MENTIONING MARSHALS
TELFORD PRIVATE HIRE DRIVERS REFUSE TO CO-OPERATE
Private hire drivers across Telford and Wrekin are refusing to co-operate with taxi marshals recruited to police the trade, it was revealed.
The PHV drivers are angry at a move by council chiefs to make them foot the estimat- ed £40,000 bill for the service. They also claim that the mar- shals are biased towards black cab drivers and have called on the authority to scrap the scheme altogether. Telford Private Hire Operators’ Associa- tion has outlined its stance on marshals in a letter to Telford and
Wrekin Council chief executive Victor Brownlees. Nigel Horler, writing on behalf of the associa- tion, says in the letter: “The activities of the taxi marshals are inter- fering with the lawful business activities of the private hire trade and potentially putting the public, whom they are supposed to be protecting, at risk. “It is our understand- ing that the provision of taxi marshals was undertaken as a pilot project with the benefit of external public sec- tor funding. “We suspect the fund- ing was secured from the Home Office as
part of its initiative to tackle alcohol related crime and disorder, which can arise at taxi ranks.
“However, it appears that source of funding has been exhausted and accordingly licens- ing services are now seeking to present the Licensing Committee with a number of choices, without the benefit of proper advice, which includes retaining taxi marshals and passing the cost of approximately £40,000 onto the taxi trade by increasing licensing fees.”
Mr Horler added: “Evi- dence has been put forward to this commit-
tee indicating that there is an unhealthy and unprofessional relation between the hackney carriage drivers and the taxi marshaling safety officers.”
He says the associa- tion’s members had, as a result, been instructed not to co- operate with the taxi marshals and they wanted the whole scheme scrapped. Cllr Miles Hosken, the council’s cabinet member for communi- ty protection and cohesion, told the Shropshire Star: “We have noted the con- cerns of the Private Hire Association. “As they are aware, we
PLY FOR HIRE PERMITS
BARROW, HULL and NORTHALLERTON RAILWAY STATIONS
Taxi owners/drivers are invited to apply for permits to ply for hire on the ranks at Barrow, Hull and Northallerton Railway Station Operated by First Transpennine Express.
Price – 12 months from 2nd November 2010 to 1st November 2011 - £464.13 per permit (Inc VAT) + £58.75 for additional drivers (Inc VAT)
Initial applications (without payment) should be made to the address below:
Cabfind Ltd 15 Park Street Birkenhead, CH41 1ET Tel: 0870 170 0777 Fax: 0870 170 0778
Email:
permits@cabfind.com
www.cabfind.com
A full application pack will be sent to all valid applicants
are currently in a con- sultation process on the scheme and no decision will be taken until that process is complete. This consul- tation ends shortly and the council will then share its findings with
the trade.
“After that, a report will go to the council’s Licensing Committee detailing the various options available once all the feedback from the trade has been analysed,” he added.
TAXI RANK TAXI RANK NEW shape Fiat Doblo
RELAUNCH OF HARTLEPOOL MARSHAL SCHEME
A taxi marshalling scheme has been relaunched in Hartle- pool. The project saw fully trained security staff monitoring taxi ranks outside the train station and Shades nightclub, in Church Street.
The scheme, which operates from mid- night to 5am, is backed by Hartlepool Licensees’ Association and local taxi firms. Insp Tony Green said: “It is another step towards improving Hartlepool’s nighttime
economy.”
A Hartlepool Borough Council spokeman told the Northern Echo: “We believe organised taxi ranks, controlled by taxi mar- shalling, will allow people to find a taxi easily and safely.”
WAKEFIELD BUSINESSES MAY HAVE TO PAY
FIAT DOBLO MOTION
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PAGE 30
Taxi firms and take- away bosses could be asked to put their hands in their pockets to help pay for the city’s night marshals. The marshals, which cost £60,000 a year, support the police by ensuring a constant uniformed presence in the city’s alcohol exclusion zone. Wake- field Council’s Com- munity Safety Over- view and Scrutiny Committee said it wanted to see their long-term future secured, and said
alternative sources of funding should be explored.
Their investigation found that there were many people who ben- efit from the presence of the night marshals who do not contribute to their cost, like licensees, fast food outlets and taxis. Mohammed Ramzan owns Ace Cars on Westgate.
He told the Wakefield Express: “I already do my bit by providing taxis for the Street Angel scheme, but I
would be willing to help. “The marshals are def- initely a deterrent and they certainly come a lot quicker than the police. I wouldn’t want to see Wakefield with- out them now.”
Havana owner Ashley Crecraft said: “The night marshals are an important part of the night time environ- ment and they are needed. It would be a shame to see them go but the council doesn’t have any money and neither does anyone else.”
PHTM OCTOBER 2010
STOCK FOR IMMEDIATE DELIVERY
IN
FROM ONLY
£79.58 £79.58
DEPOSIT AND ONLY
PER WEEK NO VAT
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