Taxi Driver Online

When the going gets tough ................................ Sussex .................... Sussex ............................ SUSSEX

oh never mind.

B. Lucky

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"Here's a simple solution. If you don't want to pay more for a premium service then wait in the queue, problem solved".
Skull on TDO

TF pi$$ed on his chips.

According to everything that is written on here regarding deregulated areas I am surprised you would want any change at all.... you should be working in Taxi Paradise

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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!

You must be joking.

New legislation, one tier system, stringent quality controls for vehicles & drivers, stringent knowledge tests for all drivers, police to enforce, new national taxi regulator with regional officers, mandatory taximeters in all taxis, statutory duty for councils to appoint taxi ranks on reasonable request, national 'one tout & your out' law, criminal convictions for unlicensed plying & using unlicensed vehicles as 'taxis' with vehicle confiscation, minimum dress code for drivers, etc., etc.,

And that's just for starters!!!

PS Those chimpanzees are still dancing to the wrong tempo for Riverdance.

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Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

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Disagree with other members' views;
But please, do have some decorum,
When debating on the TDO Forum.

Ahh like London before they licensed PH?

CC

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Couldn't agree more.

I don't see why the police cannot be educated on the laws of illegal plying for hire. At present they simply stand and watch illegal plying for hire taking place as though it is none of their business. They have a complete disregard for upholding the law in this respect. In reality there is a constant enforcement presence on the streets 24 hours a day seven days a week and yet they are not utilised. The law doesn't say local licensing officers shall be the only body empowered to police breaches of licensing law. Touting is a statutory offence under the criminal justice act and illegal plying for hire should come under the same category in fact there is no reason why illegal plying for hire should not be included in that section. It could also incorporate a clearer definition of buses plying for hire other than the definition in the 1985 act.

Enforcement need not be a problem because the tools of enforcement have been in place ever since Robert Peel set up the police force in 1829. There have been many instances of police enforcing the law so they certainly can do, if they want to?

There is no need for all this nonsense about licensing officers requiring further power and additional resources because the power and resources are already out there on the street.

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.

I don't know about all this but I think it sounds quite reasonable. There is one thing that is never mentioned and that is the ability to drive a vehicle safely. Ok we've all passed our driving test (well at least that's the theory) but surely if the responsibility of transporting passengers is to be taken seriously surely an advanced driving test should be implemented. I think it's about time that the job of a professional taxi driver was recgonised as a serious profession, instead of something every Tom, Dick or Toots can just jump into when they feel like it, usually Christmas or being laid off. Education, qualifications and much tighter regs is the key. I mean would you get on the Plane if the Pilot wasn't trained!!!?

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

Wow, where did that picture come from, lol. What happened to the daft duck thingy!!

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

By licensing Private Hire the mindset of the PH driver changes completely!!

I started in this 'game' in 1973, so I know just a bit about what I am going to write here. I became a Hackney Carriage driver in 1979.

In 1973 I started as a part-time mini-cab driver in Stoney Lane, Sparkhill in Birmingham, working for a small firm of about 6-8 drivers run by would you believe a Cockney chap.

There were very few mini-cab firms in those days employing small numbers of drivers in Birmingham & I would guess that there were about 15 firms employing about 200-250 drivers in total. We used to pay 15p per job then to the Cockney fella.

One of the first things I asked the Cockney was, "Is this legal, because I drive a car, but those black taxis seem to be the real McKoy? Is it legal to drive a car & charge passengers for journeys?"

He assured me that it was legal, because there was no law that stopped mini-cabs operating.

But at the back of my mind I was always dubious about the job & careful what I did, only picking up pre-bookings.

Then a few years later along came the LG (MP) Act 1976 & after driving for a few mini-cab firms down the road, I became a licensed PH driver, driving a licensed PHV.

Do you know what? I now knew I was legitimate because I was licensed by the council. My mind-set changed completely.

Where as before I would go into say, a Bingo Hall or pub to pick up & ask for who called for a car, now I would go in & shout at the top of my voice, "NE Cars, car for Mrs Brown!" And I knew I was doing nothing wrong, because I was licensed by the council.

Before being licensed there was hesitancy as to whether I was acting legally, because nothing told me that I was legal & I knew those black taxis were legally licensed.

Needless to say there was a massive influx into the licnesed PH trade after 1976 & the same has or will continue to happen in London after the legitimisation of mini-cab with the PHV (L) Act 1998.

Once the mini-cab trade became legally, licensed PH, those who would have previously though twice about becoming a mini-cab driver but didn't, because they were not sure of the legal status of mini-cabs, would now not hesitate in the slightest, as it is obvious that the PH trade is now legitimate with its own legislation governing the PH trade.

After writing that, what is curious is that the legislators that enacted the PHV (L) Act 1998 MUST have know that the LG (MP) Act 1976 although legitimising mini-cab as licensed PH, just was not working in the rest of the country & had not been since its inseption. By that I do not mean to be disparaging to those in the PH trade who do their job 100% legitimately. But they are few & far between throughout the country & now in London.

Both Acts are just not enforceable, because the manpower & costs required to do that job properly is out of all proportion to what authorities perceive to be reasonable & value for money.

The Acts will NEVER be enforced to the level that they should be. And IMO if legislation is not reasonably easily enforceable, then it never was or is now NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE.

_________________
Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

Type a message, post your news,
Disagree with other members' views;
But please, do have some decorum,
When debating on the TDO Forum.

A powerful argument for new legislation that works in the 21st century.

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.

I am so glad you have written that post.

For some time now I have thought exactly the same, but have gone one step further in my thinking, to what I regard as a quite risky level.

Let's say for instance there was a line of 10-15 PHVs standing outside a venue & clearly plying & touting. And about 5-10 Hackney drivers decided to call the police to the incident, who eventually turned up. The Hackney drivers could then point out the law to the police that attended, quoting the various legislation. The police collar numbers of those officers & constables attending would have been noted by the Hackney drivers by now. As is quite usual, the police would probably do nothing & drive away.

I wonder what would happen if a letter then went to the IPCC, stating all the full facts of the incident, & alleging dereliction of duty, a quite serious accusation, by the police that had attended, after having been witnessed by a number of Hackney drivers?

A very high risk strategy, because as we all know it may well then become a priority, but against the Hackney trade in revenge.

_________________
Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

Type a message, post your news,
Disagree with other members' views;
But please, do have some decorum,
When debating on the TDO Forum.

Brummie... it would seem from your Post that you wish to do away with hackneys entirely and from the ashes will arise a private hire industry with the ability to very occasionally pick up from the road.... I do not think the rest of the Hackney Trade would support your vision....

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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!

Now that's what I call quality.

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

..... 'very occasionally pick up from the road' .....

Since Birmingham de-regulated/-restricted/-limited, (hope that pleases everyone), one thing that has become apparent - although I am certainly not a fan of that policy - is that there has definitely been a quite substantial increase in the number of people using Hackneys & for that matter PH in Brum. Threre is no doubt about that.

Now, for a moment let's you & I have a 72 hour dream that from midnight tonight PH will completely & utterly stop plying, touting & generally illegally picking up passengers all over the country, for 72 hours.

Do you honestly think that the Hackney trade could cope with the volume of work that would now be about & that we as a Hackney trade could cope with the demand, on the streets, ranks, stations, airports etc., etc., never mind the circuit work that a lot of Hackneys subscribe to? I very much doubt if we would cope in Brum.

In making that point we should all in the Hackney trade be aware of just how much illegal work is picked up off the streets by PH. They are already doing it & the chances of them being caught are about X000,000 to 1. So they are going to continue doing it for ever & ever & ever. No one is going to stop them, ever; it's not a priority.

So, isn't it better to enact new legislation that is mandatory, obligatory & compulory throughout the UK, without ambiguity & with a national taxi regulator to ensure uniformity of regulation & functionality?

And that does not mean that Hackneys would disappear. On the contrary the Hackney laws would be the starting point, but with legislation fit for the 21st Century.

And if taximeters were mandatory in all taxis in a one tier system, the starting point for fares would be a level playing field. Granted that fares could be discounted, but at least the Table of Fares would be uniform throughout the taxi trade.

I can see you do not agree by your post & unfortunately that is the cab trade all over, strong opinions wherever you go in the country. And everyone has a right to there own opinion.

It was for a reason, that I wrote in the second line of this post the words, 'de-regulated/-restricted/-limited'. That was to show that we can't even decide what to call it as a trade & argue about this triviality as if it was so very important.

And anyone in the Hackney and PH trades that still thinks that the current legislation is fit for purpose in the 21st Century is akin to the King that said;

"Let all men know how empty and worthless is the power of kings. For there is none worthy of the name but God, whom heaven, earth and sea obey".

So spoke King Canute the Great, the legend says, seated on his throne on the seashore, waves lapping round his feet. He had his throne carried to the seashore and sat on it as the tide came in, commanding the waves to advance no further.

It's time the King Canutes realised that the tides are changing. But that does not mean surrender, because tides ebb & flow.


PS Those chimpanzees are still dancing to the wrong beat & tempo for Riverdance.

_________________
Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

Type a message, post your news,
Disagree with other members' views;
But please, do have some decorum,
When debating on the TDO Forum.

I think it would probably be easier.... to simply allow the private hire to pick up off the road on the weekends

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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!

What gets me is that you cannot book a PH car on a weekend for love nor money ..................... I wonder why?

B. Lucky

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"Here's a simple solution. If you don't want to pay more for a premium service then wait in the queue, problem solved".
Skull on TDO

TF pi$$ed on his chips.