Taxi Driver Online

This the latest report from the DTI not of the press.

http://213.38.88.221/gnn/national.nsf/T ... endocument

P/2004/103

18 March 2004

GOVERNMENT ACTION PLAN PUTS CONSUMERS AND COMPETITION AT THE HEART OF THE TAXI
AND PRIVATE HIRE VEHICLE MARKET.

Local authorities in England and Wales will be asked to publicly
justify and regularly review taxi licence restrictions as part of a
Government action plan to improve service for consumers.

The plan, announced by the Department of Trade and Industry and the
Department for Transport, is the Government's response to the OFT's
report into the UK market for taxis and private hire vehicles.

It calls for:
* local decisions to restrict taxi numbers to be made with consumer
interests in mind;
* decisions on quantity controls to stay with the local district;
* increased competition in the taxi market;
* best practice guidance for licensing authorities on quality and
safety standards; and
* better information to enable consumers to negotiate lower fares.

Consumer Minister Gerry Sutcliffe said:

"These measures will help cut waiting times for consumers as well as
increase consumer choice and the availability of taxis. They will
also make it easier for people wanting to start their own taxi
business.

"Restrictions on numbers of taxis can be a barrier to market entry,
which can lead to lower consumer choice and lower taxi availability.

"But it is important that local authorities are allowed to regulate
local taxi markets to take exceptional local circumstances into
account. That is why we have decided not to remove this power from
local authorities at this time. But we're asking them to explain how
any imposed restrictions benefit consumers."

At present, local authorities in England and Wales, outside London,
can limit the number of licensed taxis allowed to operate in a local
area.

The OFT's report, published last year, said these restrictions were
not justified and called for the Government to remove local
authorities' power to limit licences.

It also called for best practice licensing guidance so that local
authorities could consider whether their quality standards, which
varied greatly within and between districts, were proportionate.

On taxi fares, the report said local authorities should set maximum
fare rates rather than mandatory rates, to enable consumers to
negotiate lower fares, while protecting vulnerable consumers from
being overcharged.

Following a full consultation, the Department for Transport will
issue the guidance to local authorities in England and Wales.

Local authorities will be asked to review any taxi licence
restrictions by 31 March 2005 and, where they cannot be justified,
lift the restrictions. Any restrictions that are justified will have
to be reviewed every three years and the results published.

Transport Minister Tony McNulty said:

"While keeping decisions on quantity control at the local level, we
shall shortly be writing to local authorities asking them to justify
their quantity control policy. During the summer, we hope to consult
on best practice licensing guidance, which will include model taxi
and private hire vehicle policies for the next round of Local
Transport Plans, with a view to publication by the end of the year.

"These developments, together with a review in three years' time of
those authorities that still restrict taxi licences, should lead to
more streamlined and improved taxi and private hire vehicle services
for the benefit of all."

_________________
Bryan Hoare ABC Taxis Horsham/Horsham Licenced Carriage Association/Southern Counties Allicance of Taxi Associations.

Can someone please tell me if I should be happy, or if I should be keeping my head down?:?

_________________
IDFIMH

At least it is back with the devil you know.

_________________
Bryan Hoare ABC Taxis Horsham/Horsham Licenced Carriage Association/Southern Counties Allicance of Taxi Associations.

And so it goes on. Couldn't they just say if restrictions are going or staying.

Now we wont know from one day to the next, what's happening.

A no score draw in my view.

Rocket science stuff from the Minister;

"Restrictions on numbers of taxis can be a barrier to market entry,
which can lead to lower consumer choice and lower taxi availability."

_________________
IDFIMH

Trust you to pick out that bit Sussex and to ignore the rest. The way I see it it has been left in control of local authorities, but the LA will have to prove unmet demand.

You work should now to centred at local level.

As for whether you should be "happy or hold you head down"

You should be happy that you can consentrate at local level to make any changes if indeed there is unmet demend in your area.

Or, hold you head down.. and buy a plate.

Scanner

I take it, it's not all over yet then.

Maybe it never will be, or maybe it will.

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

Well it is over as far as my area is concerned, as it has always offically backed local level control.... which is exactly where the control should be.

No I haven't ignored anything, I can assure you of that, and I will be keeping the pressure up locally, as well as nationally.

But Mr Scanners I would wait until the guidelines come out before crowing too much.

Will your council always have the same councillors? Will your council really want to spend time on further surveys and countless follow up meetings, now including latent demand?

One wonders how many plates in your area would have been issued if latent demand had been included in your last survey?

But perhaps the question that the DfT will ask, is the one that has never been answered by anyone in the trade i.e. what benefits do consumers gain by restricting taxi numbers?

Now thankfully, that question will have to be addressed the length and breadth of the country.

No more hiding behind the plate premium, no more hiding behind gutless councillors, in short, no more hiding.

Oh the fun we will have on TDO and elsewhere with this one.

_________________
IDFIMH

i don't think it's over anywhere. they are giving LAs every encouragement to remove limits withough changing legislation. and if nothing happens in 3 years they still have the option of chaging the law.

All of this is an absolute god sense for TDO.

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

What...... If........ How........Where........ When....... Clutching at straws as usual Sussex.

And I will point out that I am not "crowing" about anything. The correct decision has been made. Local Level. And any future changes in LA's as far as change of councillors goes will not affect anything. Its will all be at local level. Not national. So YOU will have to concentrate on Eastbourne now. YOU will have address YOUR complaints direct. It will make no difference now what other LA's do..It is all at local level.


"Will your council always have the same councillors?

Of course not but having different councillors does not necessarily mean they will have different views. However, again. it is best dealt with at local level. I hope the good relationship between the trade and the council will be as good as it has been with the fantastic support they have officially given so far.

Will your council really want to spend time on further surveys and countless follow up meetings, now including latent demand?

Yes, I have absolutely no doubt about this whatsoever.

And again.. I am not "crowing" about this at all...just presenting the facts.

Now thankfully, that question will have to be addressed the length and breadth of the country.

Oh the fun we will have on TDO and elsewhere with this one

What YOU can do now is give YOUR reports on YOUR local authority. You can report on here what YOU have done, what YOU are doing, and what progress you are making. And good luck to you as well. If you can strike up a good relationship with YOUR LA and work with them you may finally get what YOU want. You obviously have the time to do this.

Best of luck. Scanner

Its nothing, swept under the carpet to be forgotten, its the end of it all.

Sussex you aint getting your plate!

We will see.

_________________
IDFIMH

No, I'm not clutching, and your not crowing.

The thing is though, it's not a local issue, it's a moral one. Treating drivers differently, is wrong no-matter how one dresses it up.

But you are right, I will have to address this at a local level, but I will also address it at a national level.

As for making no difference what another LA does or doesn't do, well that's why the Gov bought in 'best practice', so that LAs have to take note of what others do.

_________________
IDFIMH