Taxi Driver Online

ACTION IS to be taken by Perth and Kinross Council after it discovered taxi plates have been changing hands for as much as £50,000.

The shocking revelation has come to light due to a limited number of taxi operators being allowed in Perth and Kinross, as a result of government legislation.

This has led to what has been described as a “financial market” in the buying and selling of taxi plates.

Ian Innes, head of legal services with Perth and Kinross Council, has disclosed that a taxi plate can change hands for £50,000 and renting a plate costs around £120 per week.

Due to the terms of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982, the council is required to regulate the licences of taxi operators in Perth and Kinross.

There are currently 110 taxi licences in Perth and Kinross; 70 are for Perth with 40 for the outlying country areas.

Due to the restriction of taxi licences, Mr Innes is recommending the licensing committee carries out a consultation process to allow council members to consider whether or not to retain the current system of limiting the number of taxi operator licences in Perth and Kinross.

He said, “Various issues in relation to taxis have recently come to the attention of the council’s licensing section. Perth and Kinross Council has for many years undertaken a practice of restricting the number of licences for taxi operators.

“This practice has created a financial market in the buying and selling of taxi plates, as they are known. Information suggests that currently a taxi operator plate can change hands for approximately £50,000 and if one sought to rent such a plate, the cost is around £120 per week.”

A host of local authorities in Scotland already have restrictions on taxi licences, including Fife Council, Stirling Council, West Lothian Council and Glasgow Council, where they have operated a limitation for over 20 years.

“The first issue for consideration in a consultation would be whether the current restrictions should continue at all. The consultation would inquire as to what benefits or disadvantages arise from the continuation of the restriction,” Mr Innes said.

“In the event that the outcome is that the quantity restriction can be justified in principle, there would then require to be an unmet demand survey carried out. The cost of this is expected to be around £25,000.

“It would be intended that all individual taxi and private hire operators and drivers, along with any other body who wished to make representations, be given the opportunity to submit written submissions.”

Talks have already taken place within council departments.

The matter will be discussed at a meeting of Perth and Kinross Council’s licensing committee on Wednesday

Don't wish to double post this so I'll link my reply.

http://taxi-driver.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=11454

I do apologize for the double post . But we had posted it at the same time. I agree with Dundee wav i did not think there could be enough work in Perth to justify paying 50 k

Well there isn't Tony, it's someone sensationalising again for effect, someone in the office obviously has a hidden agenda on this one.

Nice £25,000 SUD survey bill for the 110 plate-holders.

But the fact that the £50,000 plate premium has been mentioned, at a time when most of the country is pot-less, is a thing that will stick in councillor's minds.

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IDFIMH

Why do they need to have an SUD, just go for full de reg and let the plate barons suffer

Bring it on Brother

How do you know?

A taxi in a small town could be as busy as a taxi in a big city if the ratio of passengers to taxis was the same.




So what are they worth?

Oh so you're the latest one to want to follow me around the board telling me I don't know anything about anything then.

1 - Maybe but I doubt it.

2 - 50k is Brighton money, how is anyone going to pay 50k to run in a one street town, work it out, it's being listed to get all the mushes to gasp, 50k!!! how dare they.

Brighton - South coast arty cosmo trendy city

Perth - Small Scottish place minimal population


Err, hello.

People say that I'm paranoid but I only think that people are out to get me

I have a taxi in a restricted area, live next door to Perth and Kinross and worked in tax for a couple of years, so what's your interest in the P & K and taxation issues?

Err, hello yerself

Not sure what being on the south coast, being "arty cosmo and trendy" city has to do with the value of taxi plates?

Perth may be a one street town, but if it's only got one taxi?

But you ignored that principle yesterday, so if you still don't get it why are smaller towns like Halifax and Aylesbury the highest plate values in the UK, while London plates are worth nothing?

Fae Fife.. if you are issued a plate in Edinburgh and sell it within the first 12 months for 50,000 ..... considering you have paid nothing for it. what would be the capital gains liability. is it different in Scotland.

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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!

Depends on a lot of factors - you could take off any selling fees or whatever for a start. Then you get an allowace for capital gains in each year, which is about £10k.

The rate you pay may depend on your profit assessed for income tax, and there are other considerations that could be relevant, but I suspect you'd be talking £15k give or take a few grand, in a straightforward case at least..

Thank you.

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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!

Well if a one street town in Scotland is worth 50k, that makes a Brighton cab worth 4 million, get off yer box and get real, you're just another two bob wannabe trying to influence things through a website, I can't think why you came here tbh, you say you are an accountant, what possible experience or input can you offer a trade you know nothing about other than to claim the 1st 5k of allowances for a S/E person, rumbled, another parasite trying to influence things for the worse, 90% of this site is PH drivers, only one states his intention...wannabeahack, at least this guy is honest, now brush up, cos I've already educated you on something you should know that you didn't


Looks forward to the reply, won't be answereing though because all has been said, see ya at the IRS for confirmation, seems it ain't gonna be a one way street after all is it.