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Deregulation on hold while survey is carried out

Controversial proposals to shake up Exeter's hackney cab trade have been shelved.

The city council's licensing committee discussed the issue earlier this week and rejected the option of going ahead with deregulation at this stage. The committee unanimously agreed to back a survey assessing whether the industry should be deregulated.

Cabbies opposed to deregulation have welcomed the news. They argue that lifting the limit on the number of hackney cabs allowed to operate in the city would result in a worse service to the public.

A petition against the proposal was been signed by 129 organisations, including care homes, businesses and hotels.

But Exeter Chamber of Commerce says that opening up the hackney cab market would drive down prices and increase the number of hackney cabs available for hire.

Carole Whittaker, chairwoman of the Exeter Hackney Carriage Trade Association, said: "In my opinion they have taken the right decision. The trade was in favour of a survey. From that they will be able to make the final decision. It means that they will have all the information in front of them to decide whether to deregulate or not. The trade believes that deregulation could make the level of service to the public worse.

"It could result in too many hackney cabs on the city's roads chasing for a limited number of fares. It also threatens to damage the livelihoods of existing hackney cab owners and drivers. The current system works well, so there is no point whatsoever in trying to change it."

The new survey is set to cost between £12,000 and £15,000. The lion's share of the survey, some 80 per cent, will be met by the taxi owners.

The city council will pay the remaining 20 per cent.

Once the survey has been completed, city councillors will have to decide whether to deregulate or maintain the status quo.

City councillor Richard Branston, who is the chairman of the licensing committee, said: "I think it was a very prudent decision. A rushed decision was not in the interests of the trade and the residents of Exeter. I feel we should wait until such time as we have got an up-to-date report and we can make a choice in an informed manner."

Brian Thornton, chairman of the city's chamber of commerce, said he was disappointed that the committee had put off making a decision on deregulation.

He said: "It is an unnecessary and costly fudge. It is clear that we need to have more taxis able to pick up passengers off the street. Deregulation will not increase the overall number of taxis because private hire cabs will become hackney cabs."

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ʎɐqǝ uo pɹɐoqʎǝʞ ɐ ʎnq ı ǝɯıʇ ʇsɐן ǝɥʇ sı sıɥʇ

Simply the best taxi forum in the whole wide world. www.taxi-driver.co.uk

Isn't it funny that the local trade didn't want to pay for a survey until the council said they would de-limit without one.

Still the report seems interesting.
http://212.104.136.6/data/Committeespos ... 1104_4.doc

But don't tell TDO.

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IDFIMH

yep thats funny





but thats funnier

regards

Captain Cab