..COUNCILS BIRMINGHAM:
NO COATOFARMS ON CITY TAXIS
Black cabs will not be allowed to bear the City Of Birmingham coat-of-arms despite claims it would be good for the image of the city.
According to the Birm- ingham Mail, council chiefs put the block on a plan that would have seen the city crest emblazoned on cab doors because they have no control over the quality and use of the cabs.
The council’s own licensing committee has pushed for the measure to be adopt- ed and vice-chairman Bruce Lines argued that it would only bring Birmingham into line with other cities such as York and Notting- ham.
He said: “They would
be promoting the city and good for the city’s image and would show visitors that the taxi is licensed by the city council. They say they have no control over cars, but they do through the licensing system. We make sure they are safe and the drivers are trained to a high standard.”
But the council’s busi- ness management committee turned down the request - saying that as well as being privately owned vehicles, many cabs also have advertising on the doors and bon- nets which would detract from the crest. It also pointed out that many taxis have shared Solihull licences leading to confusion with the
Birmingham crest used in a neighbour- ing borough.
Ravi Johal, secretary of Birmingham-based TOA Taxis, said the decision was disap- pointing but added there were other issues to consider. He said: “I’d love to have the livery on the side of my taxi, I’m a Brummie myself and it would make me proud.
“It would make them look professional but on the other side of things the living driv- ers are making right now is not sufficient. “They make a revenue from advertisements on cab doors and that can bring in enough money to pay for their insurance and it’s needs must.”
WOLVERHAMPTON: THREEYEAR BAN THREAT FOR ILLEGALLY PLYING
Taxi drivers caught picking up fares with- out bookings or speeding could be banned from their trade for up to three years under tough measures revealed last month. Private hire compa- nies have hit out at the proposals by Wolver- hampton City Council, branding them “too excessive”.
The council currently bans any private hire driver who picks up a fare without a booking for up to six months. But under new pro- posals repeat offen- ders would be banned for three years instead of the one year at present.
The council has said 45 drivers had been prosecuted for plying for hire, having no insurance or both between September 2009 and September 2010.
ABC Countdown Cars, one of the largest taxi
operators in the city, has appealed for the council to consider a 28-day suspension instead.
Bosses are already concerned that drivers who are banned for six months lose thou- sands of pounds because of the invest- ment in their cars and the impact on their earnings.
In a consultation docu- ment the company says: “The lighter sus- pension does not undermine the seri- ousness of this offence, but sends the message that the council is fair and just in the way it deals with the private hire drivers and this particular offence.”
The proposal would also see taxi drivers unable to obtain or renew a licence if they have nine penalty points on their driving licence.
But the Wolverhamp- NOVEMBER 2010 PHTM
ton Private Hire Driv- ers’ Association has disagreed and said that someone who drives for a living is “more likely to have repeat offences” because of the amount of surveillance there is on the roads with speed cameras and police patrols. Cabbies in the city have been calling for the council to take action against drivers registered in other areas who come into the city and steal trade.
Council licensing offi- cer Andy Poulton told the Express and Star: “The council has a duty to protect the general public from harm when using hackney carriages or PHVs. In order to do this the council must ensure that all appli- cants for driver and operator licences are fit and proper per- sons.”
CALDERDALE: GREEN LIGHT FOR CABBIE ADVERTS
Taxis across Calderdale will become mobile bill- boards following the latest council licensing meeting.
Councillors on the Licensing and Regula- tory Committee agreed to allow advertising inside and outside of all hackney carriages and PHVs.
Drivers wanting to place
adverts on their cars will have to pay a £20 administration fee to the council, who will approve all adverts for the vehicles.
A report was commis- sioned by the com- mittee; after an applica- tion in March by the Hackney Carriage Taxi Owners’ Association this was extended, by
CARDIFF: FIRMS GO HEAD TO HEAD OVER BANNING OF METERS
Cardiff Council has rejected an application to ban meters in PHVs causing a rift between hackney carriages and private hire companies. The Guardian reports that the application was submitted by Mathab Khan, the chair of the hackney carriage association in Cardiff – the latest in a string of applications which private hire driv- ers feel are designed to limit their trade. Owner of private hire company Premier Cars, Tim Mahoney, said: “For the last few months I have been coming here because all I have seen is appli- cations against the private hire trade. “We try to be as pro- fessional as possible. Mr Khan should leave the private hire trade alone. It’s wasting all our time.”
Khan submitted an application to see fare meters in PHVs removed based on his belief they were charg- ing more than the council regulated fares of black and white taxis and hackney carriages. Khan, who is in charge of 387 members of the Hackney Carriage Association, said Cardiff Council should look to other cities such as London for how to run PHVs. He said: “The reason I have applied is that I have found the private
hire trade are using tariff two which is 50 per cent more than a normal tariff.
“The situation created by non-regulation of PHV fares makes it open to abuse because people need to be pro- tected. It’s confusing for people who are not sure what the meter should be on.”
But chair of the public protection committee, Ed Bridges, pointed out that PHVs are allowed to charge whatever fare they choose, and Cardiff Council cannot legally regulate the fares as this would be a restriction of trade. Objecting to the appli- cation, Gareth Owen, director of Dragon Taxis, said: “The argu- ment for keeping them is obvious – public pro- tection. At the present time to remove meters from PHVs would be taking Cardiff back into the dark ages, the pub- lic demand trans- parency and meters achieve that.
“If meters were not present in PHVs this would lead to distrust of drivers, arguments over fares and possi- bly violence towards the driver. I can see no positive reason for the driver or the public to remove meters.
“The only fair way to charge the residents and visitors to Cardiff is by a pre-programmed meter which drivers
cannot tamper with.” Councillors agreed that PHVs should be able to self-regulate their own fare prices as they are offering an independent and dif- ferent service to the hackney carriages which are licensed by the council.
Cllr Bob Smith said: “I use taxis all the time – both black and white and PHVs. I have found a difference with the hackney carriage fares usually being slightly dearer.
“There are different tar- iffs within the private hire association. It’s up to them what they charge and up to the customer whether they use them or not.” PHVs will from now on also be required to have signs on their doors alerting customers to the fact they can only be used by ‘advanced booking only’.
The public protection committee approved the small door signs proposed by private hire companies after the council decided signs were needed to show the cars must be pre-booked.
“The reasons behind the signs is to educate the public,” said Cllr Goddard.
“I think the small sign is perfectly adequate on the window for those that try to cause trouble for drivers that wont’ pick them up.”
PAGE 73
the Council, to include all PHVs.
Steve Smithies, secre- tary of the association, was at the meeting and said that they were looking for an agree- ment in principle. However, he said there was a 50/50 split between drivers who wanted the adverts and those who didn’t.
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