Taxi Driver Online

CABBIES LEFT FUMING OVER DELUGE OF NEW LICENCES

Cabbies are furious after politicians agreed to increase the number of taxis operating in Bath by nearly a fifth. They say the move by Bath and North East Somerset Council to abandon a previous limit on the number of hackney carriages in the city will flood an already over-stretched market.

Until recently, the number of hackney carriage licences in Bath had been capped at 89.

In the past week, however, 17 new licences have been issued - an increase of almost 20 per cent.

A hackney carriage licence gives drivers the authority to pick up fares in the street, unlike private hire vehicles which have to be booked.

But hackney carriage owners argue trade is already in decline, apart from on Friday and Saturday nights, and the council has created more cabs to compete for fewer customers.

"This is a 20 per cent increase in the number of hackney carriage vehicles, but there is not 20 per cent more trade," said Rachael McLoughlin, who has run a hackney carriage taxi in Bath for the past seven years.

"Over the past five years, the taxi trade has declined substantially. Higher living costs mean people can't afford to go out as much.

"There is now an excellent bus service for the students in Bath which means we no longer get much trade from them.

"In the seven years I've been a proprietor, there has always been a limit on the number of plates.

"Myself and the other 88 hackney carriage vehicle proprietors are now very concerned that our livelihoods will be compromised by the council granting more licences without knowledge of the current demand."

Mrs McLoughlin added that taxi drivers would be getting together in the next few days to talk about a possible protest.

The Government watchdog, the Office of Fair Trading, has ruled that all restraints on taxi numbers should be lifted.

As a result, the Government has asked all local authorities to review their policies.

But Dave Wilkins, chairman of Bath Spa Taxi Association, which represents 72 taxi drivers, said the council should first have conducted a survey, to follow up one carried out in 1998.

He said: "They have issued 17 plates without the survey. That is what makes it difficult to take on board.

"They have to prove there is an unmet demand for taxis. On Friday and Saturday night nationwide, there are always queues, but there is not an unmet demand as far as we are concerned.

"If the council decides to de-limit, they have to do a survey and we want to know what they are doing. At the moment, they are putting the cart before the horse.

"We were told back in August any decision would be taken in consultation with the trade, but this has not materialised. We have asked for meetings and have not got any, and now it has got to this stage and they have carried on without any consultation."

The association will be writing to every B &NES councillor expressing concern at the move.

Another taxi driver said: "If, after a survey, it was proven that there was a need for more hackney cars, then we would accept the argument.

"But it should be remembered that just because there is a queue for taxis on Saturdays, the answer is not necessarily to issue more plates.

"It should be remembered that the rest of the week it is taxis that are queuing."

The licences were granted by the council's licensing (taxis and private hire) sub-committee.

One of its members, Cllr Bryan Chalker (Con, Lambridge), said the council's hands were tied by legislation.

"If someone comes to us and says there is the demand because the taxi ranks are so busy on a Thursday, Friday and Saturday night, we cannot disprove it," said Cllr Chalker.

"Under the legislation, if they come to us and fulfil all the criteria, we cannot refuse them a licence.

"But in doing so, we have upset a lot of cabbies. It is a no-win situation.

"In the end, it will come down to market forces. If there is not enough demand, the weak will fall."

Cllr Chalker added that the council hoped to get more wheelchair accessible cabs on to the streets, while at the same time promoting hackney cabs over private hire because they can pick up passengers on the way - meaning fewer people were left waiting and fewer empty taxi journeys.

Seventeen licenses being issued in one week was rare, said Cllr Chalker. The reason behind it was that the number of applicants had built up over previous months and the sub-committee wanted to deal with as many people as possible.

_________________
IDFIMH

I wonder why Mr Wilkins wasn't saying this in 2001 when that survey ran out?

Perhaps he thought that no-one understood the law of the land. Thankfully 17 lads did.

_________________
IDFIMH

No the council have to adhere to the real law of the land, not your mythical one.

_________________
IDFIMH

a tad unfair, it was surely the LA's job, we must pay them for something surely?

Captain cab

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

The trade obviously want justification. Seems a fair enough point, if theres a need issue more licenses.

Captain cab

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

Well I suppose the justification is section 16. If the council don't ahere to it, and in this case they appear not to have, then the council have no choice but to grant the licenses.

But as the councillor says, the weak will fail.

_________________
IDFIMH

Neither the trade rep nor the councillor seem fully appraised of the law, but no matter, since the LA can de-limit anyway.

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

I look at that statement this way.

I can say it.

You can say it.

Yorkie can say it.

GA can say it

JD can say it

Mr T can say it

TDO, Alex and everyone who has an investment in the trades can say it.

But it is an absolute sh*thouse of a guy, who is safe with his tax-payer paid position, with no investment at all to say it.

Captain cab

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

At last....not sitting on fence....said with (passion).......MR T.

I must admit the councillor didn't show too much tact in that comment.

Alex

_________________
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

Hi

I have been reading your forum with interest for a few weeks now and have been discussing the information I read here with my boyfriend who is a taxi driver in the Bath area. I have learnt much from the forums but didnt want to post before now as some of the barneys you guys have with each other scare the hell out of me

As this latest thread involves a report from our local newspaper today I thought you would be interested to hear the latest. We expected some kind of meeting Monday (as mentioned on your list of restricted councils). We thought there was an executive decision expected in Bath on 21st Feb.

Once it became clear this was not happening, somebody emailed the office responsible for managing the Councillors calendar of meetings and they confirmed there was never a meeting scheduled for this day (maybe they cancelled it?)

However, today they received a further email stating that there is a report scheduled in March from our Senior Licensing Officer on Taxi Restriction. This report will be presented to a SINGLE Councillor for a decision!!!

I think the proverbial is gonna hit the fan here big time! My partner is not a plate holder but sees no point in having one in a city the size of Bath if they de-restrict. He knows this area and knows it barely supported the 89 H/Cs that worked here before the council gave out plates like candy last week (we were at those meetings for a portion of the day - the councillors had NO idea what they were doing).

Add to this the fact that we are a 'first phase' council and soon you will have to be willing to put in a huge amount of money for a WAV AND manage on less income in order to be a Hackney....what is gonna be the point of doing it?

Bath city centre can be crossed on foot in ten minutes. We have a bus gate to stop traffic going through the centre in the middle of the day due to the congestion problems we already have (taxis exempt of course). We also have world heritage buildings that are being damaged by the volume of traffic that passes by everyday. Campaigners are trying to limit the amount of traffic in any way possible - including the hated open top buses.

They really need to look at the whole issue here - not just numbers. I dont have the answers but a blanket de-restriction policy for the whole country seems daft.

Chopsy, let's say that there are currently 200 licensed drivers driving those 89 plates. Tomorrow there will still be 200 licensed drivers, but they will be driving 106 plates.

My point being is that those extra vehicles don't drive themselves, so why should it affect non-plateholders like your partner? It will effect current plateholders, but what gave them a god given right to having a privilege position?

If they got their plates for nothing from the council, then what have they lost? If they got their plates via the black-market, then why should anyone give two hoots for queue jumpers?

_________________
IDFIMH

I spent a week in Bath a couple of years ago and wouldn't mind having a car there if there are only 89 plates.

In St Andrews we have around 85 regulars and with the cars from other parts of Fife that work the town part of the week there must be nearly 100 in total. Also, most cars are doubled.

The towns population is about 18,000 with another 7,000 students for half the year. Bath must be around 100,000?

Population about 85,000 (on the figures I found but could be more). We have loads of students but,as the article said, they have a very good late night bus service. As Bath is small no need to get a taxi to cross town.

Also, just for info, not many cars have second drivers. Someone trying to lease out a plate waited six months before anyone showed interest.

I do understand both sides of the argument - just not sure how practical de-restriction would be here??

The flawed system that allowed them to buy the plates in the first place, however sussex buddy, thats a slight diverson.



This is the cruxed of the argument, it would seem again that the local taxi operators are merely asking for justification, if you call this justification, with the statement already made by the councillor....would you want them acting as judges if you were ever before them?

Captain cab

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