Taxi Driver Online

Another surprise

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Taxi Driver Online
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Do you mean the DfT letter Cap? As I said, that was guidance on the Action Plan, which was included in the letter, and the wording in the Action Plan seems fairly clear to me, and I can't reconcile it with the NTA's views on the construction of the Govt's view.

But, as I said, there is some contradiction in the stuff emanating from Government/DfT, so perhaps we'll have to agree to let them disagree with themselves

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Why not?

I don't think the NTA say that they think things should be decided at the local level and then complain when it doesn't go the way they want it to.

Well they can complain, of course, but surely there's a contradiction there that others should be allowed to point out?

The similar sentiments from the T&G that I couldn't find earlier are below. The T&G also think things should be done at the local level, but only, it seems, when it goest its way:

Old hands, experienced in the curious forms of democracy practised in council chambers, would have found it hard to recall a more blatant demonstration of political dogma than that witnessed on the night. While the mainly Lib Dem opposition members put up a valiant fight using genunine and well researched argument and advoctating Managed Growth, the Tory 'sheep' most sat in silence displaying a lethal cocktail of arrogance, ignorance and possibly tinged in a few cases with just a hint of guilt."

"They did their 'civic duty' by sticking their mits in the air, (even those that appeared in need of a nudge to stay awake) and another retrodgrade decision amounting to a dereliction of duty and an abrogation of responsibility went into the minutes book."

If I hadn't got the spelling of Guildford wrong in my original post I would have found it no problem

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The problem is that it's restrictions that are abnormal, so I don't really see what evidence is required.

The OFT looked at it and recommended de-limitation. The Govt looked at it and agreed with the OFT.

It's not as if de-limitation isn't given consideration at the local level - indeed, if it's not then I think there are grounds for a legal challenge.

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Maybe they're just decding that the trade should inhabit the real world, which isn't a difficult decision to make if you ask me.

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Can you advise me on the background to this statement cap? Who wrote it, what was the purpose and who was it meant to influence? It seems strange that it suddenly appears in this forum and nowhere else. It also seems strange that the NTA should criticise a methodology, which they themselves along with the TGWU advocated. I've refrained from making a comment on this statement because I'm not convinced of its collective authenticity. If its the opinion of one individual then perhaps we can treat it as such but if it really is a collective response from a national trade body then we can dissect it to our hearts content.

Best wishes.

JD

What do you call councils that decide their policies locally, but decide to retain current retrictions then Mr TDO ?

Do you not complain ?

I don't think any councils form policies they way any of us want them to, they form policies in their own best interests and the extra money that deregulation brings is more interesting to them than anything else.

You say to people, Nidge and myself in particular, that we should put up with people destroying the industry we have worked in for many years, so that policies can be formed that will add to the destruction. Then as a final insult you state that we have no place in the trade if we can't make money from it.

What exactly have you got to lose Sussex if Eastbourne decided to derestrict, absolutely nothing at all is the truthful answer, yet you expect people who have worked hard in the industry for many years to get their own plate to lose absolutely everything.

That is an absolute disgrace, risking the financial futures of the majority to attack the minority non driving plateholders, but forcing policy which will benefit these "leeches" in order to get what they want just because they can afford to get a suitable vehicle, then they have the bare faced cheek to do this in the name of fairness.

These derestriction supporters have absolutely no consideration or inclination of what is actually fair to everyone in the industry, they only consider what they want to be fair.

If you claim that HC drivers who cannot make a living shouldn't be in the trade can easiliy be countered by stating that if a PH driver cannot make a living when work is fed to them on a spoon couldn't hope of making a living when they need to find work themselves, and if they intend to remain on a PH circuit you have to ask why they want a HC plate and what benefit the consumer would gain through that vehicle being licensed as a HC working through a PH office.

I will say that in some areas there are more HC's needed, but it would be fairer to everyone if the number of available vehicles matched the demands of the potential customers within the area.

B. Lucky

How are restrictions abnormal when every other licence defined by law and offered by any local authority is restricted.

Licensed premisis are restricted.
Street trader licenses are restricted.
Public entertainment licenses are restricted.

Could you offer any other licenses required by individuals to operate their own business, issued by the local authority and defined in law, that prove your statement that restrictions are abnormal.

B. Lucky

Yes, because I don't think these things are best decided at the local level, thus your allusion of double standards is invalid.

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I thougth they could only cover fees to cover admin, thus there isn't any real rationale in the regard you mention.

But, anyway, the OFT said that total vehicles (ie including PH) barely moved with de-restriction, and Pete Kavanagh claims they go down, so either way your argument isn't really valid, nationally at least.

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I can't ever recall saying that, are you trying to misrepresent me.

As regards destroying the trade, I prefer to charachterise it as ending preferential treatment and introducing equality.

If you charachterise this as 'destruction' then it perhaps says a lot.

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A couple of days ago you were crowing that de-restriction wouldn't affect premiums, indeed it might even increase them, at least in saloon areas.

As for this 'investment', why would anyone invest in such a risky enterprise? It's not as if de-limitation is a new concept, and LAs have been able to de-limit at any time since the year dot.

Anyway, you were also telling us recently how quickly investing in a plate would pay for itself, so only the most recent purchasers would lose out.

And who would have 'invested' in a plate, in the last two or three years, particularly given the Government's de-limitation recommendation and there promise to look again in three years time with the OFT to ascertain the extent to which numerical controls have been removed.

Rather than invest, I suspect people have gambled, and to that extent they should deserve no more sympathy than someone investing twenty grand on the 3.15 at Sandown.

Alternatively, it's perhaps the 'construction' put on events by the T&G, NTA and people like yourself that's managing to delude people, so perhaps that's where the blame should lay if people lose their so-called investment.

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In the likes of Liverpool, Brighton, Edinburgh and Manchester and many other places, I suspect that most drivers don't have a plate, thus most are being leeched upon, whether by plate-holding drivers or others doesn't really matter.

As for the unfairness of not being able to afford a suitable vehicle with de-restriction, as I said in another thread your preference makes it even less affordable

You ignored that point, which is fair enough, but to do so then raise the same point in another thread is not a very credible debating tactic.

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As I've said before, my own preference is to announce de-limitation at a future date, and this would give plate holders a chance to recoup their investment, even if they've been foolhardy in taking a gamble.

We suggested this in an article which is still on the frontpage (http://www.taxi-driver.co.uk/money.htm), and I put the same suggestion to the OFT and DfT in the personal submissions I made.

I can't help it if they ignore them, but your implictation of indifference to plate holders cannot be aimed at me personally.

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From what I've experienced and read about the many plate holders couldn't give a toss about anyone other than themselves.

In many if not most resctricted areas anyone is welcomed into the HC trade with open arms as long as they are driving a plate holders car, thus entry and thus earnings are unrestricted, therefore a huge slice of hypocrisy.

Linday Gilroy MP made this point in the Commons re PH in Plymouth, and said she didn't want the HC trade to end up like that, but that's the way it's run, isn't it, if you're not a plate holder?

Even worse is attemts to lower the barrier to get more drivers into the HC trade, which of course depresses earnings - eg resisting the DSA test in Brighton, watering down the knowledge in Edinburgh and the COUNCIL advertising for drivers in Liverpool, even with such a shortage of rank space!!!!

Call that fair?

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