Taxi Driver Online

Although this is old news, I have posted it for a reason, especially for the London cabbies & their representative bodies, as this may be a way of trying to get rid of the Clipboard Johnies.

‘New Taxi Ranks Will Kill Off Our Business’

12th June 2008

Plans for four new Hackney carriage ranks in Reading town centre will get on the road despite objections from private hire drivers.

The new ranks – in Gun Street, Friar Street, St Mary’s Butts and Bridge Street – target areas with high levels of illegal business by private hire vehicles, but drivers say it will kill off business altogether.

Two of the proposed ranks in Bridge Street and St Mary’s Butts will be in use full-time, while the ranks in Gun Street and Friar Street will only operate between 11pm and 5am.

The new ranks, given the go-ahead at a meeting of the council’s traffic management advisory panel on Tuesday night, will be out of bounds to private hire vehicles as they are not allowed to tout for business on the street.

But drivers say they still need areas to stop and pick up pre-booked fares and claim they are being hounded out of town.

Director of Yellow Cars Ltd Manzoor Hussain wrote to the council saying: “This is not in the best interests of the public. It seems that Reading Borough Council is quite happy to take our money for licences whilst being very shoddy in trying to accommodate us in allowing us to work around the town.”

But chairman Tony Page said at the meeting: “We now have a record 282 Hackney carriages in Reading, up on 150 a year or so ago, and they need places to go.

“The need for the ranks is self-evident because of the documented illegal touting for hire by private hire vehicles. The proposals here are located in areas of proven demand.”

The Reading Private Hire Association (RPHA) suggested in its letter of objection that a sheltered booking and waiting facility for private hire vehicles would alleviate the problem.

The council said it had offered private hire drivers such a facility in Great Knollys Street in 2005, but it was refused.

After the meeting, Jasvir Singh, chairman of the RPHA, told the Evening Post: “The proposed site was so far out of town it’s unrealistic to think people would walk out there to book a taxi. It would make a difference if we had an office in town as long as there is somewhere to pick up and drop off outside. We have asked for meetings with councillors to discuss this, but so far we have got nowhere.”

He added: “Every time a driver stops to pick up or drop off in town he is told he is parked illegally and enforcement officers give him three points. If he gets 12 points within a year he is banned for two weeks.

“These new ranks will make it even more impossible for us to stop legally so we can’t operate in town.”

The Hackney carriage ranks scheme will be presented to cabinet on Monday, July 7, for ratification before going ahead.

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Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

Type a message, post your news,
Disagree with other members' views;
But please, do have some decorum,
When debating on the TDO Forum.

This is the reasoning that the cab trade in Birmingham has used in recent applications for taxi ranks, with limited success. But limited success is better than no success at all.

The tack we have used in our taxi rank applications is that if PH already illegally stand, ply & tout outside a venue, then there must be a demand from the public for an instantly hireable form of bespoke transport for individuals or small groups. And as Hackney Carriages are the only vehicles that fit those criteria legally, we apply for a rank at those venues that PH openly & illicitly stand, ply & tout outside, as they have shown that there is proven demand for a taxi rank at those locations. You could say that PH has done the groundwork for the Hackney trade at these venues.

Perhaps the London cab trade should try this approach.

_________________
Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

Type a message, post your news,
Disagree with other members' views;
But please, do have some decorum,
When debating on the TDO Forum.

I wrote to the PCO and TFL and asked them to consider a marshaled rank in Oxford street with the point being adjacent to the Cocoon club corner of Air Street. This is one of the worst touting hot spots in London. The touts would have to stop ranking here as it would block the road.
To date I have not had a reply from either agency.
I also wrote to Bill Oddie of the LTDA through an open letter to the Taxi mag, but as of yet he hasn't replied and the letter was never published.
The Letters were sent out in February!
A London assembly member, Peter Hulme Cross was also helping to get more marshaled ranks up and running and had produced a report for the old Mayor but he lost his seat along with Ken in the elections.

I'm assuming the London cab trade has some sort of ranks committee, so why don't they start the ball rolling?

Or are they all day drivers thus it doesn't affect them?

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IDFIMH

We do thank you.

There's only one little problem, what's the point of having all these ranks for night time use when there's enough street work?

There are several ranks in Regent Street already.

The reason that all these 'satellite Minicab booking points' were brought about, is there wasn’t enough Taxi's working late enough.

As you know Sussex, that's coming from me, who over the years isn’t exactly known for his leniency towards the opposition.

Sure touting happens with some of these opo's who stand at the doorways, but we should remember the reason they were invented.

Is'nt it funny how it takes an economic turndown to get the 'home before it gets dark' mob out for a nights work?

That in itself will make more difference than 300 Police Officers ever will.

I was'nt aware Oxford Street had a junction with Air Street?

Wow Nothing gets past you, Your wonderfull.

So wouldn't it be a good idea if someone came up with an plan of action to rid the streets of the touts, not sure in fighting between the LTDA and the LCDC is going to be the solution.

Why not suggest license fees go up to finance some more enforcement officers? Especially in view of the massive earnings available.

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IDFIMH

You'll never be able to rid the streets entirely of touts. It would take a Police force / licensing body of thousands to cover every High Street, Bar and Club throughout the London area. That's never going to happen, not with teenagers being stabbed and shot on a daily basis, the public don't rate it that highly.

You will be talking upwards of 25'000 licensed premises.

I've already mooted a stronger solution in crushing every car (and Taxi) for those who are convicted of touting. Even then someone will try it on to make a fast buck.

As for the LTDA v LCDC, trust me when I say if it was'nt for the LTDA the LCDC would'nt have anything to put in their monthly rag.

If you knew how much in fighting exsists solely within the LCDC, you would understand why they have less than 900 members, and most of those have one foot in the grave.

Why would anyone in the Trade trust a Man who changes his ID, makes out he is a mini cab driver and puts insulting posts on other drivers blogs. Tried hard to close down a forum run for London cabbies by insulting every driver on there, using different ID's ( you got banned from that one though they saw through you)
Plus digs out anyone who doesn't agree with him entirely.

Just not a very nice man, are you.
You once said you only had four friends, well I know them all and they like me more,
Do you know that flag on the back of your cab is unauthorised signage. You'll get a stop for that.

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http://www.fleetway.ca/samples/cab.swf

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=SF5ep04izcQ

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2KDLd4gJ ... re=related

And do they all go under the name of Victor?

_________________
Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

Type a message, post your news,
Disagree with other members' views;
But please, do have some decorum,
When debating on the TDO Forum.

Clarity of legislation and appropriate penalties will go a long way in getting rid of touts.

Regards

JD

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The only solution is a single licensing system. End of.