Taxi Driver Online

From March 31st motorists and in particular cab drivers will face an unprecedented onslaught from over zealous parking enforcers who will no doubt feel doubly empowered by the new parking laws that have been added to the Traffic Management Act 2004.

I am convinced that the UK taxi trade consisting of both hackney carriage and private hire drivers are somewhat apathetic to the reality of what is about to befall them?

There will be no more ranking up on double yellow lines outside places of entertainment and no more setting down or picking up of passengers on yellow lines that prohibit stopping of any kind.

There will be no more parking outside Taxi offices on prohibited yellow lines and it is unlikely that verbal warnings will be given to move on.

I suggest all UK local taxi associations consult with their local licensing committee and work out a sensible code of practice for dropping off and picking up of passengers and ranking up outside places of public gatherings where there are no official Taxi ranks. In other words try and get an official code of practice in writing that will stand you in good stead should you need to appeal.

Another huge problem is going to be rank overhangs, anyone overhanging a rank will be a prime target for over zealous traffic enforcers.

There are of course many double yellow lines that allow you to set down and pick up passengers within a limited time frame, they also allow you load and unload but what they don’t allow you to do is sit and ply for hire.

Traffic Wardens are to be renamed “civil enforcement officers”, they will have the power to issue tickets if they witness a parking offence, without even having to attach the notice to a vehicle. The enforcer could be a hundred yards away or hid in a concealed place and all they need do is take down the number of your license plate and you will get a ticket in the post. Video cameras are to be used for the first time outside of London and these present a particular danger to cabs in the course of their employment.

I expect we will be hearing many horror stories in the coming weeks associated with Taxi driver parking fines so be vigilant and let’s hope it isn’t you or I.

Regards

JD

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Copyright notice © The contents of this post are copyright of JD and are not to be reproduced outside of TDO without written permission.

Good advice, JD

I was on the phone today..............

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

Its prudent to start a dialogue on the situation, at least it shows you are concerned about the possible consequences to Taxi drivers. If you get a negative response from the council then you can inform your colleagues accordingly. If you get a positive response then all well and good.

Regards

JD

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Copyright notice © The contents of this post are copyright of JD and are not to be reproduced outside of TDO without written permission.

The Council takes on the Traffic Management Act 2004 (Part 6 - Parking
etc) in its entirety. We won't be issuing pcn's as a result of CCTV
actions for the foreseeable future, nor will we be clamping or towing
away. We will however be serving pcn's through the post in compliance
with Regulation 10 of the Act. I would suggest that any person wanting
information about what we are doing should log into the following
website. http://www.patrol-uk.info/

All Councils that are participating in Civil Parking Enforcement have
combined together to produce the website that is full of information and
all that anyone would wish to know about CPE.

Best of luck and kindest regards

Kevin Mulholland
Operations Manager - Parking Services

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

So no parking outside night clubs on double yellow lines and when he says you will be getting fines in the post he means visual pcn's. So if you drop somebody off on restricted yellow lines then don't be surprised if you get a fine in the post.

Regards

JD

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Copyright notice © The contents of this post are copyright of JD and are not to be reproduced outside of TDO without written permission.

Hackney in Sefton are allowed to stop on double yellow lines.... to pick up and drop off... a maximum of five minutes... we are not allowed to stop on double yellow lines that are part of a clear way..

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

We've had CCTV enforcement for the last two years.

So far the score is:

GBC: 3

Council: 2

I'm hoping to take a further lead sometime in 2008.

We had a situation today.

Unbeknownst to me, I was the third car sent to pick up an old lady from a precinct. The nearest seating is inside the precinct about 50 yards away and out of sight of where we pull up. I understand the first cars we refused consent to leave their vehicles to go and fetch the lady and instructed to move on.

A phone call to the council workede wonders; The Civil Enforcement Officers (all three of them!!) were told to back off very shortly afterwards.

Of course, I had no prior knowledge of this and thought I had just picked up a moaning old biddy who needed treating with tact. I wish my controller would give me a bit more information at times!!

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Life? Don't talk to me about life!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjm2eslm6hI

We've had civil parking enforcement up here for years, and to be honest I don't think it's made a whole lot of difference - for a start, the officers work much the same hours, so at night the taxis still park outside pubs and clubs on double yellows.

If I remember correctly it was more about it being easier to collect fines from people who didn't pay through civil rather than criminal procedures.

Of course, there's been the usual hysteria on the ITN News etc about CCTV cameras and the like, but I'd be surprised if things change hugely.