Taxi Driver Online

Bridlington Free Press

January 26, 2005

New legal hope for taxi drivers

TAXI drivers hope a 19th century public health act could scupper plans to create a free-for-all for cabbies in East Yorkshire.

East Riding of Yorkshire Council's decision to replace individual licensing areas with a single East Riding zone and standardised fares could now depend on a decision by the Secretary of State.

The council wants to bring in the changes from April this year but before it can it has to dissolve part of the 1875 public health act relating to the licensing of Hackney cabs which would remove the existing five licensing zones.


As a local authority it hasn't the power to do that, the act can only be changed at government level.

People wanting to object to the council not applying section 171(4) of the public health act 1875 in respect of licensing and regulation of Hackney Carriages within the East Riding have to make their view known in writing to the Director of Social Services, Housing and Public Protection, East Riding of Yorkshire Council, County Hall, Beverley HU17 9BA by January 28.

Cabbies say a single licensing zone will hit business and mean higher fares for Bridlington people.

A spokesman for East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said: "Anything we received will be forwarded to the Secretary of State."

Dave North of the Bridlington Taxi Association said his group will be objecting to the public health act changes.

"Drivers and owners have already done individual "no to de-zoning" letters which we are sending to the national Private Hire Association which has taken up the matter on behalf of all East Riding area drivers," he said.

A petition of more than 1,500 objectors in Bridlington has also been given to Bridlington MP Greg Knight who volunteered to take it to Westminster and the Secretary of State on their behalf.

Brian Roland, general secretary of the National Private Hire Association, claimed the council was pushing through the deregulation and zoning changes as a knee-jerk response to guidelines from the Office of Fair Trading and a government view that current regulations reduced the availability of cabs and restricted those wanting to set up taxi businesses.

"They failed as an authority to give sufficient consideration to taxis and private hire when putting together their five-year transport strategy plan.

"It is now being pushed through without considering the consequences on the ground," said Mr Roland.

He has already had meetings with ERYC officials and says he is hoping for a further meeting to discuss the issues involved.
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I just wonder what it was that East Riding failed to do when they were accused of not giving sufficient consideration to taxis and private hire in their five year transport plans? Could it have been the same lack of consideration shown by practically every other licensing authority in the UK?

Regards

JD