UNITE VIEWPOINT FIT OR PROPER...


Once again we welcome Sean Ridley of Unite with his New Year greeting:


Firstly, ‘Happy New Year’ and I


sincerely hope that it will be much better than those that have preceded it both finan- cially and also in the ‘conditions of work’ that the local trades in most areas have had to contend with of late.


As we welcome in the New Year, I look towards what is routinely expected from members of our trade by licensing authori- ties in terms of ‘fitness and propriety’; and perhaps just as important these days, the increasing raft of extra qualifications that we are expected to possess, many now that are required to be documented. It almost seems sometimes that in this age of austerity cut- backs, the cab trade in every area is expected to take up the slack for many of the “Multi Agency” failures (thought I’d use a bit of what I call local authority flannel there) or inabilities through lack of resources.


Increasingly these days, we are expected to be unpaid police officers, social workers and even in some cases pseudo babysitters. We used to be ‘charged’ with the safety of the general public – these days we seem to be routinely ‘held responsible’ for it. But then we seem as a trade to be being held respon- sible for quite a bit lately, don’t we? Things that we are told by implication that are wholly our fault, air quality for example! Did someone mention the irresponsible deci- sions, planning and otherwise, made by local authorities? – There’s a whole separate arti- cle there (and will be – watch this space)!!!


Why am I wittering on about all this, you may ask?


Well my friend, I’m glad that you asked; whilst I wholeheartedly agree with ‘fitness and propriety’ and I sometimes agree with some of the demands for extra qualifica- tions, I am extremely concerned that this appears to be a very narrow one-way street!


For example, it is ‘fit and proper’ (pardon the pun) for the cab trade to be required to be ‘fit and proper’; it is also sometimes rea- sonable for trade members to possess documented expertise, experience and qualifications in areas that are required for the day-to-day safe operation of our trade.


I have a particular problem however, with alleged training courses carried out or


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councillors in the cab trade and its work- ings? I am of course still waiting for an answer on that one – councils???


Sadly training is not the only ‘one-way street’ in town!


‘taught’ by someone who does not possess the necessary skills or has never actually carried out the associated job. It was once suggested to me as a cab driver with some- thing approaching 35 years’ experience that I might have to take a BTEC in being a cab driver. Initially I was quite excited and asked for some more information. When I asked for a résumé of the tutor’s qualifications and experience in the trade, I was told “that’s not relevant”. Being the persistent chap that I am, I tightened the question: “What expe- rience (how many years) does the instructor/tutor have in the cab trade?” After the regular ‘song and dance’ that I’ve come to expect from council officers when you pose a question that they either do not like, or do not wish to answer – I forced the reply, “Well ,they haven’t ever driven a cab!”


With this, Ladies and Gentlemen, I have a profound problem!!!


For if cab drivers are expected to certificate their skills, experience and expertise, then I believe it is reasonable to expect the person providing the instruction and responsible for the certification, to be qualified through tangible previous experience in the subject matter. Otherwise it’s a bit like a person who has never undertaken First Aid being charged with First Aid training, or a person who cannot play a musical instrument teaching music!


At this juncture, I must shamelessly plug the Unite Taxi Education School in Liverpool which provides comprehensive courses of Taxi Education provided by (and here’s the thing) – experienced members of the cab trade who boast many years of proven experience in their field and the trade – i.e. they actually do the job!!! For example, Tommy Mcintyre started in the trade in Liv- erpool some years ago with his trusted horse and hansom cab – I jest about the horse, but he does have considerable years of tangible experience in the trade!


But as I have posed in previous articles, what are the documented qualifications, experience and expertise of the officers and


I am extremely worried that in these days of increasing requirements for the cab trade to prove and what’s more retain their ‘fit and proper’ status, the people who regulate them and are responsible for making decisions regarding public safety and an individual’s ability to feed his/her family are not “regulat- ed” - and perhaps infinitely more worrying, are not required to be fit and proper?


Most readers will be aware of the, ‘Guidance on determining the suitability of applicants and licensees in the hackney and private hire trades...’ from the Institute of Licensing (if you’re now saying, who are they? – I share your confusion) who tend to use a rather large sledgehammer to crack any nut in their path. My question to the IoL and to each and every licensing councillor and licensing officer is simple: have you proved that you are indeed fit and proper? As dur- ing the investigation of various complaints against differing councils, I have been pro- vided with evidence of previous impropriety by both serving councillors and officers – the same councillors and officers who are responsible in that area for determining the fate of trade members and establishing whether they are (in their opinion) fit and proper.


Am I alone in seeing the crass hypocrisy of persons who are ‘employed’ (I use the term loosely) to establish another’s ‘propriety’ whilst they could be deemed to be not ‘fit and proper' themselves – you really couldn’t invent this, could you?


I would suggest that this is extremely alarm- ing and should indeed be enough to raise serious questions in the media.


If it isn’t bad enough, that time and again we have a group of inexperienced, unqualified, rudderless council officers in most areas wandering around in a dark room crashing into things and then not having to pay for the breakages... It now seems that they are not required to prove that they are fit and proper.


In short – Who regulates the regulators??? Drive carefully.


Article supplied by: Sean Ridley Secretary Unite the Union South East Region (Cab Section)


Sean.Ridley@unitetheunion.org JANUARY 2020


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