Taxi Driver Online

Taxi regulation plea refused

TAXI drivers have hit out at a council's refusal to further regulate the taxi trade, saying their business will be damaged as a result. Wellingborough Taxi Drivers Association said they will lose earnings if any more hackney carriage plates are issued because too many taxis will be chasing too few customers.

The group applied to Wellingborough Council to re-regulate the number of licences or at least suspend the issuing of new plates while a survey was undertaken. The association also asked for a knowledge test to be taken when an application is made.

Chairman John Welsh said: "We consider that currently there are more than enough taxis to meet current demand in this area. "If plates continue to be issued this could result in an oversupply of hackney carriages, thereby affecting the livelihood of drivers."

Taxi driver Charles Murrin, of Vicarage Farm Road, Wellingborough, also told the council in a letter: "Over the 16 years that I have been a hackney carriage owner the costs have risen greater than the takings, which means longer hours have to be worked to achieve the same level of growth year after year."

But Cllr Tim Allebone, a member of Wellingborough Council's economic and environment committee, which met to discuss the application on Wednesday, said the committee had decided not not re-regulate licences.
He said: "If we had done it would have gone against Government advice and the Office of Fair Trading's advice. It would have restricted the ability of people to set up their own business."

He added: "Taxi drivers said they are having to work 12 to 14 hours a day to make up the money but I do not know anyone in business that does not work longer hours these days. "I do not think they have a unique problem – a lot of businesses have peaks and troughs." He said the committee agreed a geographical knowledge test should be taken.

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