Taxi Driver Online

Anyone operating Taxi/PH in the New expanded Cheshire area is about to be hit with a proposed 43% hike in Licensing fees, I would like to know if this is happening in other areas, your comments may well help to see if this is a nationwide hidden directive to fleece us all.

I have already contacted my MP and he's been in touch with the DFT but so far no action.

Is that the Chester, Ellesmere Port thingy that merged recently

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

I have raised a petition on the Government website under the transport section titled "Overtaxedjobs" ( note no spaces between words ) the site is http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/overtaxedjobs/ If you think a 43% hike in fees is ridiculous please sign it so no other authority can try it on in future.

If you take a look at the cheshire area on a map you will see its a vast area.

We had a 46% hike last year and we are supposed to be having similar hikes for the next 3 years. Apparently the taxi/PH licensing is being subsidised and the rise is to make it self financing and then the strange bit, "to bring prices in line with neiboring councils." what the hell that has to do with it I don't know.

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Grandad,

If thats the case, then it may well be a secret directive to increase fees by central Government, which I find offensive.

Did your Authority hold any discussions with the trade before implementing the hike ?

I would have thought that they could only increase it by the rate of inflation.
I would contact the traffic commissioner and bring it to his or her attention, even the council ombudsman may help

No discussions were held with the trade. The reason for the hike, from the council point of view, was because they were having to subsidise taxi/PH licensing. I will say that our costs were quite low. I have just looked again it was actually a 44% hike from £75 to £108 per year. We have not had confirmation of this years increase yet.

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Grandad,

what are your fees?

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

£108 for vehicle plate, either once or twice per year depending on age but twice a year for my limos regardless of age. You get a reduction of 25% for gas or electric vehicles and a 25% reduction for a WAV.
£56 for drivers badge per year
£129 for an "o" license for 2 years

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Grandad,

Licensing should cover the costs of the licensing regime.
What next door charges, the rate of inflation or anything else has nothing to do with it.

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http://wingsoverscotland.com/ http://www.newsnetscotland.com/

That is basically what I said to our LO, although I think I may have perhaps used the odd expletive or two.

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Grandad,

and if a neighbouring area charges less i assume they stick to price matching?

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

Taxi or Ph vehicle £300 annual

Additional 6 month test £100 Bi-annual

Private Hire Operator fee £345 ( lasts 5 years)

I note that today Gordon Brown says he will everything possible to "Get the country back on its feet !

Considering the Road Tax hike, the Licensing Fees, inreases in basic contributions and class4 and once again the rising fuel prices that they do nothing about ...................I think we will all be back on our feet fairly
soon as we won't be able to afford to run with the loss of incomes we are seeing now.

That seems quite a hike.

I take it you or some of your colleagues have objected formally against the increases? Which should have been advertised in the local press.

Ask them why they need such an increase?

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IDFIMH

Nothing to do with central Gov.

The law states that vehicle license fees can only be used to fund the services of the taxi/PH licensing function i.e. staff, enforcement, licensing bureaucracy.

Driver license fees must only be set to cover the costs of processing the license. So unless processing costs have gone up 43%, then your council is in breach of Manchester-v-King.

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IDFIMH