Taxi Driver Online

Council invites cabbies to help raise taxi standards

TAXI drivers in Newport are being invited to work with the council to improve the standard of vehicles. Councillor William Routley, cabinet member for the environment and community safety, agreed there was a safety issue that needs to be addressed and asked licensing officers to begin consultation with the trade to seek their views on how improvements can be made.

Cllr Routley said it was clear from the results of a review carried out last year, which found 33 percent of vehicles tested failed to meet requirements, that the council needed to look at what can be done to improve standards, particularly in older vehicles.

He said: “If the council does not have adequate controls in place then those people using the taxis may be put at risk. “I’m sure taxi drivers share our concerns for the safety of passengers in Newport and I’m looking forward to us working together to address this issue.”

The results of tests carried out on hackney carriages and private hire vehicles between January and December 2009 showed 472 out of 1302 of vehicles failed, many for mechanical defaults such as problems with breaks and fuel leaks.

Some also failed for non-compliance with council requirements such as having no fire extinguisher and not having documents including MOT and vehicle registration certificates.

The taxi’s tested ranged from new vehicles to those up to 12 years old and the council said the tests appeared to indicate that age was a factor in those that failed. Taxi drivers are now being asked to make suggestions on how these improvements could be achieved.

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IDFIMH

Prior to losing the court case against the Cabbies Newport LA and costing them a shed load of money they were very dictatorial and now all of a sudden they want to work with the drivers...................I guess the "Ryder Cup" must be getting closer

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if you cannot be yourself, then who can you be.

I don't think it matters why this change of heart has occurred it only matters that it has. This is an opportunity not to be missed and hopefully something better will be achieved

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

Toots back about 2005 they the Council had the attitude that if a car was fit for use then age did not matter (I have a letter to prove what I am writing). The only reason this change of mind has come about is that they are trying (at no expense to themselves) (during recession times!) to get drivers to get new cars because the Ryder cup and all it's visitors will be upon Newport.............and they want to paper over the cracks! Having said that the City centre is going to be a massive disappointment to many of the visitors, so perhaps they should have made more of an effort to tidy it up.........but there again they would have had to part with their own budget money.

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if you cannot be yourself, then who can you be.

So the trade doesn't want to work with the council? I'm not disputing that they have an ulterior motive for their suggestions. Whilst there is little or no communication with each other nothing will ever change, will it? As I said earlier I hope you take this opportunity and turn it into something good. IMO you'd be a fool not

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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 you are all missing the point, it is no longer to be that drivers will be able to cut corrners on there vehicles, and when councils find defaults such as listed above can we balem them, i dont know whether any one as been to court but you may find that jugies are saying the same they have round here.

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C. Oakes


The Hackney Association Ltd
bbha@btinternet.com

The only reason they have come cap in hand is that they want the drivers to put their hands into their pockets to upgrade their cars because of the Ryder Cup! Unfortunately the council have over the years suppressed the Newport tariff to the point that they were amongst the lowest in the UK (see PHM tables).........low tariff=low takings and that is where your problems start. The drivers just cannot afford to change and certainly in a recession. It is only because the Council had their butts kicked in court that they now want to work with the drivers, if it had not been for that they would be up on their high horses telling the drivers to do it whether they could afford it or not.

Personally I would wait until after the R.C to see if they were sincere or not. You really have to know the Newport councillors to know what a horrible bunch that they are, I have dealt with them in the past and when I say horrible I am being extremely polite.

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if you cannot be yourself, then who can you be.

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