Taxi Driver Online

Move to end black market in Manx taxi plates


MEASURES to reform the Isle of Man's taxi trade have been drawn up.
Following talks with the trade, the Department of Transport has made recommendations that it says will 'give the industry a platform to develop while safeguarding the interests of the travelling public and improving the service to them'.

The measures involve removing the distinction between private hire taxis, which are booked over the phone, and ply-for-hire taxis — which wait for business at ranks — to create a 'single-tier taxi service for the Isle of Man'.

The numbers of taxis on the roads would be limited by demand.

Further measures proposed include preventing taxi drivers/operators making money from the trading or renting of taxi plates and introducing financial and quality controls for those applying for a taxi licence.

Controls would include the requirement for vehicles less than two years old to be wheelchair-friendly, taxis more than 10 years old would not be relicensed for further use as a taxi and the introduction of a £10,000 surety bond to dissuade frivolous taxi driver applicants.

The recommendations follow talks and correspondence between the department, the taxi trade and other bodies, including the Road Traffic Licensing Committee (RTLC).

Transport Minister David Anderson will seek Tynwald approval to go out to consultation on the recommendations and report back by June.

'Going out to consultation will give the trade and general public the opportunity to make comments on the recommendations before they are brought forward,' he said.

If he fails to attract Tynwald support, Mr Anderson will ask for schedule two of the Road Transport Act 2001 to be revoked.

The taxi industry is regulated by the RTLC under the Road Transport Act, which was intended to provide an Islandwide ply-for-hire taxi service and remove the barrier to entry to the trade caused by the limitation on numbers.

Temporary provisions, under schedule two of the act, were brought in to give the taxi trade a five-year 'breathing space'.

But there are claims these provisions have created a black market value in taxi plates.

Schedule two was due to be revoked from the act in 2007 at the end of the five years, but was extended for a further year.

At the May 2008 sitting of Tynwald, David Callister MLC successfully proposed an adjournment of a debate on revoking schedule two to allow further consultation to take place between the department and the taxi trade.

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

No quick-fix for taxi trade


David Callister, MLC

It will take "as long it takes" to resolve the long-standing issue of whether to deregulate the taxi trade in the Isle of Man.

That's the view of a member of the group appointed by the chief minister to come up with recommendations for a way forward.

David Callister, MLC, says there have been problems with the taxi trade for 20 years, and as the industry has evolved so more issues have come to the fore.

Consultation takes a great deal of time and we will get back as fast as we can.The group has come up with a number of recommendations, including a proposal to combine private hire with ply for hire, as many people don't understand the difference between the two.

Tynwald has agreed such matters need to go out to further consultation, with the group due to report back by June this year.

However, Mr Callister thinks that time scale may be unrealistic.

He told Manx Radio:

"If we can get back by June [we will], but bear in mind you've got Easter in the meantime [and] you've got TT fortnight. I think we will get back as fast as we can.

"Consultation takes quite a long time and especially if you have to have face to face interviews with people, and we had a lot of those in the first study.

"It takes a great deal of time."

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

I suppose this will go down like a lead balloon

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

As Manx has its own laws, why dont they look at the UK ones and just derestrict cab numbers,

Send them one of your famous e-mails, but remember not to send it to the United States.

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IDFIMH

maybe the IOM could be the first to introduce a one-tier passenger licence, and drop the HC/PH crap, bout time.............

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

You mean like Northern Ireland

CC

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

dunno, never been to new zealand

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

Eh! what's New Zealand got to do with it

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

sorry, I forgot about Toots...

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the Northern Island and the Southern Island), and numerous smaller islands, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands. The indigenous Māori named New Zealand Aotearoa, commonly translated as The Land of the Long White Cloud. The Realm of New Zealand also includes the Cook Islands and Niue (self-governing but in free association); Tokelau; and the Ross Dependency (New Zealand's territorial claim in Antarctica).


it was a whimsy, a red herring, a curved ball....

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

Toots, how about this then?

The IOM issue?

i dont think they have a leg to stand on, leg to stand on, leg to stand on...

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

Which was the Northern Island or the New Zealand

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

Its misinformation.. a bit like calling someone bright.

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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!

Not much chance of me being called bright today. It's gone straight over my head I'm clueless

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

you cant be expected to be clever AND good looking can you....


(which is it to be then?)

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