CROSS-BORDER DEBATE
Chris Vince reply: He wants a national minimum standard by law and says councils should have the power to enforce national regulations. He also suggests that all journeys should start and / or finish within the licensed area.
NPHTA COMMENT As previously explained councils already have the power to prosecute for criminal offences. However, we do not agree that journeys should start or end within the licensed district - this is referred to as the ABBA principle and it does not work - simply because a customer may want to book a trip with their regular operator to legitimately pick them up (as it is pre- booked) from their work address to an airport, train station, hospital, or anywhere else and it cannot be assumed that the trip will start or end within the boundaries of that licensed operator.
Emily Darlington - Labour MP for Milton Keynes Central She also suggests that the Deregulation Act is to blame and implies that drivers not licensed by their own council pose a risk to female passengers late at night.
Richard Burgon - Independent MP for Leeds East Once again, we see a complete misunderstanding of taxi licensing. He refers to hackney carriage drivers when this debate is about private hire drivers, he refers to “current regulatory framework for cross-border licensing in truth that is the issue here,” there isn’t any.
He goes on to refer to “bigger operators” (which is private hire) ripping off hard working taxi drivers (which are hackney carriage). We can assume he is referring to the reduced fares that private hire drivers are being subjected to by the larger operators in their attempt to try and flood the market.
NPHTA COMMENT I echo his sentiments about how throughout Covid the industry as a whole received very little support. The trade was further undermined by the effective closing down of nighttime economy in many places, so drivers’ income was reduced to almost nothing.
Dr Zubir Ahmed - Labour MP for Glasgow South West Showed a true understanding of the situation, having declared himself to be the son of a long-standing taxi driver. He went on to discuss the important role taxi and private hire drivers play in our society and
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explained about the escalating costs associated with the industry and asked if the minister would investigate further.
Sir John Hayes - Conservative MP South Holland and The Deepings Here we see reference to the task and finish report which was commissioned by the previous govern- ment and included a nationwide consultation which resulted in thirty-four recommended changes to national legislation, only three of which were actually adopted.
Simon Lightwood – Labour MP for Wakefield It is quite worrying that the Parliamentary Under- Secretary of State for Transport appeared to be totally unaware of this report and promised to go away and have a look at it, thanking Sir John Hayes for bringing it to his attention.
His response was quite lengthy so I will endeavour to summarise it. In essence he expressed no interest in addressing the issue of predominantly remote working as he considered this to undermine avail- ability for the travelling public and increase their mileage. However, he did express an interest in effectively introducing new legislation which would provide police powers to council employees (powers to stop and powers to enforce local conditions that were set outside of their own local authority).
NPHTA CONCLUSION
Sadly, the debate was poorly researched and presented, showing how little the MPs understand our plight, the legislation, enforcement powers and route causes of the problems.
We have reached out several times to discuss, explain and assist, but are often met with auto replies or no reply at all, which leaves them to debate matters based on nothing more than rumour and misinformation.
What a crying shame that we have waited so long for this high-profile matter which has such an effect on so many to be granted time in the House, only for it to be wasted in such a manner.
Simon Lightwood MP corrected misinformed comments, but suggested National Standards, a National Licensing system and enforcement.
The question remains; is anything going to be done, or will we see as suggested, a waving of the white flag, and surrender of the whole licensing regime?
NOVEMBER 2024 PHTM
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