Hello everyone
Last week I attended a "Taxi Working Party" meeting in Gateshead, I was shocked by some of the requests from Gatesheads Largest PH operator.
As normal we asked the council to review their plate policy as more and more of our branch members are suffering financial hardship. The Chairman of the meeting Mr Richard Ferry, explained that he was inundated with requests for HC vehicle and driver licenses which proved unmet demand.
The representatives from Dean Taxis in Gateshead called for the council to attatch conditions to the WAV HC plates to force them to work for a Licensed Operator, as since deregulation the company had struggled to attract new drivers and was struggling to cover their work, particular emphasis was placed upon the work from the disabled community. We suggested that he just plated WAVs as PH, something he objected to as he wouldn't be able to charge drivers of PH WAVs as much as he charges drivers of HC WAVs.
We then suggested that Dean Taxis should support our application to temporarily suspend HC licenses, then everyone who was inundating Mr Ferry for licenses would then have to licence PH and as their office was the largest operator the majority would approach them for work, we recieved no response.
Now I don't know what you lot will think of either the applications from this operator or the conclusions expressed by the council, but I find it quite worrying, if it is going to be the case that market forces should dictate HC numbers surely every aspect of that should be accepted without trying to move the goalposts when things don't go the large operators way. Much emphasis was placed upon the commercial decisions leading to applications, not much thought went into whats best for the drivers or for that matter the punters.
Anyway, I'm not used to typing so much now, I hope everyone is well and making s**tloads of cash and I hope everyone has a great Christmas and a very Happy New Year.
B. Lucky