COUNCILS NEWPORT:
Trainee taxi drivers were to learn whether English and numeracy tests required before they apply for a driver licence are set to get more difficult.
COUNCIL LOOK AGAIN AT TAXI DRIVERS’ TEST be improved.
The basic exams were implemented five years ago by Newport city council following complaints from the public. But the tests will be reviewed by the authority’s licensing committee to see if taxi drivers’ basic lan- guage skills need to
Councillors requested the review at a licens- ing committee meeting last month, and asked that sample papers be brought to the meeting to ensure tests are still satisfac- tory five years on. The exam is split into four parts: listening and understanding the English language, replying to sentences read out by an examin- er, maths puzzles and matching road names
to map grid references. Councillors will be able to request any amendments they feel are necessary to keep standards high.
Chairman of Newport Drivers’ Association Lionel Morris told the South Wales Argus: “The tests have been good for drivers. If we really want to improve the relationships with our customers, we need to be able to con- verse and understand each other clearly.”
NORTHUMBERLAND: CONSULTATION ON TAXI POLICY
A formal consultation has been launched on a policy that will define how applications for hackney carriage licences are dealt with by the new Northum- berland County Council (NCC).
The policy has been developed in response to a recent High Court case involving New- castle City Council and the former Berwick- upon-Tweed BC. Mr Christopher Symons QC ruled that a licensing authority must ‘have regard’ to
whether the applicant intends to use the taxi within the area where it is licensed, or whether they intend to use it either entirely or pre- dominantly for private hire outside the area. Cllr Edward Heslop, chairman of the licens- ing and regulatory committee at NCC, told the News Post Leader: “The intention of this policy is to set out a fair and transpar- ent way of dealing with new licence applica- tions and applications for renewal. We now
PRESTON: ‘ROGUE DRIVERS’ TIP-OFF BACKFIRES
A campaign by hack- ney carriage drivers to root out rogue private hire drivers backfired - and landed a dozen hackney drivers in hot water.
Council bosses car- ried out a two-night clampdown on PHVs after a tip-off from with- in the hackney trade that private hire drivers were illegally plying. But when licensing chiefs took to the streets and checked the two areas highlight- ed, they found no private hire drivers breaking the rules. Instead, they caught a
dozen hackney drivers illegally parked at the same locations, which are not designated ranks, and they were all given five penalty points.
Mick Rooney, who runs private hire firm Ribbleton Taxis, told the Lancashire Evening News: “Half a dozen new unofficial ranks have appeared. It’s been going on for years but it’s only now all the work’s disap- peared, everybody’s scraping to make a living.”
Mark Selley, secretary of the Preston Hackney
OCTOBER 2009 PHTM
Carriage Association, said: “When times are hard as they are, it’s annoying for hackney drivers to see private hire drivers taking their work. But the by- laws are quite clear: if a rank is full, you must proceed to an avail- able rank. “We can’t expect the council to apply the rules to the private hire trade and turn a blind eye to us. But it really puts the emphasis back on the council for the need to push ahead with some of those new ranks we’ve identified.”
Screen Signs Airport Board Messenger
welcome comments from anyone affected.” All comments received will be considered by the licensing and reg- ulatory committee and will help it to agree the final policy, which the council aims to con- sider on November 4. Residents can view the draft policy and obtain a consultation response form from the website
www.-
northumberland.
gov.uk or by phoning 0845 600 6400. All responses must be received by 10 October.
A1 11 A2 18 / 24 / 36 A3 18 / 24 / 36
CORK: TAXI UNION HITS OUT AT 'TAXI BANDITS'
The Cork representa- tive of the Irish Taxi Federation has hit out against what he called “bogus taxi bandits” operating in the city. Derry Coughlan said the deregulation of the taxi service has led to illegal operators pur-
chasing roof sign taxi licences in Dublin. “It is very easy to put a sign on a car and pose as a licensed taxi driv- er,” Mr Coughlan told the Cork Independent. He said a number of registered taxi drivers have claimed that their
signs have been stolen recently. “Apart from the health and safety threat to taxi service users, these operators are giving our trade a bad name.” He also said that inflat- ed prices were damaging business.
NEATH PORT TALBOT: CABBIES’ ANGER OVER TAXI LOOPHOLE
Taxis deemed not fit to be on the road are still ferrying passengers around because of a loophole in the law, it has been claimed. Cabbies are angry about the threat to their livelihoods posed by cross-border taxis operating in Neath. They claim a company in the town is getting cars licensed by a neighbouring authority
which has less strin- gent safety demands. Neath Port Talbot Pro- prietors’ Association secretary Bob Hoyles said the company was having cars licensed in Powys, which charged cheaper fees. “These cars are not good enough to be licensed in Neath, so the owners take them over the border where it is less stringent,” he
told the South Wales Evening Post.
Mr Hoyles said propri- etors wanted the council to take action. However, licensing offi- cer Jim Sullivan said the company was enti- tled to register a hackney carriage else- where and use it as a PHV in Neath. “I am cer- tainly not happy about it but that is the legal situation,” he added.
TAXI SHOP A5 10 B5 10 A6 18 / 19
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