...COUNCILS SWANSEA:
NEW BADGES MAKE IDENTIFYING DRIVERS EASIER
Swansea Council has launched a new dual ID badge scheme for taxi drivers in the city and county.
The authority is in the process of issuing all licensed taxi drivers with new ID badges after it agreed to change the application process in April this year.
The new scheme will make it easier for pas- sengers to check the person driving them is properly licensed to carry passengers. In Swansea, there are
approximately 1,150 licensed taxi drivers and around 120 drive both private hire and hackney vehicles and under the old scheme needed a licence for both types of transport. The new scheme will also make the applica- tion process easier for drivers who drive both hackney and private hire vehicles. Lynda Anthony, divi- sional licensing officer for Swansea Council, told the South Wales Evening Post: “Identifi- cation badges are a
way passengers can be sure they are being driven by a properly licensed driver. The new badges are big- ger and easier for passengers to check. “We consulted with the taxi drivers before the changes and the majority agreed with the new plans.”
The council is now in the process of replac- ing the existing ID badges.
She added: “Passen- gers may still see the older ID badges dis- played for some time.”
CALDERDALE: HALIFAX DRIVERS WON’T CARRY TAKEAWAYS
For years, taxis have delivered meals at dis- count rates in return for the custom from those who eat out at curry houses.
But drivers have now been frightened off by the fear of legal action. The council has told taxi firms delivering food they must have insurance and stick to health and safety rules. Saghir Hussain, of Ziggy’s, in Carlton Street, Halifax, said he was stunned at the council intervention. He said the arrange- ment had worked fine since 1982 and the issue had not been raised elsewhere. But Sultan Hussain, general secretary of Calderdale Private Hire Association, said the implications of car- rying food had been made known and driv- ers didn’t want to put themselves at risk. If taxis continued delivering food, many would face higher insurance.
He said the growth of the “compensation culture” had forced the issue and taxis
were inappropriate for transporting food. “What if a taxi driver gets lost and the food goes cold and some- one gets food pois- oning? Who are they going to sue?” he said. “Food has seri- ous implications now with the claims culture and this could be a national issue.”
Calderdale registra- tion and licensing managing Sarah Richardson told the Halifax Courier: “Pri- vate hire drivers expressed concerns about being asked to deliver takeaways and asked the council to prohibit the practice. “We could not take this action as it does not contravene licens- ing conditions.
“Letters sent out con- firmed this, but noted that drivers would need to be properly insured for these deliv- eries.”
Mmmm… The Associ- ation was approached about this issue, and we made some enquiries of a couple of insurance brokers. It’s all down to the
NOVEMBER 2011 PHTM
wording on the policy; the sample policy doc- ument we were shown said “insured for car- riage of passengers for hire and reward in a private hire vehicle”. We were told that if the policy had said “insured for carriage of passengers and goods for hire and reward…”, this would cover the driver for the carriage of food. The other alternative, ac- cording to one of our regional NPHA repre- sentatives, is to carry Goods in Transit insur- ance. Of course there is an additional premi- um for this bolt-on product, but if a PHV driver or circuit does this type of work regu- larly, they’ll have to be covered in one of these two ways. How- ever, this whole issue then raises the ques- tion about luggage: If a passenger wants to go to the airport with three suitcases, are they not covered by his hire and reward insurance? What’s the difference between a suitcase and a pizza? – Ed.
STAFFORDSHIRE: SCHOOL TAXI DEAL AGREED
Almost £500,000 has been wiped off the cost of sending pupils to school by taxi after a local authority nego- tiated savings on transport contracts. Many families of spe- cial needs youngsters across Staffordshire rely on these taxis on a daily basis, so their children can get to and from special
schools. Around £7m is spent each year on these services.
According to the Stoke on Trent Sen- tinel, Staffordshire County Council has made the savings by awarding longer term contracts to taxi firms, which cover five years instead of just 12 months. In return for the guaranteed busi-
ness, firms have agreed to charge less money. They will also be able to invest in new vehicles.
Councillor Mike Mary- on, cabinet member for highways and transport said: “Pupils can get used to see- ing the same familiar faces and have greater continuity of service.”
SOUTH RIBBLE: DRIVING UP TAXI STANDARDS
Licensing bosses in South Ribble are set to make roadworthiness tests for taxis tougher. According to the Lan- cashire Evening Post, South Ribble Council wants to introduce a more rigorous exami- nation for hackney carriages and private hire vehicles in the borough.
Licensing officers have advised council- lors that new tests, examining more areas of the cars rather than
focusing on the age of the vehicle, should help drive up stan- dards on the roads. A new report says: “The proposed Road- worthiness Certificate (RWC) has been improved to test more areas. The new testing standards would be more in depth and in keeping with similar testing standards used across other bor- oughs in Lancashire and indeed nationally. “The proposed RWC
would test more parts of the vehicle and be more specific on what was tested.
“It is expected that the new RWC will improve the quality of all licensed vehicles, so the age of the vehicle becomes less relevant as a method by which limiting criteria are set.” The general licensing committee was to vote on the plan on Tues- day October 11. VOSA will need to approve changes.
BRAINTREE: NEW TAXI DRIVER TEST ‘MUCH TOO HARD’
Taxi drivers claim a new knowledge test they must pass before working is too hard and causing cab com- panies chaos.
Braintree Council introduced the 60 question multiple choice test, but it is believed only one applicant out of thir- teen has passed since June.
Eric Bailey, managing director of Yelo Taxis, said he had to turn 50 jobs away on a recent Saturday because he was still waiting for four drivers to pass the test.
He told the Colchester Daily Gazette: “If we can’t get drivers through within the next three to four weeks, there will be a short- age at Christmas. “There will be drink- driving and vulnerable people and young women who can’t get taxis.
“It will be a serious problem. It should be a serious concern for the council. In princi- ple, I am in favour of the test, but I think the threshold is too high.” Owner of Cars4U, John Ahmed added: “The test is difficult. It
is something that needs to be looked at again.”
Braintree Council said at the time the test was introduced that there had been a “relatively small” number of com- plaints regarding drivers’ lack of district knowledge, over- charging and driving styles.
The council said it hoped to improve the standard of service provided by taxis and PHVs by introducing the test.
It costs £16 per driver and costs the council £2,000.
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