Evening Herald (Plymouth)
September 16, 2006 Saturday
HEADLINE: Taxi for preece...
If you can't beat them, buy them. Taxi magnate John Preece has finally got his hands on some black cabs - by purchasing a company.
The Taxifast boss, who has been battling Plymouth City Council to scrap its 360 black cab cap, has bought Hoe-based Hackney Carriage Rentals Ltd for an undisclosed sum.
It means the entrepreneur now controls 17 black cabs, and their drivers, in addition to the one Hackney carriage plate he was granted following a court battle earlier this year.
He said: "We have been left in the situation where we had to make a purchase. We paid a premium price for it (the firm). It's the only way we could get plates to run a public service. They (the cabs) are operating as ordinary black cabs on the street, but come under our banner and operational methodology."
He said '95 per cent' of Hackney Carriage Rentals' drivers want to work under his control and added: "We want to keep them. They are good drivers. But they will operate under the Taxifast ethos. That means uniforms and no extras."
Mr Preece said he has also been approached by other Hackney drivers wanting to join his 'circuit'.
Surprisingly, the take-over has been welcomed by the Plymouth Taxi Drivers' Association, which would rather Mr Preece owned part of the 360-strong fleet than added to it.
It is also hoping he will operate his promised 'taxibus' service, and not use ranks.
And, although it said some Hackney Carriage Rentals drivers have concerns about working for Mr Preece, the association said the take-over could improve the standard of black cabs in Plymouth.
The Association's Roy Hamilton said: "We would much rather see him buying up cabs than getting additional cabs. In some ways Mr Preece operates a smart firm. Drivers are nicely dressed. It might improve the standard of certain drivers."
Mr Preece, however, has not given up hope of scrapping the council's black cab limit, and has now made a complaint to the Office of Fair Trading, claiming the cap is unfair.
Meanwhile, the council is tendering for firms to carry out a new survey of city taxi ranks to find out if there is excess demand. An announcement will be made this month, with the survey carried out in October and November and a report to the authority in December. It is understood the council will make a decision on whether to scrap the cap by January 31. In February this year, after a long-running and expensive civil appeal, a judge told the council to grant Taxifast a hackney carriage licence it had refused in 2003. During the hearing, a previous survey on which the council relied to defend its cab limit, was shown to be faulty.
A city council spokeswoman said: "The survey into the unmet demand for black cabs in Plymouth will be completed by the end of this year. The tendering process has started."
Mr Preece said another appeal, against the council's rejection of a plate application he made on April 7, will be heard in April 2007.
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