Taxi Driver Online

Cabbies will continue to fight tougher rules


A court decision means that taxi cabs in the city are set to be painted blue.
Hackney cab drivers took their case against Bristol City Council's plans for a uniform livery to the High Court.

Their legal challenge was turned down by Mr Justice Plender yesterday.

But cabbies told the Post they will continue to fight the plans.

Shaffiq Ahmed, chairman of the Taxi Club, which represents hackney carriage drivers, said he would be looking at the possibilities of appealing but members may be forced to strike again if the council does not agree to a compromise.

The authority brought in a raft of measures for the carriages last spring but drivers objected to the cost of meeting the new requirements and striked in April.

Mr Ahmed and the Bristol Hackney Carriage Association launched the judicial review in London.

Philip Engelman, representing the two organisations, said Bristol City Council had failed to properly consult over proposed changes.

The Hackney drivers were also concerned about the cost of a seven-year upper age limit on cars, restrictions on vehicle advertising and the provision of facilities for the disabled.

Mr Justice Plender dismissed the case and refused permission to seek judicial review.

Mr Ahmed said: "Most crippling of all is being asked to re-spray vehicles within two years from May at a cost of £4,000 upwards and with no financial help from the city council."

Hackney cabs which can be flagged down in the street should not be confused with private hire cars which must be pre-booked.

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

How much cheaper are the legal fees to fight the proposal??

It would have been cheaper if they'd been correctly advised in the first place.

CC

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

Can anyone put them in touch with Aubrey Isaacson Solicitor in Prestwich Manchester. Stockport challenged a "Green" policy a few years ago and won.
JD may have the case notes.

I have

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

Bristol cabbies lose bid to stop blue-only taxi rule


Private hire taxi drivers will not be allowed blue cars in Bristol, while a legal ruling means Hackney carriages will be forced to adopt a uniform colour despite protests.

Last year the city council decided all 712 Hackney carriages in Bristol should be re-sprayed dark blue to create a uniform city image, much like New York's yellow cabs.

Angry drivers staged protests and went on strike, claiming they were not properly consulted, that re-spraying the fleet could cost £1.8 million and three years was not enough time to comply.

The Bristol Hackney Carriage Organisation (BCHO) mounted a legal challenge, claiming drivers' human rights had been violated.

But at a recent hearing at the High Court, Mr Justice Plender ruled the authority had done nothing wrong.

The organisation, made up of union Unite and Taxi Club Association members, had seven days to appeal but, according to the council, has not done so.

Now the council has announced, to avoid confusion with Hackney cabs, no blue private hire taxis will be allowed in future.

The decision was branded "ridiculous" by one private hire operator, although another welcomed the move.

The public safety scrutiny committee unanimously agreed that from April 1 the council will grant no new applications for a private hire vehicle licence if they are blue, and existing blue vehicles will only be licensed until May 1, 2011.

A spokesman for private hire firm B&D Taxis, in Fishponds Road, said: "It's ridiculous. It's very unfair for someone who has just bought a car to have to pay £2,500 to £3,000 to have it resprayed.

"We have around 70 drivers and quite a few have blue cars."

But Abdul Niazi, manager of Swiftline Taxis in Hotwells Road, said: "I think for public safety having one colour is a good thing, and it should be the same for private hire.

"It could be a problem for someone who has just bought a car but they've given you time to sort that out. You would normally buy a new car within four years anyway, now you just won't be able to buy blue which isn't a heartache really."

Martyn Lawrence, of the BHCO, submitted a statement to yesterday's meeting asking the authority to look again.

He said: "We are not opposed to a uniform colour for the Bristol taxi fleet. We believe an alternative approach may have achieved the same goal but without the need for expensive resprays.

"We ask all persons directly responsible fully re-visit and re-examine the way these changes can best be achieved for the better good of everyone concerned."

The legal challenge had also objected to the council's decision to ban advertising on taxis, a 10-year lifespan on vehicles and a ban on selling a vehicle as a "going concern".

Councillors and officials said they were pleased with the court's decision.
Legal adviser Pauline Powell said: "The council won on all points. Drivers alleged unfairness in what they called the three-year re-spray, the court said the decision was lawful, it was the same with advertising and the 10-year life."

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

There seems to be a couple of anomolies between the 2 versions above. One states the age limit at 7 years and the other at 10 years. How can the cost of a respray be £2500-3000 in one article and upwards of £4000 in the other. I would certainly shop around at those prices because I can get my limos completly resprayed for a lot less than that. Have they also considered having a car covered in vynal of the correct colour so that when they get rid of it they can simply put it back to the original colour.

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Grandad,

A decent respray is 1500-2000, but it's still an expense a driver can do without, I suggest they allow any shade of metallic dark blue or pick a colour that's more accessable/popular, dark blue isn't a good choice as it looks like other colours at night, one way around it would be to pick a uniform colour from either light or dark shades and insist PH cannot have the same shades while being able to retain a colour choice, i.e silver based metallics would be ok in any colour and burgundy red, black etc wouldn't be allowed on a PHC to distinguish the cars 24 hours a day.


Whoever suggested blue must be a rovers fan rather than a city one.

If they want a colour rule then that's one thing, but why not let existing coloured vehicles remain the same until such times they die.

Making existing vehicles change in a couple of years time is not reasonable, and only a two-bob council would propose such a thing.

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IDFIMH

Yep....I agree entirely.

CC

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