Taxi Driver Online

Another one where there aren't enough drivers willing to work into the early hours, but at least here there's a proposal for free CCTV cams, but I suspect that would make little difference in terms of numbers.

Some interesting comments at the end too about the cross-border stuff...


Lack of taxis causing loss of income in town centre says council leader

https://www.thestar.co.uk/news/politics ... er-4507387

Barnsley Council’s leader is set to ask for a grant to install free CCTV in taxis, in a bid to encourage more drivers to operate on a weekend and evening after it was revealed that a lack of taxis is causing a loss of income in the town centre.

Council leader Sir Steve Houghton CBE, leader of the council, told last week’s (February 1) full council meeting that there is ‘no doubt’ that the town needs more taxi drivers.

“We are seeing a loss of income into the town because people fear they can’t get a taxi home on a night ,” he said.

“One of the reasons is safety and security, particularly for drivers. And particularly for those drivers who are not private hire but can pick up off the streets. We have seen taxi drivers operate during the day but not on an evening or a the weekend.

“We’ve got to try and combat that. And I’m pleased to say there is a report on the next Combined Authority where we’ve asked for funding from the sustainable transport part to provide free cameras in everyride and we will provide that extra camera security which will help both drivers and customers

“I’ll fight tooth and nail at the Combined Authority next week to make sure they agreed and hopefully if they do, we can sit down then with the association’s and look at how we maybe can expand that even further.

Because one of the things clearly for any taxi driver these days, is being able to go to work knowing you will be safe.”

Councillor Steve Green, chair of the licensing board, added that other councillors had raised concerns about ‘the amount of taxis working in Barnsley over the weekend’, and also the number of drivers licenced with other local authorities working within the borough.

A report shows that during a night time operation by licensing officers in Barnsley in December, all 19 taxis inspected were licensed by other local authorities, including Wolverhampton, Sheffield, Chesterfield and Bradford.

Coun Green added that taxi firm Veezu, formerly City Taxis, prioritise Barnsley drivers for jobs in the borough.

Just remembered this one from yesterday when looking at the 'Advanced Bookings' stuff.

I know we shouldn't laugh, but

So good they named it twice.

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IDFIMH

This Barnsley Chronicle piece is very similar in structure to the one in the Sheffield Star above, but contains a lot more detail. (Thought about simply replacing the one above with this one, but maybe not...)

And it mentions the enforcement operation that was detailed in another thread, when ALL the cars checked during the day were plated locally, while ALL the cars checked at night were cross-border - aye, I'm sure those figures are representative of the real numbers overall

(12 checked during the day, all Barnsley-plated, while at least double that number checked at night and all cross-border

The night numbers checked aren't specifically stated, but must be at least 25 in view of the numbers that are provided - see below)

And at least the fact that Sir Steve Houghton is council leader isn't stated twice here


Lack of taxis hitting nightlife - leader

https://www.barnsleychronicle.com/artic ... ife-leader

A LACK of willingness from local taxi drivers to work later shifts is having an impact on the town centre’s night-time economy, Barnsley Council bosses have revealed.

Council leader Sir Steve Houghton said there is ‘no doubt’ that the town centre needs a larger cohort of drivers as revellers have begun to shun the area - which in recent years has undergone a £200m regeneration - due to a shortage of taxis and longer queues being encountered as a result.

Barnsley-based drivers have bemoaned out-of-town taxis encroaching on their patches - with some being licensed as far away as Wolverhampton during recent council spot checks - as well as a lack of safety when dealing with intoxicated passengers.

“We are seeing a loss of income coming into the town because people fear they can’t get a taxi home on a night ,” Sir Steve said.

“One of the reasons is safety and security, particularly for drivers.

“That’s particularly the case for those drivers who are not private hire but can pick up off the streets.

“We have seen taxi drivers operate during the day but not on an evening or a the weekend, which are generally the busiest times in the town centre.

“We’ve got to try and combat that.

“We’ve asked for funding to provide free cameras in every vehicle we have licensed - about 70, I believe - which will provide that extra security, helping both drivers and customers.

“I’ll fight tooth and nail to make sure it is agreed by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) and hopefully we can sit down then with the taxi associations and look at how we maybe can expand that even further.

“One of the things - clearly for any taxi driver these days - is being able to go to work knowing you will be safe.

“The free cameras is a small step but it’s hopefully one which will provide an inducement for drivers to work on nights and weekends.”

One daytime and two night checks were carried out in the run-up to Christmas by the council’s licensing officers, with stark differences being noticed in those plying their trade.

During the day, all 12 vehicles were Barnsley-registered, but every taxi stopped as part of the night-time checks were licensed by other local authorities.

Seven were from Sheffield, four from Calderdale, four from Rotherham and six from Wolverhampton - which is a 97-mile distance from the town centre but labelled as an ‘easy place’ to obtain a licence.

Others were from Leeds, Chesterfield, Wakefield and Bradford.

Licensing chair Coun Steve Green added: “We’re addressing concerns and have had discussions with Veezu, which is now the town’s largest operator.

“They’ve told us that Barnsley-based drivers are prioritised if a fare comes in, but if there’s a ten-minute delay the job goes elsewhere.

“The customer demand is there, though, but as ever the principle consideration is public safety.

“Other councillors have raised concerns about the amount of taxis working in Barnsley over the weekend, and also the number of drivers licensed with other local authorities working within the borough.”

Missed these specific passages first time round - heaven forfend that drivers should only work during the day rather than maybe have a social and family life and avoid the likes of the headbanger in Aberdeen


That sounds a bit ropey, and yet another reason I generally avoid pre-booked work.

But it sounds like they're using drivers from all over, but prioritising certain drivers at certain times, thus not a level playing field. (I'd guess it's to do with Veezu's takeover of the big Sheffield operator, which as I recall will also encompass neighbouring local authorities like Barnsley).

Does not come as a surprise to me.
From my previous experience the public are not prepared to pay enough for the service.
Why would any taxi driver in their right mind stay out into the early hours picking up drunks and louts if they have already earned enough to cover and pay their bills etc?
If there is no incentive to work those hours then they won't.
It will probably get worse in many places.
People will have to either walk home or pay more for the service or not go out and go home late.

New article, but nothing particularly groundbreaking in terms of the cross-border issue. Except that perhaps some of the stuff nearer the end indicates that a head of steam is building up with regard to the Westminster politics of it all, and of course the next general election.

That is, if they find the time to discuss anything other than Gaza


Taxi drivers call for fair deal

https://www.barnsleychronicle.com/artic ... -fair-deal

LAX licensing rules which have paved the way for ‘hundreds’ of out-of-borough taxi drivers to bombard Barnsley town centre need to be immediately addressed before long-serving cabbies leave the industry, it has been warned.

Barnsley-based drivers have bemoaned rivals - some registered more than 100 miles away - for encroaching on their long-held patches despite having little or no knowledge of the area.

Described as being at a ‘tipping point’ this week due to easy-to-obtain licences in places such as Wolverhampton, it’s been claimed that taxis have descended on the town centre, particularly during evenings, to hoover up fares.

Pressure from local drivers has led Barnsley Council’s licensing team to carry out a series of checks on town centre taxis, which found 70 per cent were registered elsewhere.

Barnsley taxi drivers say the Deregulation Act 2015 has threatened their livelihoods and a petition - calling for a re-think of the rules as to where drivers can operate to effectively safeguard local cabbies - is making its way to the government having received support from local MPs.

Steve Smith, chairman of the Barnsley Private Hire Association, praised the licensing team for their work - but blasted neighbouring authorities and called on them to act in a similar fashion.

“Our drivers are rightly complaining because this influx of taxis are pinching fares and crippling trade for people who live in Barnsley,” he told the Chronicle.

“Barnsley’s licensing team have been brilliant - especially the chairman Steve Green and senior officer Debbie Bailey - and they really can’t do much more.

“We’ve been at loggerheads with them before over previous matters but they really do deserve praise for acting on our concerns.

“We want other local authorities’ licensing departments to act in the same way as it’s simply too easy to obtain a licence and go wherever you please thereafter - there’s no thought for drivers who have worked for years in the town.

“It’s not a case of sour grapes - it’s a matter of public safety, too, as we have heard some horror stories from customers who have used out-of-town taxis and had bad experiences.

“These drivers don’t know the area, they’re asking their customers for directions and they’re charging way too much.

“It’s a ten-minute process to get a licence with Wolverhampton’s council and drivers have cottoned on to that as it’s cheap, quick and online.

“Just because they’re registered with that authority, they don’t have to work or even live there.

“In fact many who have been licensed by Wolverhampton are living in Rotherham.

“We’ve been in touch with the town’s MPs and South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard regarding it as the situation is serious for us as it’s getting worse, not better, and something has to change.

“Barnsley’s got a loyal group of taxis who are professional, knowledgeable, trusted and respected - their opinions count.”

Barnsley Council charge £137 to register as a new private hire driver but it’s just £49 with the City of Wolverhampton Council, whose licensing bosses refuted claims of wrongdoing.

Stephanie Peacock, who represents Barnsley East, called on the government to act.

“I have been contacted by drivers who are concerned about cross-border hires pricing them out of work, despite not having to pass the same training and safety requirements that they do as Barnsley drivers.

“Drivers from different areas are often not required to have met the same safety and training requirements as those licensed in Barnsley, posing a risk for the industry and for the safety of passengers.

“Borough councils, including Barnsley, are currently unable to ensure that the training levels of out of borough hires meet their standards requirements for safety and training.

“The Labour Party have committed to introducing national minimal standards for taxi drivers so that the industry is fair and passengers can be assured of their safety.

“I called on the government to match Labour’s commitment and introduce national minimal standards as soon as possible.”

Barnsley Central MP Dan Jarvis added: “Local taxi drivers are understandably concerned about the influx of drivers coming from outside our borough who are taking their business.

“I have discussed what can be done about this with the chair of Barnsley Council’s licensing board and will raise my concerns in Parliament.

“Taxi drivers in towns and cities across the country are being similarly affected, and the government should urgently provide guidance to local councils and take action to support our hard-working local drivers who are losing out on work through no fault of their own.”

Problem with many articles like this is that they give the impression that hundreds of drivers living elsewhere maybe 100 miles away are rolling up to the likes of Barnsely every night, whereas it's generally more of a case of local drivers getting badged and plated hundreds of miles away.

So it's not just the Wolves factor. It's probably tied in with the whole app, thing, and the likes of big players like Veezu in Sheffield also covering the likes of Barnsley and Rotherham. So even if Wolves Council shut down overnight, the problems wouldn't disappear, although they might be alleviated


Slight exaggeration, there

But it would be interesting to compare all the factors involved, but of course that would be a huge task in view of the number of other authorities that Wolverhampton is competing with in terms of licensing, effectively.

But the main factors are obviously:

- Speed and processing efficency. How long from commencing application to actually getting badge and plated?

- Cost of licensing. That's pretty self-evident, at least as regards the kind of figures often quoted. But, of course, very difficult to compare accurately between councils because of different add-ons and the like, and comparing new applications with renewals etc.

- Badge criteria. Again very difficult to compare. Wolves certainly seems to require attendance on a one-day course, but I'd guess that's largely a box-ticking exercise once they get to that stage. But, of course, no PHD knowledge test, although they are obviously on the wane nationally, at least as far as PHDs are concerned, if not for HCDs.

- Plate criteria. Again difficult to compare accurately. But certainly a very lax age rule for Wolves cars, and no CCTV required. And certainly not the likes of the EV requirement for new plates in Dundee

when will these people get it into their thick heads. Nightlife in many areas of the UK is in decline which means fewer drivers.

If trade was booming there would be a small army of immigrants after a badge. At the moment they all seem to want to be barbers

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