Taxi Driver Online

You have a vivid imagine my friend but contrary to your misguided reference, I suggested nothing of the sort.

What I did suggest is that in order for Sefton or any other authority in the same situation to be democratic, they should ask those people who presently fund "hackney carriage unmet demand surveys", if they wish to continue funding them?

The reference to pilfering license funds is by way of levying a charge on license payers which they did not vote for and then missusing licensing funds to maintain a council policy that has nothing whatsoever to do with license administration.

You are quite at Liberty to pass my comments on to any councillor at sefton. For the record they will be able to read them soon enough.

JD

I fully understand the rules, and Mr Bolton is fully entitled to ask what ever he likes, and to give the man his due at least he attends licensing meeting , but then again the council are entitled after giving full consideration to choose their own course as long as they stay within the law. by the way I notice you choose to stay firmly away from anything concerning the way Manchester licensing works, I take it that this subject is too close to home for you

You are quite at Liberty to pass my comments on to any councillor at sefton. For the record they will be able to read them soon enough..

They already have

Well that is most gratifying. Perhaps they care to come on TDO and tell us, Mr Bolton and the private hire drivers of Sefton why they levy a charge on Private drivers in order to pay for a council policy decision, which works against the people they extract over 80% of the money from?

JD

While the cost to individual PH drivers is not significant, the cost of the survey is. And that cost is readily identifiable and quantifiable, and the benefits of the survey are easily attributed solely to its primary beneficiaries - HC plate holders.

Thus I think that any local authority with any sense of fairness and decency would levy only HC plate holders, but then I suppose that given the policy of restricting numbers in the first place, fairness isn't a quality that's in abundant supply at Sefton Council.

On the other hand, no doubt many councillors are unaware of the intricacies of how the trade works and are therefore deciding these things from a position of ignorance. But I doubt if council officials can use this excuse so readily, so what's their view on it?

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Taxi Driver Online
www.taxi-driver.co.uk

I'm sure they have much better things to do with their time than to waste it on the likes of you

Did they use license funds to bail you out of jail? lol

Aren't you on record as inferring Sefton councillors are as thick as pig chit?

Or was that a reference to all councillors?

JD

Just so there is no misunderstanding as to where I have always stood on the position of councils administering the functions of Taxi and Private hire licensing, here is my response back in August 2005 to the DfT best practice consultation.

Quantity restrictions are a tool used by Local Authorities to restrict the supply of Taxis to both the public and those wishing to enter the taxi trade. Steps should be taken to remove the ability of a licensing authority to restrict numbers. There is strong justification for the removal of taxi licensing from the portfolio of local licensing authorities. A non-political body such as a national and regional administrator should administer taxi licensing and licenses should run for at least two years

There is no mistaking where I'm coming from.

Regards

JD

Of the 86 authorities that have made a decision to restrict numbers and the 12 who are listed as undecided 79 have had a survey of unmet demand of some sort or another?

At a very conservative estimate of 15 grand per survey the total cost taken from Taxi and mainly private hire license funds to undertake these surveys and maintain a councils policy of restriction, is "one million, one hundred and eighty five thousand pounds".

That's the scale being squandered on a national level but this time five years ago it would have been "two million, two hundred and fifty thousand pounds", so things have improved a little in the last few years.

Regards

JD.

Every three f***ing years.

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IDFIMH

I think you have ably demonstrated that you are the plonker my friend because if you read my post I specificaly refrained from stipulating "private hire drivers".

I intentionally stated "all private hire" Which means owners, drivers and operators, in case you don't know what "all" means?

JD.

I am fully aware of what you meant , playing with words maybe your way out , but seeing as you already know that at least one private hire company is investing over £3 million in a new call centre in Sefton, to suggest that they would simply pack up and go would be even more stupid than your original statement, mind you have you were only fantasising.

The benefits of a complete survey are that the council has a better understanding of the service of both the private Hire and hackney trade , after all it is their responsibility to provide a first class taxi service , you continue to concentrate on only one part of the survey


I think you'll find that the majority of licensing committee councils have a great many years of experience behind them, and I personally have no qualms abiding by their decisions, whether they be for or against...

Non political what rubbish,you want it political and you control them,i cant believe the naivety of some of you!
ORGANISE AGITATE EDUCATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1111

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The views expressed by this contributor do not neccesarily reflect the policys of The GMB Nationally or of the GMB London Region.