Taxi Driver Online

Just to let a few drivers know that there is another protest on Tuesday (1st)

They are hoping to get atleast 50 taxis to protest over the plate issue again and have media attention (yet again).

I understand the protest is not just with Newcastle Hackney taxi drivers but ANYONE that does not agree with the situation and I understand that North Tyneside, Gateshead Hack's etc are all very welcome to join the protest.
I assume if you're a Newcastle Private Hire driver too you may also be a little cheesed off with your weekly takings, now Berwick Plated "taxis" are working from your office !

If you believe that protesting in this fashion will make a difference the meeting point is at Peter Barrat Garden Centre (next to Gosforth Racecourse) at 12pm - They intend to set off at 12.30pm.

If you want to speak directly to the Berwick Borough Council licence Officer, it may be worth turning up.

Links to what has happened recently:
http://www.berwick-advertiser.co.uk/news/Newcastle-taxi-drivers-protest-in.3825128.jp

The illegal use of Hackney Carriages working in areas other than where they are licensed is something which should cause everyone grave concerns.

Good luck with the protests ............... lets hope that a decision is made that the ONLY HC working in any area are those that are licensed in that area.

B. Lucky

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"Here's a simple solution. If you don't want to pay more for a premium service then wait in the queue, problem solved".
Skull on TDO

TF pi$$ed on his chips.

Your view is interesting, it would of course depend on how big your area is and how near/far are the boundaries. In my case I have 7 different LA's within a six mile radius so cross border hires are a way of life that cannot be hidden by some arbitary line on a map.

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you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.

I Can't beleive there is all this carry on now in newcastle about berwick plates, when Newcastle Airport have let "MICKEY Mouse" hack plates operate for years with no one complaining, if i'm not mistaken there's berwick plate working for newcastle airport taxis now!!!!! TOO LITTLE TOO LATE! if you ask me I've Worked the toon for over ten years now, so if you ask me the protest should start at the AIRPORT because they were the first company to use 'out of town hacks' ............. But unfortunatley no one will have a 'go' at airport taxis in this town for their part in this.

You see Tulsablue this is where the confusion shows.

These protests are not about HC or PH taking bookings from outside their licensing area ................. its about a HC from one area working FULL TIME in another.

Previously these HC worked for PH offices, under a "contract" .................. however there are some who have gone to Berwick to get a plate to constantly ply for hire outside of Berwick .............. my opinion is that both of these practices are wrong and are only being interpreted as being legal, I say this because I'm sure the intention of the 1976 Act or all of the relied upon case law, never intended for this practice to be allowed.

B. Lucky

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"Here's a simple solution. If you don't want to pay more for a premium service then wait in the queue, problem solved".
Skull on TDO

TF pi$$ed on his chips.

It will be suggested that the history of the Airport, and its taxis, allows this activity ...................... although I know that the terms of the "dispensations" have not been followed (after sitting in many Region 2 meetings).

What is interesting is the future of such "dispensations" if there is a law change which governs the use of a HC, as that will surely include everyone.

B. Lucky

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"Here's a simple solution. If you don't want to pay more for a premium service then wait in the queue, problem solved".
Skull on TDO

TF pi$$ed on his chips.

The wrong LA is being protested against....the Toon City Council are the ones allowing illegal activities.

CC

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

So taxis from Newcastle will be protesting once again, and for what??????
They will be loosing a days takings and it will cost about £20 to £25 in fuel.
If you want this sorted why not hit home at the main cause of it by demanding a reduction in your own licence fee's, or get everyone to licence in Berwick thereby causing your licencing department to have a re-think, to me its your Newcastle department that has brought things to a head by being to greedy

Will you Be Going on this so called protest Chris???

You should perhaps read this;

http://www.taxi-driver.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=4662&highlight=sinton

CC

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

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"Here's a simple solution. If you don't want to pay more for a premium service then wait in the queue, problem solved".
Skull on TDO

TF pi$$ed on his chips.

If they are plying for hire outside their district then it is clearly illegal. As others have said, the problem appears to be with Newcastle LA not doing their job and/or over pricing licensing.

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you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.

I agree.

Enforcement starts at home. It is relatively easy to hire any private hire driven by persons who have a total disregard for the law. It is also relatively easy to flag down hackney carriage vehicles outside their own area being driven by the very same people who couldn't care less about the licensing laws. I don't have to spell it out because we all see it every day of the week.

Regards

JD

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Copyright notice © The contents of this post are copyright of JD and are not to be reproduced outside of TDO without written permission.

I can understand the dissatisfaction from Newastle/ Gateshead Hacks regarding the plates from Berwick - but why is it Berwick thats being singled out ??

We are based in a district close to Newcastle and have had problems in our licensing area regarding Cross Border Plating ... so much so that the council have brought in Locality Tests for new applicants which aren't run regularily (ok for city based taxi work ... but when you're a vast rural area - why do you need one ?) and therefore a lot of our businesses are suffering by not getting staff in place to meet demand !

Plus we have very few ranks in our Area - and these cross plated hacks WERE coming over and using the ranks due to the close proximity to the Newcastle border - therefore taking our work in the true sense ...

Suprisingly not one Newcastle Hack complained about our council - it was left to our own LA to tighten it all up ...

A lot of drivers i've spoken to are jumping on the cross border bandwagon without thinking about he real meaning or consequence of it ..

I mean surely if this loophole was closed then surely it would seriously affect everyone ... because how many of us are running both Private Hire and Hackneys within our companies ?? How many of us rely on those returns from the neighbouring city you dropped the customer off in - what restriction would this change of legislation have on people (like myself) who are running with plates from there own local authority ?

Instead of constantly being on the back of Berwick council both Newcastle Council and Northumbria police should be working out what part they can play in getting those drivers illegally plying and flouting the laws off the roads of newcastle !

One thing I noticed about this Berwick protest was the noticeable absence of LTI vehicles. It just goes to show that where choice is an option LTI are down at the bottom of the pecking order.

Regards

JD

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Copyright notice © The contents of this post are copyright of JD and are not to be reproduced outside of TDO without written permission.