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| policy update http://taxi-driver.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=42154 |
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| Author: | grandad [ Thu Jan 08, 2026 11:52 am ] |
| Post subject: | policy update |
Our Council has recently conducted a consultation into a new taxi licensing policy. None of the suggestions raised by the trade were accepted and the policy has been passed by the director under delegated powers. However last night we had a drivers meeting with the licensing teasm and the chair and vice chair of the licensing committed and the portfolio holder in the cabinet. The director started by outlining that the Council were bound by legislation and best practice guidlines. I said that they were very selective as to which pard of the guidlines they decided to follow. I explained that the latest Government guideline stated that mandatory age limits on vehicle should not be used and it should be emmisions. The licensing officer then stated that the Council weere keeping the age limit of 10 years because that is what other districts near us were doing. When asked to say which districts she read out and around half of them had already changed their policy to state vehicles that met Euro 6. So after much "disccussion" the ditector agreed to look at it again. Next was drivers badges. I pointyed out that a standard 3 year license was not always appropriate especially for drivers who were over state pension age who may not be able to ccontinue for 3 years due to their own health or the heaslth of their partners which would see them have to retire. This was dismissed as agest. Because younger drivers would possible want the same. Currently a driver can request a 1 or 2 year license but only once. After that they must have a 3 year license. Again after much "discussion" the director agreed to look at this again. I asked how long this would take because some drivers and vehicles wouldd be coming off the road by July. The director said she would have a decision before the end of January. So we will have to wait and see. |
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| Author: | mancityfan [ Thu Jan 08, 2026 1:26 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: policy update |
They might lose control https://www.gov.uk/government/consultat ... e-vehicles |
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| Author: | mancityfan [ Thu Jan 08, 2026 1:30 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: policy update |
Regarding 1 or 3 year licenses, there should be no cost difference, it costs the same to produce a 3yr license as it does to produce a 1yr. Ask for a breakdown of the cost to produce both. |
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| Author: | grandad [ Thu Jan 08, 2026 3:11 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: policy update |
mancityfan wrote: Regarding 1 or 3 year licenses, there should be no cost difference, it costs the same to produce a 3yr license as it does to produce a 1yr. Ask for a breakdown of the cost to produce both. They said last night that they are loosing money on them. I said that was what was claimed years ago and after a time and motion study and a report from James Button the licensing fees were found to be double the cost that they needed to be. |
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| Author: | StuartW [ Sat Jan 10, 2026 3:34 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: policy update |
Grandad wrote: The director started by outlining that the Council were bound by legislation and best practice guidlines. You can't be *bound* by *guidelines*. That's oxymoronic. Or something like that  For what it's worth, we've always had a one-year or three-year badge option in Fife. (And same with plates, but not sure that's possible under the English legislation.) |
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| Author: | StuartW [ Sat Jan 10, 2026 3:36 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: policy update |
And not sure about the argument that it costs the same to process a three-year badge as a one-year badge, since over three years they're having to do the same process three times if it's a three one-year badges, as opposed to one three-year badge 
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| Author: | Sussex [ Sat Jan 10, 2026 8:32 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: policy update |
StuartW wrote: And not sure about the argument that it costs the same to process a three-year badge as a one-year badge, since over three years they're having to do the same process three times if it's a three one-year badges, as opposed to one three-year badge Lost me on that one. 
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| Author: | grandad [ Mon Jan 12, 2026 8:56 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: policy update |
StuartW wrote: And not sure about the argument that it costs the same to process a three-year badge as a one-year badge, since over three years they're having to do the same process three times if it's a three one-year badges, as opposed to one three-year badge Ah but the cost of the one year badge that we used to have was trebled when it went to a 3 year badge. The argument was, and should be, that the cost of a 3 year badge should be no more than a one year badge. |
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| Author: | wannabeeahack [ Thu Feb 05, 2026 3:40 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: policy update |
Quote: I pointyed out that a standard 3 year license was not always appropriate especially for drivers who were over state pension age who may not be able to ccontinue for 3 years due to their own health or the heaslth of their partners which would see them have to retire. Over 60 a YEARLY medical is required and a 3 year badge exceeding the badge expiry date IS possible but unlikely, Wolverhampton (boo hiss) were aware of this and limit badges to medical expiry dates |
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| Author: | grandad [ Fri Feb 06, 2026 5:28 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: policy update |
mancityfan wrote: Regarding 1 or 3 year licenses, there should be no cost difference, it costs the same to produce a 3yr license as it does to produce a 1yr. Ask for a breakdown of the cost to produce both. We did that before. However they are now saying that they lose money on 1 and 2 year badges so if we make to much noise they may just make all of them the same price. The higher one. |
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| Author: | StuartW [ Fri Feb 06, 2026 6:01 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: policy update |
Meant to reply to this one at the time, but kind of forgot  But my point was really just stating the obvious. MCF's post makes it sound like it doesn't cost the council any more to process one-year badges as opposed to three-year badges. But, of course, a council offering only one-year badges as opposed to a council offering only three-year badges will have three times the workload, crudely speaking. So it's not really fair for a council saying to drivers that if they renew annually then it's £100, but if they renew every three years then it's £300, say. The three one-year badges means three times the workload of one three-year badge 
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| Author: | grandad [ Mon Feb 09, 2026 12:19 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: policy update |
StuartW wrote: So it's not really fair for a council saying to drivers that if they renew annually then it's £100, but if they renew every three years then it's £300, say. The three one-year badges means three times the workload of one three-year badge When the legislation was brought in it was supposed to cost the same for a 3 year badge as the cost was for a one year badge, or even less because the cost of the one year badge was say £100 so it cost no more to make it a 3 year badge but it could save the Council money by not having to process 3 badges in that 3 year period. And this is exactly what happened at our Council when the 3 year badge was introduced. However some smart arse at some Council or other decided that they would increase the cost of the 3 year badge to 3 times the price of the 1 year badge and this was not challenged and other Councils followed suit, including ours. At the time I was a Councillor and I tried to object and I actually got the licensing team to carry out a time and motion study to find out how long the process takes. I had got hold of a similar study from another Council. To cut a long story short our Councils study was not very accurate but I could not get anywhere as a Councillor so I resigned and asked questions at full Council as a member of the public and accused the Council of fraud because they were putting hours of work down for at least one license that had not been applied for. This resulted in them getting James Button to look at their numbers and we subsequently got the prices reduced but not back to where they were. Now they have been steadily rising again. |
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