Taxi Driver Online

A Hackney Carriage rental firm owner has spent four years fighting against a council-run taxi scheme which he says is unfair.

Roger Clarke, chairman of the Dartford Taxi Association, has opposed the Grabbacab scheme which is overseen by Dartford Council officials.

The scheme allows revellers to pick up taxis from Market Street, Dartford, on Friday and Saturday nights.

But 63-year-old Mr Clarke, from Teesdale Drive, Dartford, says the scheme allows private taxis to ‘rank up’ and pick up unbooked clients – a practice reserved for Hackney carriages only.

Mr Clarke said: “It’s really unfair. Private taxis have to be away at their base so they can’t be seen in the street. They’re not allowed to do it.

“I can remember back to a time when in Dartford alone there were 170 Hackney vehicles and about 100 to 110 private hire vehicles, now it’s the other way round.”

Mr Clarke is speaking to officials at Kent Police, the Independent Police Complaints Commission as well as the National Private Hire Association.

The National Private Hire Association confirmed it had sent a letter to Dartford Council supporting Mr Clarke’s complaints, but had not received a response.

A spokesman for Dartford Council said: “These allegations have no foundation. Part of the problem is a misconception that it is a rank. In fact it acts as a booking office and anyone who takes a cab takes a ticket.”

The spokesman added that the council had thoroughly investigated the issue.

The Law
According to the law, private hire vehicles cannot be hailed in the street and cannot park in taxi ranks.

The only taxis which are licensed to pick up passengers in the street are Hackney Carriages.

Private hire cars must be either pre-booked or picked up from the taxi office to which they are registered.

Hackney carriages can be pre-booked, picked up from a rank or hailed in the street.

Touting is defined as encouraging someone to get into the vehicle – be that as the driver of the taxi, or as a person acting on their behalf.

Taxis and private hire vehicles are legislated by the 1976 Local Government Miscellaneous Provisions Act, while Hackney Carriages are legislated by the 1847 Town Police Clauses Act.

source: http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/

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