Taxi Driver Online

Freeze in taxi driver numbers for Worcester - and a cap for the first time ever



A SUDDEN freeze in taxi driver numbers across Worcester can today be revealed - with NO more cabbies being handed licences in the city.

After years of concern about pollution and congestion due to spiralling cabbie numbers, Worcester City Council has revealed plans for an historic cap.

Under the plans, no more licences will be dished out until more than 30 current drivers have quit.

At the moment Worcester has 261 hackney carriage drivers, a record high, but the council wants to set the city's first ever cap at 231.

Once it falls to 230 or lower, it will start handing out hackney carriage licences again, saying it will launch a lottery process if demand is high.

It is also planning to discourage potential hackney drivers by whacking the fee up by £27, on top of the current price of £399.

The city council has just finished a two-month public consultation over it, revealing:

- 84 per cent of people believe Worcester has too many taxis

- 87 per cent say should the council should not hand out any more licences

- 86 per cent agreed with a cap, and a freeze until the current tally falls below that level

Back in 2001 Worcester had just over 100 taxis, but the overall numbers since then have tripled when you include private hire vehicles.

It has led to years of concern, especially around Foregate Street and The Cross about damage to the environment and congestion.

Worcester Taxi Drivers Association has also consistently argued for a cap, but it has never happened, partly due to concerns over legal challenges.

A vote will take place during a licensing committee next Wednesday and if agreed, it will come into force immediately.

It follows an independent survey carried out last year, which was paid for by the trade, and suggested Worcester doesn't need any more cabs.

Councillor Jabba Riaz, who sits on the licensing committee, said: "I have always been up for a cap, in terms of what's been happening in Worcester we all know there's far too many."

Taxi driver Asif Mahmood, 41, said: "Drivers have been saying they can't make a decent living and it's been that way for too long.

"Worcester has taxis all over the place, the plates should have stopped a long time ago."

The council does not have powers to strip taxi drivers of their licences in order to reach the level of 231, but is hoping natural wastage will gradually bring it down.

source: http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/109 ... ?ref=var_0

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

1 They can't just up the licence fees, as we all know it's illegal unless it' to cover their costs;
2 There's nothing to stop potential cabbies being ph drivers.

I think there's only a couple of dozen things legally wrong with that article.

But hey ho.

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IDFIMH

It will probably take a legal challenge for the Council to find out their errors.

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Grandad,

Just goes to show that in the long run, deregulation, de restriction, quality standards, call it what you will, doesn't work.

Unless you are a jockey, or a new entrant to the trade, or a punter.

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IDFIMH

Taxi drivers cap now in force across Worcester


AN historic cap on taxi numbers in Worcester has finally been agreed - after years of gripes around congestion and pollution.

Worcester City Council has voted through a new rule which means no more cabbies will be allowed a licence until numbers fall sharply.

The city currently has 263 hackney carriages, and the cap is set at 230, which means at least 34 must quit before any more are dished out.

The decision was finalised by the council's licensing committee last night, despite concerns it may take years for the numbers to fall, if ever.

Under current Government legislation taxi drivers can transfer plates to other people - effectively sell them on at a price - rather than voluntarily give them up.

The committee voted the cap through despite concerns it could crate a cartel for drivers.

Back in 2001 Worcester had just 100 hackney carriages, but since then the numbers have nearly tripled, sparking years of concern about harm to the environment and congestion.

The drivers themselves widely backed the cap, leading to the crunch vote taking place last night.

Prices for a licence have also been whacked up £27, taking it to £153 for renewals, to make it less appealing.

Councillor Jo Hodges said: "We've all been waiting for this moment to actually happen for a very long time.

"There was a lot of inpatience that we weren't able to do this before, the majority of people do recognise we've reached the point where we do have sufficient numbers of taxis in Worcester to meet demand."

The cap is being set at 230 because Worcester had that many taxis back in September, which is when an independent survey was done suggesting there is no need for any more.

Councillor Ken Carpenter said: "We've got more than enough taxis, that's been proved."

Some other politicians said they harboured doubts over whether it will make a difference.

Councillor Simon Cronin said: "As long as the plates remain transferable, we will never reach this figure.

"As long as there's a cap, the plates have value and nobody will willingly give them up - the best we can say is that this cap will stop the numbers getting higher."

Niall McMenamin, from the licensing team, said there is "no legal standing" to stop plates being transferred to new owners, but that caps have reduced taxi numbers in other parts of the country, like Chesterfield.

"In other parts of the country going down the 'capping route' has seen numbers fall," he said.

It was backed unanimously.

http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/110 ... ?ref=var_0

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

How will they cap the number of p/h licences issued?

Have they ever thought of licenced gondoliers?

the paper do like writing articles that class as works of fiction though - they have to be admired for their inaccuracy

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

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IDFIMH

Once upon a time the "restricted numbers" thread used to have the real discussions, now days it's dead on there, maybe people have gone soft.

So it isn't drivers licenses that have been capped, it is vehicle licenses.

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Grandad,

everyone knows each others position - and they aint really changed much for 10 years

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

Or maybe over 10s of 1000s of posts and no-one changing their view, it was time to move on.

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IDFIMH