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UNITE VIEWPOINT HAIR-BRAINED SCHEMES


Firstly I hope that I find you well and still existing, despite the lack of timely financial assistance for self-employed cab drivers from HM Govern- ment – which I have to say has been truly woeful!


This month I thought we’d refocus upon our de-facto ‘Gang Masters’ AKA those who I call the ‘Inexperienced Meddlers’ and visit another of their ‘hair-brained schemes’. As you know my term ‘Inexperienced Meddlers’ for local authority licensing officers and councillors does not originate from some long-harboured ‘grudge’ or even a chip on my shoulder, it is born of, and based upon, personal anecdotal evidence gained over the past 30 plus years.


The subject of wheelchair accessible vehicles is an emotive one at best and one that rou- tinely brings the local trade into conflict with the meddlers. This is regrettable as time and again the disabled community seem to end up being used as some sort of ‘political foot- ball’. I will disclose at this point that I have previously owned and driven two purpose built wheelchair accessible taxis over a peri- od of approximately ten years, so I have experience in this matter. I now drive a saloon car for reasons outlined in this article.


Many Councils are currently attempting to foist conditions upon the local trade requir- ing HCs to be wheelchair accessible by various means – some even by stealth!


The latest ‘top of the pops’ in terms of ‘Trojan Horse’ policies, is in some areas where they have a mixed fleet of purpose built cabs and saloon cars, the council introduces a condi- tion whereby any ‘saloon car’ HCV licence that is transferred upon the licensee’s retire- ment has to be attached to a WAV in order for the new licensee to re-license it.


As with all conditions of licence these have to be carefully thought out and proper consider- ation given to all of the implications and consequences, either intentional or otherwise.


These orders will produce some positive results in cities and large metropolitan urban areas, but will have a catastrophic effect in small urban, rural or semi-urban rural districts.


LET’S TAKE THE TIME TO EXAMINE WHY: • The first point is of course finance, which is closely linked with the earning potential locally. WAVs are disproportionately expen- sive to purchase and equally more expensive to maintain when compared to a


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• Most importantly here, they are subsidised. They also enjoy the benefits of economies of scale and are able to subsidise non-profit making services and in turn equipment pro- curement.


saloon car. In small districts the required earning potential does not exist in order for these vehicles to be anywhere near cost effective. It is not that the trade locally doesn’t want to purchase these vehicles or is resistant to change (both arguments rou- tinely asserted by councils), it is merely a case of profit versus loss.


• If a vehicle is disproportionately expensive without returning a substantial extra source of income to make up for this then it is financially unviable and many stories of bankruptcy have this exact blueprint.


• The next consideration is the suitability of the vehicle for the local community i.e. your customer base. Like it or not when consid- ering this, attention has to given to who will most patronise the service. If a vehicle is unsuitable for most, then it will cease to be used and your revenue will drop. However emotive this debate, the bottom line is affordability and financial return!!


• Many non metropolitan areas currently have a mixed fleet of HCs consisting mainly of saloon cars. This is by design and for good reasons. In many small districts there is a large proportion of elderly and semi- ambulant disabled passengers. Both groups express strong preference for saloon cars as they physically find it very difficult to get into WAVs, this could also be discriminatory to them.


• To further demonstrate this point, ask your- self two questions: how many people will not use large “van” type vehicles on the rank and how many people request a “low saloon” on radio circuits? QED.


• The specification of any vehicle must take into account the needs of all of the commu- nity. Clearly one size does not fit all here and from experience, sadly it never will! Vehicles have to be those best suited for the majority of the customer base other- wise clearly they will end up unused.


• Another argument frequently levelled at the trade by councils is that of the other elements of the transport system, such as buses and trains etc. and their wheelchair accessibility. How can they comply when the cab trade in certain areas can’t?


• Another point is that the real needs of the cab trade are routinely forgotten in ‘Local Transport Plans’. There is also the fact that the growth of more accessible buses in the area means that the demand for WAVs is actually declining rather than increasing!


• Clearly what we are talking about here is the provision of specialist transport through the procurement of specialist vehi- cles, but this has to be cost effective. Here’s the million dollar question: should any council expect sole-trading cab drivers to finance specialist vehicles that are not financially viable locally without subsidy, when competing forms of transport in the market are heavily subsidised??


NOW TO THE EFFECTS: In almost every small “district” anyone apply- ing for a HCV licence with an acceptable WAV will be granted one. Let’s just stop here; why if this is the case, has the amount of WAVs not increased naturally over time? Well, whilst the answer to this is obvious to most; the intellectually challenged ‘Inexperienced Meddlers’ struggle to accept that these vehi- cles are NOT financially viable in these areas!!


The natural end result will be the killing off of the saloon car hackney fleet, leading to one of two scenarios. Either small districts will end up with all WAVs or will end up with very few taxis! How could this conclusion ever be con- strued as best serving the local community?


The DfT has previously cautioned local licens- ing authorities to very carefully consider any policy which automatically rules out particu- lar types of vehicle, or prescribes only one type or a small number of types of vehicle.


Perhaps as always, the DfT is wrong or the ‘Inexperienced Meddlers’...


I know which one my money is on... Drive carefully and above all, stay well...


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


MAY 2020


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