Taxi Driver Online

Hard times blamed for illegal taxi fares


The owner of a Northampton cab firm has blamed the credit crunch for the number of drivers who pick up illegal fares even though they know what they are doing is wrong.

It is illegal for private hire drivers to pick up people at the side of the road and if they do they are technically not insured for the journey.

To tackle the problem, Northampton Borough Council has held a number of stings to track down private hire drivers who illegally ply for trade.

But cab firm owner Steven Ward told the council's licensing committee this week that he knew many drivers seemed willing to take the risk of being caught.

He said: "It's terrible for the drivers who've been caught, but I can see why they're doing it.

"There's not a lot of work out there at the moment, but that doesn't excuse them. Two of my drivers got caught in the last operation, one for the second time. I couldn't believe it."

Unlike London-style Hackney cabs, private hire cars must be pre-booked through the company's operator and the drivers must not look for business on the streets.

If they accept a fare, even after being flagged down by a potential customer, they invalidate their insurance.

So far, Northampton Borough Council has had 14 stings on private hire drivers and 52 have been caught out.

Following the operations, drivers are taken to court by the authority and the majority have been fined for their actions.

Members of the council's licensing committee said they realised times were hard for private hire drivers, but said they had no sympathy for those breaking the law and warned the undercover checks would continue.

Councillor Roger Conroy (Lib Dem, Spencer) said: "They know they shouldn't be doing this, end of story.

"So if they do it and they get caught, I'm afraid I don't have that much sympathy for any of them."

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

A tad too honest there methinks.

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IDFIMH

Punishment

Solve the problem; confiscate the car for being uninsured and remove the driver’s taxi badge, if this happens to enough of them the rest will fall back in line!

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Watch out curiosity killed the cat

I wonder what Mr Ward is doing to help his drivers through these difficult times

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

I think he'd feel a whole lot more awful if he lost his operators license for not having reasonable control of his vehicles

CC

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

Here here captain cab my sentiments entirely

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Watch out curiosity killed the cat

Probably got a sign in the window saying Wanted Owner Drivers & Drivers no doubt.

Yeah probably

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

Which is why I wrote that PH should be regulated the other day, I've yet to meet a firm owner who goes to his drivers and asks, are you doing ok yet, funny thing is if the law was practiced properly there is a ruling that a PH company can only licence the number of cars it has parking for, unworkable I know but a newer system should be in place by now where unallocated cars wait in industrial estates and shopping village car parks until they get a job sent to them.

I used to rip my hair out when I was PH and 3 new cars started on a Monday after I'd struggled all weekend.

In response to the original post though, the owner is openly admitting he doesn't have the work for his cars, and I appreciate the guys honestly, but to allow his fleet to go do what it likes is exactly the same as me loading up the shopping trolley and doing a Madeley with it (C4 hubby & wife show) and once stopped, saying it's not my fault I didn't managed to earn the money to pay for it last week but as we needed it we took it.

Remind me where that is written down.

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IDFIMH

Wouldn't that be seen as plying for hire?

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Grandad,

It probably would but if taken sensibly it shouldn't. Cars can't be seen to be driving around and around in circles it's silly and wasteful. PH like HC have to be able to pull over and wait for a job. I appreciate that not all drivers are like me and if approached will take a job that isn't booked but the majority won't. We have a strict council here who employ people to try and catch PH out so it's not worth the risk. I can understand why some take the risk cos they have mouths to feed etc and I don't have any of that so it's only me who'll starve if I don't earn any money. There are no perfect systems or solutions to anything but to aim for the best you can expect is a start. I also think if there wasn't such a divide between the HC & PH trade things may actually improve for everybody but that is of course only my opinon

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

I also think if there wasn't such a divide between the HC & PH trade things may actually improve for everybody but that is of course only my opinon[/quote]


Agree with that, funny thing though we never used to have back when I started, only seems to have come to the front over the last ten years or so.

Agree with that, funny thing though we never used to have back when I started, only seems to have come to the front over the last ten years or so.[/quote]

That'll explain why it's all I know cos I haven't been in the job for 10 years

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

I'll try and find it for you, I think I'll have to look at my councils policies under the opp license conditions, it's no lie though, I only came across it when I was about to buy a PH firm that worked from a shop with no parking, it all got ignored with 12 car fleet, but as I wanted to build it up it would've become a problem, and the two others I was going to partner at the time soon found it out when they arrived with another 13 OD's after the buyout.