Taxi Driver Online

Milton Keynes currently limits plates but anyone with a wav under 6 years can get a plate.

currently around 300 which consists of 78 car plates which are limited & the rest wav plates which are not limited

my question is why would anyone purchase a car plate on its own for 15-20K when you can purchase a 5 year old wav e.g Peugeot partner for around 10k?
people always selling already licensed wavs but not many interest but soon as someone sells a car plate many rush over trying to buy?

also have seen this other parts of the country also. Why pay thousands for a plate when you can get a free plate and also have the benefit of doing extra wheelchair work?

I think most people, including me, would much rather drive a saloon than a WAV.

I also think most customers would much rather ride a saloon than a WAV.

Also you have to take into account the ongoing replacement costs.

To replace a saloon could cost as low as £15,000 for a new saloon, whereas the costs of new WAVs are double, treble, or quadruple that.

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IDFIMH

Yes but now days most councils including ours Allows any vehicle as long as its adaptable to carry a wheelchair e.g. Peugeot partner, Citroen Berlingo , Vw Kudos/ Caddy, etc. which are not that expensive even probably cheaper to buy and run than any car but like I said then you have the extra benefit of doing wheelchair work which is a extra bonus but in a car you cant and have to miss out fares as you cant carry a wheelchair.

Anyone trying to get a new small WAV in the near future is going to be out of luck.

The manufacturer are putting their resources into normal family cars. Usually electric.

Even the larger WAV options are going to be reduced to the £60-80,000 electric versions.

Anyone who is thinking about buying a plate that has a WAV restriction and will need a new car soon, had best ring The Taxi Centre or Cab Direct to understand how big a mistake that will be.

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IDFIMH

I ran a wav for 15 years in all that time I only once got a wheelchair job off the rank/flag down

The only time it is worth running a wav is if you've got a nice big juicy contract for it

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

Yes I understand but Fair enough a few grand for a car plate then run a car but 15-20k is a big price to pay to run a car when basically their is not a limit on plates.

Does anyone know of other areas around the country where car plates are limited & wav is free?
would like to get more information on how much other areas are paying for their car plates?

or what other peoples opinions are on Either buy a car plate for 15-20k or buy a wav ?

In most cases, the WAV isnt just a WAV, its a 7/8 seater, opening up a different range of work that saloons cannot do (and 8 seater jobs are probably far more frequent than wheelchair jobs)_

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

Every area is different.

But the question anyone must consider when licensing a free WAV plate, as opposed to a £10/20/30,000 saloon plate is replacement costs. And the replacement costs are significantly more for a WAV, be they big or small, than a saloon.

If it was a choice between getting a free WAV plate over a £15,000 saloon plate, then for me the saloon plate wins every time.

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IDFIMH

What if their was same lower age limit for both Car or wheelchair (6 Years) but wheelchair had 14 years upper limit & car only had 10 years?

Yes you are correct many times have been waiting behind a car & 5+ people turn up or people with alot of luggage so the car has missed out a potential fare.

Sussex will get out his abacus tonight and give you the precise plate values

Seriously, though, these things are impossible to quantify, and it depends on the precise spec and numbers regulation in a particular council area.

But, generally speaking, restricted saloon plates always have a value where WAV plates are unlimited.

Or saloon plates will command a higher price than WAV plates if both are limited in number.

The precise values will depend on the precise vehicle numbers and vehicle spec in each authority.

And, in extreme cases, the basic rules of thumb might not apply.

For example, imagine an area where both saloon and WAV plates are restricted. But no age rules for WAVs, but saloon HCs require a brand new £100k EV, which has to be replaced after three years

Chances are, very few if anyone would want a saloon HC plate, therefore they'd be worthless.

Of course, in reality things aren't like that, and the basic rules of thumb apply.

And, as well as vehicle spec and restricted numbers, the values depend on driver attitudes. For example, Rashid seems to see WAV work as an opportunity, while I suspect many drivers pay a premium for saloon plates over WAVs to actually avoid wheelchair work

Likewise, many drivers see a WAV as an opportunity to carry more passengers, while one reason I avoid an eight-seater is the thought of eight pished up passengers in the back

But I wouldn't overthink these things. You seem to know the plate values in your local area, so whether you're willing to pay the price depends on your own personal preferences and dislikes.

I wouldn't waste time trying to work out the whys and the wherefores of how the different plates are worth what they are. It's just a rabbit hole that there's no real exit from

And I suspect many old dears have walked past your cab and got in the saloon behind.

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IDFIMH