Taxi Driver Online

I was using shorthand for restricted numbers, as you well knew.

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

Here's the kind of thing that I just can't understand.

A few years ago there were around 80 HC saloons in Gateshead, and people had to pay a premium to enter the HC trade.

Now there are nearer 300, yet not only are people still willing to pay a premium for a saloon, but they're willing to pay more for it?

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

I still see no contradiction and I dont think the NTA are stating what you state in your first paragraph. Indeed the NTA did state restriction without justification is as bad as derestriction without consultation.

lol are you constructing?

Regards

Captain cab

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

I feel where the NTA have got it wrong, is they are aiming their fire at the wrong people.

From what I can see, the councils that are de-limiting are the ones consulting properly with all stake-holders.

It's the ones that aren't consulting with all those concerned, that are keeping quotas.

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IDFIMH

Cover fees within the department possibly but in Gateshead there is no way that the fees we pay only cover the cost of admin.

I say this because we have now got NO designated Taxi Licensing staff, they are all shared resourse between so many different sections within the department currently named Development & Enterprise.

The HC and PH trades currently pay in excess of a quarter of a million pounds a year into the licensing account.

Before Xmas it was suggested through a working party meeting that PH should have a sticker on the front door stating that it was a private hire vehicle and journeys must be pre booked, the decision has to be passed to the finance department to see if they could afford to produce such stickers. We also suggested new plates for both HC and PH vehicles showing vehicle details and a date of licence expiry, again this was refered to finance.

I have asked why this was the case, and have also asked on more than one occasion for an explaination as to where the millions of pounds have gone since deregulation of numbers. It is now with the ombudsman, but I will be approaching the council again and will be requesting all relevant council documentation under the new Freedon of Information Act. which I beleieve came into for4ce on January 1st.

B. Lucky

Yes, very interesting some of these things.

Presumably, if the monies collected have to be ring-fenced, then they have to produce accounts of some sort, or perhaps they don't bother.

I think some councils have had to refund fees, perhaps you might get a late Xmas present

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

Whether it's de-restriction or continued restriction the NTA are complaining about then to me this seems to contradict its endorsement of local decision-making.

If they said, for example, that some LAs weren't meeting their legal obligations then they may have a point.

But to me it looks as if the NTA are complaining that decisions are going the wrong way, ie local decision-making is OK when it endorses continued restriction.

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

I think my construction of the Govt's statements is similar to that in the recent Bouremouth statement, linked to by JD today in another thread. Thus Bouremouth, not to mention other LAs, seem to have constructed the Govt's advice differently from the NTA:

This resolution follows the publication of an Office of Fair Trading report on the taxi trade, and the Government’s response to that report, which strongly recommended that councils take action to deregulate local taxi numerical controls.

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

It all boils down to who the we are.

Just because a group of driver/owners suggest something, doesn't mean it makes sense. In my experience it's often stupid ideas pulled out of a hat at a union meeting.

So whilst some of the trade may think it's a good idea, the council has to look after all the trade, not just the ones with the big gobs.

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IDFIMH

just as an asside costs are usualy met by the applicant, bizare it has been passed to finance

incidentaly details on taxi plates is unlawfull, though many do it.

NIDGE....It must be plain to see by now,That J.D. and T.D.O.are not real taxi drivers,Just ghosts in the computer, That do not need money to live on ....probabyl drive their dads cars on the weekend for (POCKET MONEY)
love. mr.T

Is this statement still unique to TDO or has it surfaced anywhere else?

Best wishes

JD

Not real taxi drivers?

What you mean like Joanne Connolly, Pete Kavanagh and your heroes on the Transport Committee?

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

No, that's Gateshead Angel

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

Well Dusty , rumour has it that JD is an officer with Manchester City Council

and you are a Legal Executive with Kearns And Co.

it was originaly thought you was a solicitor, however the lads now think you are not bright enough.

just repeating Pm stuff.