Taxi Driver Online

Cabbies launch petition against Newcastle Borough Council’s plans to force older taxis to ‘retire’


FURIOUS taxi drivers have launched a petition to fight plans to tighten age restrictions on their vehicles.

Newcastle Borough Council is looking to stop re-licensing hackney carriage cars when they are eight-years-old.

But 87 cabbies have added their names to a campaign s against the proposals.

Members of the Newcastle and Kidsgrove Taxi Association fear the cost of buying a new vehicle will put many of them out of business.

Chairman Tariq Mahmood, aged 50, of North Road, Cobridge, who has been working as a cabbie taxi driver for eight years, said: “A lot of won’t be able to afford to buy new cars if this restriction is passed. Just because a car is old, it doesn’t mean it is unsafe.

“There are buses still operating which are older than 20 years and we don’t put an age limit on those.

“It just doesn’t make sense why they are targeting taxis.

“At the end of the day, it is our livelihoods at stake and it would be devastating for a lot of drivers if this was passed.

“At the moment, it is a struggle for many of us to keep afloat and if this policy is passed, we will be out of business.”

Saloon cars can currently remain licensed as hackney carriages as long as they pass an annual MOT, while those licensed as private hire vehicles have to be ‘retired’ after eight years.

Officers believe applying the same rule to all saloon taxis will ensure their safety and reliability.

Plans for the rule change come after the council temporarily shut Hassell Street in the town centre as part of a major project to upgrade and relocate the town market.

Cabbies have been complaining the closure is also damaging their trade.

The work – which will see a new night-time taxi rank created – began last month and is expected to be completed by mid-April.

Group secretary Teresa Jones said: “I have no idea who has complained about the state of hackney carriages because we have had a good fleet for the last five years.

“Hackney carriages are part of the national transport system.

“We have got buses running around in Newcastle which are older that don’t get taken off so I can’t see where it is coming from that the vehicles should be taken off the road.

“There are currently more than 157 hackney carriages in Newcastle and these cars are tested by the council and they have MOTS and they are kept in good condition.

“A car which is five-years-old could have done more miles than an eight-year-old car.

“We are talking about a massive increase in fares if every eight-year-old vehicle is taken off the road meaning that taxi drivers will have to buy a new car.

“The drivers have already suffered with the closure of Hassell Street and this is just another blow for them.”

Members of the council’s public protection committee will make a decision on the age rules next month.


Read more: http://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/Cabbies- ... z2twkRg0CA

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

This is happening all around the country. Surely this would come under unfair trading/similar?

_________________
if you cannot be yourself, then who can you be.

At best, whatever representation you do have to fight or influence changes in legislation is pathetic. So why should anyone listen to a bunch of spineless and disorganised cab *iggrs. These guys in Newcastle should count themselves lucky. It's not five years, for the shelf life of a PH/taxi and the same goes for anywhere else in the country.


Whoopee, a petition that 87 owners have signed. This is serious

_________________
All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.
George Orwell, "Animal Farm"

I bet there are some right lovely old saloon bangers up there.

Is buying a 5 year old Skoda for £2,000 going to bankrupt the trade there?

_________________
IDFIMH

Newcastle-under-Lyme taxi drivers fight plans to replace old Hackney cabs



Taxi drivers in Newcastle-under-Lyme are fighting the council’s plans to replace old Hackney cabs with newer models.

Almost 90 drivers have signed a petition against Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council’s proposals to stop re-licensing Hackney cabs when they are eight years old.

Tracey Nickalin, manager of City Cabs, said she thinks the council’s idea will prove costly for her taxi firm.

Mrs Nickalin said: “I think it is very unfair.

“It is so difficult now to make a living as a taxi driver and when you have to keep replacing your car for virtually brand new cars, it is very expensive.

“The council are quite willing to give drivers badges for ‘X-amount’ of pounds every year, but then they are making it more difficult for them to have a vehicle to drive.

“As long as the car is clean and tidy and it is MOT tested, I really fail to see what they want to achieve from this.”

Conservative Councillor Mark Holland, who represents Westlands ward, said: “The borough council needs to make clear why it is recommending this rule change for taxis to its public protection committee.

“Hackney carriage licensing has already been thrown into chaos because Labour members chose to deregulate the number of licences available, leading to a number of taxis coming in from miles away to ply their trade.

“If it is a genuine attempt to improve passenger safety, they should discuss the issue more openly with the trade, to find a solution that doesn’t put Newcastle jobs at risk.”

Members of the council’s public protection committee will make a decision on the age rules in March.

Labour Councillor Mark Olszewski, chairman of Newcastle-under-Lyme’s public protection commitee, said: “We want to provide a clean, green and safe transport system, and particularly to make all Hackney carriages accessible to all in the borough.

“Newcastle Borough Council are continuing to improve the public transport within the borough.”

http://staffslive.co.uk/2014/02/25/newc ... ew-models/

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