Taxi Driver Online

De-restriction of Hackney Carriages

Posted: Friday, March 18, 2005

PLANS to stop the restriction on the number of Hackney Carriages in South Ribble are being considered by the Council following an Office of Fair Trading (OFT) report.

The Council is proposing to follow Department of Transport guidance, issued in response to the OFT report, that local authorities should not restrict the number of Hackney Carriages.

South Ribble has restricted the number of Hackney Carriages since 2000 as much of the fleet was poor quality. The fleet is now of much better quality and the quality criteria will be improved further with this move.

Under the new criteria all Hackney Carriages in the borough would have to be purpose-built and also provide wheelchair access. It would also mean that no Hackney Carriages could be over three-years-old at the time of licensing and must be removed from service at licence expiry when 10-years-old (which would apply from date of first registration or manufactured/first used, depending on which is earlier).

The Council can continue to restrict the number of Hackney Carriages but it would need to justify why by carrying out regular “unmet demand” surveys.

The survey would look at all consumer demand and would be carried out every three years with the cost of around £18,000 being passed on to the hackney carriage trade through Licence Fees.

The new criteria are expected to come into force on 1 May 2005, when all new applications would have to meet the revised regulations.

However, owners of existing Hackney Carriages can continue to operate under the current regulations until 1 May 2013, which would give operators eight years to prepare for the changes, therefore supporting existing small businesses.

Councillor Bill Evans, Portfolio Holder for Cultural and Community Services said:

“This is the best way forward to meet the requirements of the Department for Transport and make extra public transport available for wheelchair users whilst protecting small business within South Ribble. All our other options would have led to a dramatic increase the fees taxi drivers pay”.

There are currently 91 private hire cars and 157 Hackney Carriages operating on South Ribble’s roads. This will be presented for consultation to the trade at the regular trade forum.

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

[quote="captain cab"]De-restriction of Hackney Carriages

Posted: Friday, March 18, 2005

PLANS to stop the restriction on the number of Hackney Carriages in South Ribble are being considered by the Council following an Office of Fair Trading (OFT) report.

The Council is proposing to follow Department of Transport guidance, issued in response to the OFT report, that local authorities should not restrict the number of Hackney Carriages.

South Ribble has restricted the number of Hackney Carriages since 2000 as much of the fleet was poor quality. The fleet is now of much better quality and the quality criteria will be improved further with this move.



Anyone out there see the logic in the last paragraph? restriction brought about a better quality fleet, so they intend to de-restrict in order to improve quality even further? Shurly shum mishtake?

I think it's maybe something to do with the realisation that the quotas=quality argument is a bit of a red herring, and that quality can in fact be controlled directly.

_________________
Taxi Driver Online
www.taxi-driver.co.uk

come on TDO, Jimbo just did a fine Sean Connery impression!

and I think you know that a LA can bring in quality standards without increasing numbers

Captain cab

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

I don't think I claimed otherwise

But I did forget that Jimbo's quote was from that James Bond film, The Man with the Big Fat Plate Premium

BTW, that's not a reference to Jimbo's paltry £3k premium

_________________
Taxi Driver Online
www.taxi-driver.co.uk

we got to be thankful you got a sense of humour

and but you didnt claim it the other way either

hehe

captain cab

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

The quote was actually from Dr. (short for dereg) No.

In Ribble restrictions improve fleet quality, deristrictions improve fleet

quality.

Well, who says you can't have it both ways.

Plate for Sale in Lincoln, any takers? Nope.

That was almost quite good Jimbo.

How about:

A License to Print Money

Premiums are Forever

A View to a Killing

Quotas Never Die

One Plate is Not Enough

Live and Let Live (unless you want a plate)

Octopremiums

The LA who Loved Me

From a Licensing Committee With Love

For Your Pockets Only

_________________
Taxi Driver Online
www.taxi-driver.co.uk

Licensed to ply for hire

Restrictions are Forever

A View to a PH (illegally plying for hire)

goldenplate

Tommorrow is Not Deregulation

Live and Let ply

Octovest(ed interest)

The Spy who Loved PH

From Russia With PH (oh no not more ladas)

For Your car Only

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

And I thought mine were bad

_________________
Taxi Driver Online
www.taxi-driver.co.uk

lol i hate bond films

Captain cab

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

I hate them as well, in fact I prefer restricted numbers to James Bond films

_________________
Taxi Driver Online
www.taxi-driver.co.uk