing a serious health and safety risk.” The report also identi- fied safety risks at the Olde Englishe Road taxi rank. It said that too many drivers made three-point-turns in the confined space.
And it added the dis- trict council’s policy of allowing drivers from other areas to serve the Dales was causing conflict with local driv- ers.
Driver Brian Masters,
from Matlock Taxis, agreed. He told the Derbyshire Times: “The local companies can’t do anything since they started issuing licences to Derby drivers who don’t know the area.” Council chief executive David Wheatcroft sup- ported the report’s recommendations. He said drivers should be offered training.
The partnership and regeneration policy committee will decide in Ferbuary whether to back the proposals.
SHROPSHIRE: FEARS LICENCE POLICY COULD HIT DRIVERS
The livelihoods of almost 1,000 Shropshire taxi and private hire driv- ers could be at risk from the proposed licensing policy of the new unitary council, industry bosses have warned.
The council will need to have three major poli- cies in place by April when it takes on the role of licensing authority and one of these relates to taxi and private hire. It covers such issues as operator licences, med- icals, the age of vehicles, and wheelchair accessibility.
But drivers and opera- tors said they had only
been given a few days to consider a draft doc- ument.
Mark Higgins, of the Oswestry Taxi Drivers’ Association, said it could impact on the livelihoods of almost 1,000 county drivers. All new applicants would need to pass a geo- graphical knowledge test and there would be only two garages at which MoTs could be carried out. Taxis and private hire vehicles would also have to be less than ten years old. Mr Higgins told the implementation execu- tive that a “stringent”
medical examination was proposed, far in excess of what was required. The cost of the examination would be more than £100 and would have to be undertaken annually if the driver was over 60. He warned: “These con- ditions will cause greater cost to operators, driv- ers and the licensing authority and will stifle trade and restrict entry into the trade.”
According to the Shropshire Star, Coun- cillors agreed that that a revised policy should be presented at the next executive meeting.
Taxi drivers in Slough claim they are being targeted with unfair regulations enforced by the council.
Members of the Hack- ney Carriage Association claim that they are being forced to purchase expensive purpose-built black cabs while other drivers are given the choice to use saloon cars.
The drivers reacted to the decision made by councillors that fleets remain unchanged and that new vehicles pur- chased be less than five years old.
Association chairman Latif Khan told the Slough Midweek: “The council is using a two- tier system that favours one group of drivers
21
SLOUGH: CABBIES CLAIM ‘UNFAIR’ DEAL
over another. We are being put at a huge dis- advantage because black cabs are a lot more expensive than saloon cars. Why should other compa- nies be allowed a mixed fleet while we may only have black cabs?” Cllr Fiza Matloob, licensing committee chairman for Slough Borough Council, said the Department for Transport was currently holding a nationwide consultation exercise to decide whether fleets should be mixed or not. He added: “Hackney Association drivers are not at a disadvantage because once they pur- chase the black cab it can be used for an indefinite period as
DERBY: TAXI APPEALS TO SPEED UP
The appeal process for taxi drivers could be speeded up under changes to Derby City Council’s licensing pro- cedures.
The Derby Evening Telegraph reports that Councillors will consid- er giving officers the
power to deal with more appeals from drivers without the need to go to committee.
The taxi licensing and appeals committee cur- rently decides if drivers should lose their licences for breaching conditions.
The committee meets every three weeks to hear appeals.
Having simpler cases decided by officers would cut the amount of time that drivers have to wait to hear the outcome of appeals.
TANDRIDGE: CABBIES FACING ‘KNOWLEDGE’ TEST
A council is cracking down on the licensing of taxi drivers, targeting illegal immigrants by insisting on passport checks for all new applicants.
And, for the first time, the driving skills of applicants applying to work in Tandridge will be put to the test. They will be ques- tioned in more detail about their knowledge of the area, and their doctors will be asked to certify they are fit to drive a private hire vehicle.
The new guidelines for the proprietors and drivers of hackney carriages and private hire vehicles have been drawn up to come into force early next year, and were approved at a meeting of Tandridge District
Council’s community services committee. Dennis Windsor, Tan- dridge District Council’s services manager, told the Sur- rey Mirror: “Come the new year it should be harder for people to get a licence. We are concerned with pro- tecting passenger safety and believe that these measures are necessary.
He said applicants wanting to drive a hackney carriage or private hire vehicle would face more questions in their “knowledge” test and now need to get a higher percentage of questions right to get their licence. Full disclosure of driv- ing history will also now be required from the DVLA, and appli-
cants’ driving will be assessed by the Driv- ing Standards Agency, the first time the quality of a dri- ver’s driving has had to be assessed. Councillor Elizabeth Parker, Oxted South, said: “This should go a long way to preventing the unlicensed taxi trade.”
Not every private hire and hackney carriage company was aware of the proposed changes however. Trevor Nott, managing director of NPHA member Catax Cars, in Station Road, Whyteleafe, said: “I wasn’t consulted, which is a bit surpris- ing as we’re one of the largest companies in the area.
“But what is proposed seems to be fair.”
long as it passes a Cer- tificate of Compliance every six months when reaching 14 years. “In contrast, saloon cars can only be licensed to a maximum of nine years from the date of first registration.” Drivers from the associ- ation have been at loggerheads with the council all year after their rank was moved from the High Street to Church Street causing them to complain that they did not have enough space and were hidden from the public.
Mmm...this is an update of the item we ran in last month’s PHTM. One senses legal pro- ceedings on the cards again! - Ed
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