Sussex wrote:
Unlike black cabs, there are no restrictions on the prices private hire operators can charge. The existing operators are worried their west-coast rivals will start a price war with a view to driving them out of business.
Well there's no limit to what PH can charge up the way, but if he's talking about lower fares, then his point is irrelevant. Indeed, there's plenty of discussion on Fastblacks about a price war between the black cabs if I'm reading it correctly.
Quote:
Bill McIntosh, secretary of the Scottish Taxi Federation, said: "Some members have concerns about the situation in Edinburgh and we hope to raise these with the minister. "You have to remember there are no restrictions on private hire licences as long as they meet the police checks. "So anyone is perfectly entitled to apply for as many licences as they want."
So if there's a problem the vetting process must be pretty inadequate. Thus I can't really see the point about being able to apply for as many licences as they want - indeed, they can buy as many taxi licences as they want, and presumably there wouldn't be a problem if the price was right. Indeed, the grey market in plates would be a good avenue to launder money, surely?
Quote:
Councillor Colin Keir, convener of the city council's regulatory committee, said he welcomed the Justice Secretary's meeting with the taxi and private hire trade. He said: "Because private hire is de-regulated, much of the movement within the trade is just down to commercial decisions taken by the individual organisations, which we don't have any bearing over."
So don't they vet PH drivers and vehicles, as in the taxi trade?
I understand that the problem is with the booking offices, which aren't licensed, so the problems are potentially the same as in the taxi sector in both Scotland and England.
This wouldn't be more to do with scaremongering vis-a-vis Jim Taylor's actions, would it, since the references to restricted numbers don't seem to hold much water.
Shame on them
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