EASTBOURNE:
ROUND THE COUNCILS ROTHERHAM:
MP URGES CONSULTATION ON TRADE
Eastbourne and Willingdon MP Caroline Ansell and a representative from Eastbourne Taxi Operators have urged the council to launch a consultation on the trade in the town. A survey by the MP has found that nearly half of Eastbourne residents who responded to the survey are waiting more than an hour for a taxi due to driver shortages. Mrs Ansell commissioned the online survey to gauge residents’ experiences of taxi use following concerns from drivers that regulations are making drivers leave the trade.
The MP is also hoping to bring the council’s licensing department and taxi drivers together to try and ensure that there are more taxis are on the borough’s roads. This has led to Mrs Ansell and the representative from the Eastbourne Taxi Operators, Jeff Defalco, to call for the launch of a new public consultation to help keep drivers in the trade. Mrs Ansell said: “I want to urge the borough council to recognise that the loss of taxi drivers is a huge blow to residents and visitors alike and it is potentially putting people in danger late at night. “There are many issues at play and I have asked the council to sit down with me and Jeff, as the taxi representative, before the next licensing committee meeting.
“But it is crucial that a new consultation is launched so that everyone can have their say on what is a good way forward that keeps people safe in the cars and allows them to be safe by actually being able to call a cab when they need one late at night or to go to a hospital appointment. “The consultation can also address another key point: to better understand the roll-out of CCTV to find a proper evidence base and impact assessment of this decision, especially when other local councils are not implementing it.” Jeff Defalco added: “Lewes Council has announced that the mandatory CCTV licence condition is returning to full public consultation, along with much-needed changes to testing to enable the trade to attract drivers and bring Lewes in line with other progressive authorities around the country. “We, the Eastbourne taxi/private hire operators, would kindly request the same be afforded to Eastbourne by the council.
PHTM JULY 2023 PLANS TO INFORM THAT CABS ARE ‘OOT’
Taxi customers will be informed when booking if the vehicle is not registered in Rotherham, under fresh plans to update the borough’s rules. Stringent regulations introduced by Rotherham MBC following the CSE scandal included mandatory CCTV and audio recording equipment. This led to an increase in drivers obtaining their licences in other areas - Wolverhampton or Rossendale being popular choices - but still operating in Rotherham. However, under the current set-up, passengers do not have to be informed if the firm they are booking uses out-of-town vehicles. Cllr Denise Lelliott, cabinet member for jobs and the local economy, said: “If you are not licensed to operate in Rotherham, you can come in so you don’t have to have things such as CCTV. “People might think they
are getting into a
Rotherham taxi when they aren’t. “This will make sure if someone gets into a taxi that isn’t licensed in Rotherham, they will know.” Meanwhile, drivers will be allowed slightly older cabs, under RMBC proposals set for public consultation. Currently, vehicles must be under five years old when the application is made but this is set to be relaxed to allow vehicles registered after August 31, 2015. This age requirement is also said to be a factor in drivers going elsewhere to get licensed. A report to RMBC’s cabinet said: “Obtaining a licence in another council area is attractive in these situations as the cost of an older vehicle is much lower than a newer one that would be required in Rotherham, and the installation of taxi cameras is also not required in many other local authority areas. “It has been suggested that a local driver can save between £2,000 and £3,000 on the cost of a vehicle by opting for a licence elsewhere.” Cllr Lelliott said: “Hopefully, this change will enable drivers to stay in the trade, and the knock-on effect will be that we don’t necessarily need to have out-of- town drivers coming in and doing it.” Another proposal is to remove the current limit of 52 hackney carriages in Rotherham — but only approve new applications where the vehicle is capable of carrying a passenger in a wheelchair. It is hoped this will address the lack of disabled access. The consultation will open in July and run for 12 weeks, including drop-in sessions and a survey.
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