Taxi Driver Online

‘Too many of us on the road makes it difficult to make a living’ says town taxi driver





A BARRY taxi driver has claimed that making a living is becoming more difficult – because the Vale Council is licensing too many drivers and taxis on local roads.

Stan Harkus, who runs Street Cars, told The GEM: “There are too many taxis and drivers in the Vale now, and there isn’t enough work.

“I’ve known occasions recently when I’ve waited on a taxi rank for an hour and a quarter, only to pick up a fare that’s in the town centre and worth £2.60.

“There are a number of places where you can see queues and queues of taxis – Holton Road, Friday and Saturday nights at Market Street, and on the Island.

“There have got to be more than 300 drivers in the Vale and it’s too many – it could be even more.

“What it means is that it is becoming more and more difficult to make a living and I’ve heard of some guys who are thinking of jacking it in.

“Part of the problem is that when some people are made redundant, they decide to have a go at being a taxi driver, and the numbers go up. I think that its time for the Vale Council to stop licensing any more taxis and drivers, and let natural wastage reduce numbers.”

Mr Harkus added that the council also had to speed up its ‘taxi check’ operation at the Alps, so that drivers didn’t lose vital income: “My wife recently booked her vehicle in for its six-monthly check, and they couldn’t see it for a week.

“That means a loss of wages for a week while you’re still paying running costs, such as insurance.

“I can understand a wait for a couple of days, but to have to wait a week is excessive.”

The Vale Council told The GEM it had 404 licensed drivers, 114 licensed hackney carriages and 206 licensed private hire vehicles.

Kate Thompson, an operational manager with the Vale Council, said: “The council does not have a policy limiting the number of licensed drivers or hackney carriage vehicles operating within its area.

“The council is unaware of a lawful mechanism to impose such a limit and each application must be treated on its merits.

“In guidance issued in October, 2006, the Department for Transport stated that best practice was not to limit the number of hackney carriages.

“While it is not appropriate for the licensing authority to comment on individual cases, there are systems in place to ensure proprietors have sufficient time to book and test their vehicles; and they are issued with renewal reminders six weeks prior to the expiry of the vehicle licence.

“Vehicles can be tested up to 10 working days before the expiry date and the booking of the test can be made at any time before this period.
“Proprietors are encouraged not to leave booking their vehicles for testing until the last minute.”

She added: “The council is continually looking to improve the services provided to customers and will be looking into this process to identify whether any further improvements can be made.”

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