Taxi Driver Online

I see one of our new members has raised that old chesnut about numerical controls on taxis being necessary to maintain quality. I thought this one had been put to bed ages ago, but perhaps not.

Here's another example, apart from those in other threads and in Myth and Reality.

The OFT report said:

The average estimated licence shortage premium (where it exists) for a licensed vehicle is around £16,500 (in addition to the cost of the taxi itself). The estimated values obtained are as high as £50,000 in Woking...

Yet a recent Woking Borough Council report said:

Standard of current taxi service - from the findings of the Survey it is evident that there is a need for continued improvement in the local taxi service. The pedestrian survey and consultations undertaken with individuals and organisations, indicated concerns over the age, condition and safety of vehicles and driver quality and customer care and that the overall impression of the local taxi service did not reflect well on the Borough when compared with taxi services elsewhere.

Oops!

Look it's not rocket science. Poor standards of vehicle are evidence of poor council licensing. Vehicles and drivers have to be 'fit and proper' for the job. If they are not, then the council shouldn't license them.

As for the quota=good standards, non-quota=poor standards scare-mongering, well that's just complete and utter rubbish. If anyone doubts that, then just check out the licensing reports from many of the 50 odd councils that have recently delimited.

There you will see that most, if not all of them, have increased the standards of vehicle. Now if restricted area standards were so f***ing good, then why did they need to delimit to improve them?

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IDFIMH

here here

Most, if not all, have derestricted but only allow WAVs, I don't think that constitutes an improvement of standards, just an improvement to services to the disabled community.

Indeed the whole delimitation thing was introduced to improve services generally, NOT standards.

Well that's a matter of opinion. I happen to believe that the new VW or Merc WAVs, are far better motors than Octavias or Mondeos.

The other issue where those councils have improved vehicle standards, is on the age of the vehicle. A large % of de-limited councils have said they will only license new or nearly new motors. A great improvement on some of the s*** out there that pretends to be a cab.

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IDFIMH