Taxi Driver Online

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

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IDFIMH

Taxi drivers could be banned if they clock up too many penalty points

Thursday 11th March 2010

Worcester's taxi drivers could be issued with penalty points and have their licences suspended or revoked if they commit too many offences in a year.

Worcester City Council is seeking to introduce a new penalty points system – similar to the DVLA licence scheme – in a bid to raise standards in the trade. Offences range from overcharging customers to failing to wear a driver’s badge.

Drivers will not be fined but they could be issued with between two and eight penalty points, depending on the nature of each offence or breach of licence.

If a taxi driver notches up 20 or more points within a year, the council will have the power to bring that person before its licensing sub committee for a review that could result in a suspension or removal of licence.

Suspended taxi drivers could also be made to take the ‘knowledge test’ again.

A decision on whether to introduce the system, which has had the input of the Worcester Taxi Drivers’ Association and West Mercia Police, will be made at next week’s licensing committee meeting.

Taraq Mahmood, chairman of Worcester Taxi Drivers’ Association, said while the proposals shocked some people at first a meeting held to explain how the system would work allayed drivers’ fears.

“It’s a good idea,” he said. “Both the association and the council want to raise the standards of the taxi trade in Worcester.”

A recent taxi enforcement exercise carried out on 18 vehicles operating in Worcester on Friday, February 12 resulted in one immediate and five delayed prohibition notices being issued.

Currently, drivers who breach conditions or commit offences are either hauled before a licensing sub committee or sent to court.

Worcester City Council’s environmental health manager, Martin Gillies, who is responsibile for taxi licensing, said that response can be “like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut” as many cases can be for minor issues.

He said giving officers powers to issue on-the-spot penalty points will free up more of their time because they will not have to keep preparing reports on each case.

He said it should also help to tackle ongoing problems, such as overcrowding taxi ranks.

Councillor Paul Denham chaired the working party - made up of councillors, licensing officers, and members from the Worcester Taxi Drivers’ Association - which drew up an 11-page list of how many penalty points will be issued for each offence or breach of licence.

Coun Denham said while the majority of Worcester’s 380 taxi drivers, which operate a fleet of about 220 vehicles, do a good job this will help tackle the troublesome minority.

“If this is going to work properly I am very keen to see officers out there on the streets enforcing,” he said. “You can have as many penalty point systems as you like but if there’s not a sufficient number to ensure a reasonable level of compliance then the whole thing will collapse.”

While the system would not involve additional enforcement by the police, Inspector Jan Heritage, head of local policing in Worcester, said: “All parties are committed to providing a quality service to the travelling public.”

Source; worcesternews.co.uk

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Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

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I think that many councils, having realised that de-restriction was a big mistake, are now looking for ways to cull the numbers.

What I don't think they realise is that once they have issued the HCVL it will always be there for someone to drive.

As they say in Somerset . . . . TORRRRRSSSSSSSSSEEEEEERRRRRSSSSS!!!

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Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

Type a message, post your news,
Disagree with other members' views;
But please, do have some decorum,
When debating on the TDO Forum.

Perhaps providing more ranks may be an alternative to this problem. Not as cheap granted but definately an alternative

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

Reading this I cannot for the life of me understand the local associations position, officers moaning about paperwork involved in licensing hearings?

Ffs that suggests the points added will not be appealable.

I think the local association will change it's mind when it's too late

CC

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

Cabby points scheme gets green light

6:00am Thursday 18th March 2010

A penalty points scheme that could result in Worcester’s taxi drivers having their licences suspended or revoked if they commit too many offences in a year has been approved.

Worcester City Council’s licensing committee unanimously agreed to introduce the system in a bid to raise standards in the trade.

Offences range from overcharging customers, having too many taxis in a rank, or even failing to wear a driver’s badge.

We previously reported in your Worcester News how drivers will not be fined but they could be issued with between two and eight penalty points, depending on the nature of each offence or breach of licence.

If a taxi driver notches up 20 or more points within a year, the council will have the power to bring that person before its licensing sub committee for a review that could result in a suspension or removal of licence.

At the meeting Councillor Alan Amos questionned whether issuing points to a driver would be enough of a deterrent.

“Some of these offences are criminal,” he said.

But licensing officer Carl Phillips said any driver caught committing a serious offence such as drink-driving would also be brought before the committee.

Councillor Paul Denham, who chaired the working party which agreed the points for each offence, added the points system will be used in addition to exisiting powers which allow members to call drivers before a sub committee or take a person to court.

The system has the support of Worcester Taxi Drivers’ Association and West Mercia Police.

Source; http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/506 ... een_light/

_________________
Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

Type a message, post your news,
Disagree with other members' views;
But please, do have some decorum,
When debating on the TDO Forum.

This is like a LA's version of the naughty step for 2 year olds ffs. Will they be issuing brownie points for the good boys and girls Surely the LO's could just keep a record of complaints etc and then if they become concerned about a drivers behaviour or adherence to regulations they can simply call him/her in for a discussion to sort it out

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

Taxi penalty points ‘too lenient’



A NEW penalty points scheme designed to keep a check on the city’s taxis may not be enough of a deterrent to drivers breaking the law a city councillor has warned.

Warndon councillor Alan Amos fears drivers could run up a string of offences and still remain on the road because the number of points needed for a driver to be punished is too high.

Under the scheme, which is similar to getting points on a normal driving licence, taxi drivers will be punished for offences ranging from refusing to pick up a fare, to taking passengers the long way round on a scale of between two and six points.

Fines would not be issued but once an individual reaches 20 penalty points over a rolling 12-month period they could be called in front of Worcester City Council’s licensing committee where they could lose their license.

During a meeting of the committee on Tuesday night (March 16) Coun Amos said he was worried drivers could clock up three six point offences, and still carry on driving because they would not have reached the 20 point limit.

“We have to remember that these are criminal activities and are very serious,” he added. “By giving chances like this we have taken the deterrent away. We still have the power to prosecute drivers over these sort of offences so I hope we will do that.”

Licensing officer Carl Baker eased Coun Amos fears by insisting the council would continue to prosecute drivers and had the power to call them in front of the committee whenever they wished even if a driver had not reached 20 points.

“If you look at the points tariff you will see drink driving is only worth two points. Now obviously this is a very serious offence and we would certainly pull a driver in on it,” he added.

The committee unanimously approved the scheme which is now set to be implemented by the end of April.

http://www.worcesterstandard.co.uk/news175471.html

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

2 points for drink driving,there having a

I may have stated this before, but I think these schemes are legally dubious, f*cking idiots, the lot of them.

CC

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

Surely if a driver is caught drink driving it will be by the police so the courts will deliver it's usual ban on driving to the driver. What is the point of this

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

AND


Think about it!!

Drink-driving?

Where does it say alcohol?

_________________
Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

Type a message, post your news,
Disagree with other members' views;
But please, do have some decorum,
When debating on the TDO Forum.

I think that the local taxi association, no . . . in fact ALL local associations, should devise a points table for wrong doing by licensing personel, licensing officers & enforcement officers & send the 'duly adopted by the taxi trade' points table to the licensing committee & local newspaper.

The cab trade could then award penalty points for mis-demeanours against council licensing officials & each time it did, the trade would inform the licensing committee in writing, the relevant licensing official as a pseudo caution or warming & the local newspaper too.

Imagine the local newspaper investigate each council official every time they were awarded 'naughty points'.

You might laugh, but using such a system could back-fire terribly on the council, providing the system was not trivialised by the trade & naughty points were only awarded for glaring cock-ups.

_________________
Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

Type a message, post your news,
Disagree with other members' views;
But please, do have some decorum,
When debating on the TDO Forum.

can I send them a letter fining them for it?

I could add it to my fees

CC

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