ROUND THE COUNCILS HARROGATE:
DRIVERS HIT OUT AT PENALTY POINTS SCHEME
Taxi drivers in the Harrogate district have hit out at “unfair” plans that could see them lose their licences if they get seven or more penalty points. According to the Stray Ferret, Harrogate Borough Council put forward the proposal for approval at a full council meeting on Wednesday 13 April in a move which it says is “reasonable” and will improve safety for passengers. But cabbies argue the policy is too severe and will result in a further loss of drivers in the district. Kevin O’Boyle, owner of Central Taxis, described the proposals as “draconian” and said it will become “far too easy” for drivers to lose their licences. He also argued cabbies are more likely to pick up points than regular road users because they spend more time on the roads. Mr O’Boyle said: “There’s a serious shortage of taxi drivers and this just isn’t going to help. “I’ve done between 2.5 million and 3 million miles, and the chances of me getting points are much greater than the average driver. If you’re driving in a strange place that you don’t know too well, it’s easy to drift over the speed limit by a couple of miles per hour.” Under the proposals, drivers would still be given the chance to argue their case and give reasons why their licence should not be revoked. Currently, the council said licences are reviewed on “an individual basis when points accumulate”. It also said there is no minimum or maximum time that licences can be revoked and that drivers can re-apply at any time.
Speaking at a recent meeting, Gareth Bentley, licensing manager at the council, said while he recognised the concerns over a reduction in drivers, this had to be balanced against the safety of passengers. He also said taxi drivers had to be treated differently to regular road users as “they are in an elevated position in terms of looking after people’s safety.” The proposals have been put forward as part of new statu- tory standards from the DfT which all councils are expected to adopt unless there are “compelling reasons” not to. However, the standards are silent on how many penalty points a taxi driver can get before their licence is revoked, and it’s up to individual councils to decide this. PHTM has been told that Harrogate Borough Council held a consultation on its seven points policy during February and March in which out of 400 drivers only 27 objections were received. PHTM was also informed that at the full council meeting on 13 April, there was no discussion held on the contentious issue of the penalty points proposal which was then passed without debate. The only topic covered was the subject of magnetic door signs.
MAY 2022
EAST SUFFOLK: CONSULTATION ON 20P TAXI FUEL SURCHARGE
Pleas for an immediate 60p surcharge on hackney carriage cab journeys in East Suffolk to tackle rising fuel costs has been rejected by councillors. According to Suffolk News, a group of nine Felixstowe cab drivers put forward a request that a 60p fuel surcharge be added to all journeys for a temporary period of 12 months, in response to the rising cost of petrol and diesel. Drivers sug- gested that would be a reasonable amount for passengers to pay for a temporary period to see them through the cur- rent cost of living crisis. Currently no fuel surcharge is levied. East Suffolk Council’s licensing committee rejected those calls at its meeting on Monday night, 11 April, citing the need for a consultation with cab drivers across the whole of the district to ascertain how many would want it. Instead, the committee voted to introduce a 20p surcharge on all journeys for a period of three months, but only after the trade has been consulted. The two-week consultation will happen this spring, with results returning in time for the committee’s next meeting in July, when it will decide whether to implement the 20p surcharge. If approved, that would then be reviewed by the committee after the three months. All hackney carriage drivers will be contacted, offering them the opportunity to comment during the two-week consultation. Concerns were also raised over whether a flat rate of 60p for all journeys regardless of length was appropriate. Information provided by the Felixstowe drivers proposing the change indicated that their fuel costs had increased by around £8-10 per day, across an average 18 jobs per day. A date for the consultation is to be announced in due course.
HULL: WEEKEND MARSHALS TO PATROL KEY RANKS
A taxi marshal scheme in Hull city centre will be extended, it has been announced. The Hull Daily Mail reports that follow- ing funding sign-off at this year’s council budget setting meeting, the scheme, which has been running for a year, will remain in place from April 1 and see taxi marshals present at Paragon Interchange, Lowgate and Alfred Gelder street ranks on Friday and Saturday nights until closing time. Marshals will be on hand to manage taxi queues and assist with getting people into taxis promptly, helping people feel safe when leaving the city centre late at night. They can also help to guide people to other amenities when required. The scheme is funded by Hull City Council and part of Safer Hull - a multi-agency partnership with Humberside Police and the office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Humberside.
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