Taxi Driver Online

I'm both a keyboard whatever, liver in the real world, and a mush that fights for what I think is right, and the laws governing us need to change.

Yes I would start with section 16, but there are many other things that need sorting, cross-border hiring, drivers standands or lack of them in places, drivers safety, drivers hours, drivers earnings etc etc.

All this could be tinkered with, but we will all be dead by the time the tinkering stops.

As for national representation, well we get and have what we deserve.

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IDFIMH

Obviously the fact that some of us try to deal with the reality as opposed to fantasy is a major issue. It is actually quite sad to see people point fingers at numbers control and attempt to again make this thread go down that kind of line.

The fact is that the current legislation does actually work seems beyond the comprehension of some.

True, some of it was designed for horse drawn carriages, and true technology has surpassed certain elements. However, the fact is that parts of the legislation can be updated to take account of these changes.

Indeed, to change the law because some may feel uncomfortable about using 150 year old legislation that is proven to work in the overwhelming majority of cases, towards the unknown is sheer stupidity.

It is quite interesting that one of the key advocates for change is J. Button esq. In his book he cites the Shanks case and what the Judge stated. Which is quite laughable, as further on in the book he advises us the Judge was wrong, just like the Judge in the Gladen case was wrong and the Judge in the Wilson case was wrong. I see a pattern developing here, do you?

regards

CC

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

because I think they know what it would entail

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

On reflection I don't think I would put section 16 at the start of a Sussex revolution. Infact if I could get all the driver's safety issues and various enforcement issues sorted, it wouldn't bother me if section 16 was the last thing to be changed.

As opposed to the national trade reps who couldn't give a f*** about anything else bar keeping section 16. Quite pitiful really.

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IDFIMH

The reality is that since the late nineties the NTA has held an AGM conference every year where on most occasions someone from the DfT has been guest of honour and not once has the NTA raised the question about new legislation. You write a column in Taxi talk and not once have you campaigned for new legislation and neither have your bosom buddies tweedle dee and tweedle dum? The NTA record in campaigning for change is abysmal, unless of course it concerns quantity controls.

The NTA has set its marker and we all know what it is, if they want the pointed finger to cast its shadow in a different direction then I'm sure they know what to do?



I suppose that's why we had to wait 30 years for the removal of section section 75 1 b from the 1976 act and why section 46 of the same act wasn't clarified for 28 years and why some councils still think they can exact a secondary punishment on drivers who have committed an offence and have already been punished by the courts? I suppose that's why we had to wait 130 years before we could determine that it was lawful to transfer the plates attached to our cabs? I could go on and on and on and on.

Perhaps the 1847 act should be amended to read....

"In order to demonstrate that a restriction is justified, the local licensing authority must demonstrate to a court of law that a pressing social need for such a restriction is warrented" rather than mere expediency?

I'd like to see that one pass the legal test?



In respect of the 1847 act, it is quite clear, that not some of it was designed for the horse and cart as you say,........ "but all of it".



I don't think your average cab driver wants selective parts of the legislation that only you and your associates feel the need for updating? I rather think they might want a complete overhaul of the legislation.

Perhaps youself and the NTA can turn the lights out and operate in the past for the rest of your licensed days but some of us wish to move on into the 21st century.



This again shows the backward thinking of those that have the ear of the Government department that can if it wished, effect change.?

Captain cab is saying everything is rosy in the Garden and that we should all be happy with legislation that was designed for the horse and cart some 150 years ago. His buddies Gateshead Angel and the rest of the NTA think tank probably share the same apathy. The likes of us on TDO say its not good enough! We hope you you guys out there who don't want to live in the past share the same sentiments as we do here on TDO.

Unlike the NTA etc TDO doesn't stand on ceremony and say "sod everything else", as long as we have a few restricted authorities we wont rock the Governments boat and ask for such basic things as a new cab act?

When was the last time you saw or heard of a national trade organisation come out in vehement support of new legislation? Then ask yourself when was the last time you saw the national trade bodies come out in support of restricting numbers? That will tell you exactly where these people stand.

The calibre of representative in these organisation is questionable and I have yet to come across one that can speak his own mind? More often than not there is always someone in the background pulling their strings.

These same guys lorded praise over the Transport select committee hearing into the OFT report, yet anyone who saw, heard or read the minutes of that hearing instantly recognised that the committee didn't have a clue about the Taxi trade or what the OFT report was about?

Yet these idiots representing the Taxi trade praised the idiots on the select committee and expected people like you and I to agree with them, just because they assumed they represent the whole the Taxi trade.

Its a sad state of affairs when you have representatives of the Taxi trade telling other taxi drivers that everything is rosy in Garden and that you can trust us with your future because we don't plan on changing a thing, even though that thing just happens to be 150 years out of date?

Its the same the world over guys as long as the vested interest is maintained they don't give a chit about anything else.

Regards

JD

I suppose that's why we had to wait 130 years before we could determine that it was lawful to transfer the plates


Bloody hell, I did not think you were that old, you must have a picture in the attic...

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

I used to feel 130 but now I feel 160, good job my looks belie my age?

JD

Do you also write jokes for anyone famous, there was a very interesting programme on the television last Monday, it was about Manchester and the illegal plying for hire of private hire cars, and also the massive problem of unlicensed vehicles plying for hire , as this is a local issue in your own area surely it should be non-existent, especially with a person of your knowledge and experience on hand, before you cast stones at other people you might like to take a look at yourself and ask why you do not do what you preach.

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

As long as our licensing authority have their intermittent forays into on street inspections they are quite happy to saunter along at the pedestrian pace they are accustomed to? And as long as the council doesn't change its policy the Manchester TOA, TGWU and GMBU are quite happy to let private hire pirating go undetected.

That's the top and bottom of it, but seeing as you have sat at the same table with some of our TOA T&G and GMBU members you should know this already?

JD

And some of the same people are not very happy with me because I do not share their views. but do I give a fouk.....

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

You do realise, that it isn't my house to put in order? The house belongs to the local council and it is they who the have authority to police the streets of Manchester for illegal activity under our licensing laws? I assume you do know the consequencies of taking the law into your own hands?

Considering you have an opinion on how I should put the councils house in order then Perhaps you can also tell us your proposals for remedying the situation?

JD

In Liverpool you will see some hackney drivers cherry-picking but not all, but what you won't see are unlicensed private hire vehicles working the city and you won't see them in Sefton , because the hackney and private hire drivers report what they see....

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

Trevor 95% of private hire drivers who illegally ply for hire on the streets of Manchester at night are Asian or Afro Caribbean. 90% of hackney carriage drivers who work nights in Manchester are Asian. Most of these drivers know each other or accept there is not a lot they can do about the situation.

You can report someone for picking up off the street but it is highly unlikely that such a report will be followed up. If Manchester weas really interested in combating illegal plying for hire they would have licensing officers out every weekend.

I'll give you an example, not so long ago there was a private hire driver parked on a cab rank plying for hire, a licensing officer walked right past him and was pulled by a cab driver who asked the licensing officer if he was aware that the private hire driver was sat on a taxi rank plying for hire? The licensing officer turned around and said he's probably waiting to pick up a fare? The driver told him that private hire vehicles are not allowed to stand at a taxi rank plying for hire and that it was against the law. The licensing officer was then forced to move the private hire vehicle on. That cab driver was me but it just goes to show what we are up against in Manchester when licensing officers couldn't give a f... about the law?

JD

I accept what you say and it is one of the Points that needs addressing..

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

JD. 15 or so years ago I decided to find out why I kept getting letters through the postbox from the licensing department, every time a letter arrived it either contained new rules and regulations/ conditions and always had an impact on my life. so I decided to find out how a council actually worked. and how to have a voice representing myself and other members of the trade who held the same view then.. it was a very interesting experience. The problem at the time was the fact that the only people with access to committee meetings where union members, and that the Councillors where led to believe that these people represented the views of all the members of our cab trade, Terry reminds me of some members of the Union at that time, constantly attacking the character of anyone who dared to have a Opinion that was different from theirs, it was quite understandable why nobody would sit around the table with them, after beening called liars, cheats, and every other possible derogatory reference they could think of, but this was the way they worked, it is all they know. and that is why the dinosaurs have gone...

Since then I have helped and encouraged other associations to be formed, and now we have representation from all members of both sides of the trade, at least now everybody has his chances to express their views and concerns,

Now it is obvious that we will not always agree. But on certain things we all do. and when we do they get altered, or put into place,

It would be interesting to know whether or not A driver in Manchester has the right to speak before the licensing committee, and what procedure he needs to follow to be allowed to speak, as procedures from area to area seem to be different.

It would also be interesting to know what three items regarding the laws governing both hackney and private hire, you, Sussex and TDO would like to see changed, apart from the obvious one ..mr T

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!