Taxi Driver Online

Jim,
you are quite wrong, no council has to satisfy themselves that there is significant unmet demand to issue licences.

merely they cannot limit numbers whilt it exists.

as for your claims about when the survey was done, oh dear its hard to envisage we are talking about the capital of Scotland

hope you get your wishes,

wharfie

In all fairness Jim, I have never heard anyone from the UK taxi, or PH trade advocating a Dublin, so to speak.

That was deregulation, and it was a disaster that they are only just starting to put right. Nobody in authority, or anyone with an ounce of sense, believes that getting rid of all standards is the way forward.

You can still have quality standards, without having quantity standards, and the majority of the UK's taxi trade operate this way.

Wharfie

Sorry mate, I just don't understand what you're saying. Councils don't have to prove significant unmet demand, they just can't limit licences while it exists? Seems like semantics to me.

As for your point about Edinburgh being the Capital of Scotland. Straight over my head mate.

Sussex Man, you can still have quality standards without quantity standards. Really? How so?

The whole damaging essence of quantity is simply that too many taxis, not enough work, income is spread more thinly. How can you maintain quality standards with reducing income? Beats me!

Jim Taylor

jIM,
IS IT HELL AS SEMANTICS
carry on Jim you have not a hope in hell of winning!
anything!

Wharfie

Jim,
putting it bluntly your council could tommorow without any report give everybody a licence who asks for one.

if they wish to limit by numbers then they have to proove that all demand is met

trouble is Jim, you have admitted it isnt, so they must issue licenses.

the waiting list Jim, that is illegle, crtainly in England, but the majority of councils still have them.

Wharfie

Wharfie you are quite incorrect when you say they are winning jobs and relocating headquarters and the like to edinburgh, it is not the Council who have created the Jobs in Edinburgh, but the boom in the finance sector companies and the like, it is the private companies that are driving the local economy forwards along with massive investments paid for by the taxpayer like our overpriced up-turned boats parliament building, but just like London it is now becomming impossible for the average worker to afford to live here, try finding a family home on a normal wage!! but the workers here do not enjoy any waiting allowance like they have in London.
Speaking to people who have lived and worked in the City for years, most agree that our council is indeed CRAP and have lost their way, most were suprised that they got in again at all.

you do indeed underestimate your council, the financial situatation was not indeed created there, it was created in this case here in Halifax, however, your council were instrumental in tempting the head office to re-locate there that is a fact.

you may not like your council, indeed you make it plain you dont, infact you were suprised they got in again, as a taxi driver that means you have not got your finger on the pulse, you more than anybody should have not had such suprize.

you are taking your eye off the ball, booms in housing prices are national its happening here too.

so just for fun give us the composition of your council now and the forcast for next year(if you have elections then?)

your council, any council do influence investment decisions by thier policies
here we have 2 seats won by the BNP, and investment is flooding out.

Wharfie

Didn't the BNP lose a couple of council seats in Calderdale recently, Wharfy?

Dusty

No they didnt and the press intimated they did, what happened was a Liberal died, and the press intimated that BNP would win it was never on the cards, his widow won the seat BNP came seccond Labour who used to have the area as a stronghold came a very poor third.

In Burnley next door BNP did loose a bye election seat, the candidate resigning was in disgrace and had been thrown out of the party.

experts in polling think the BNP stand to gain as many as 7 seats in next years elections here in Halifax, its a horrible thought.

Wharfie

How were the council instrumental in tempting the move to Edinburgh? did they offer inducments? Yes perhaps you have the BNP but where there is an action there will always be a reaction, does this mean you would like a council like ours! Fact wharfie, house prices here have risen higher and faster than anywhere in Scotland, I am more than aware that this is a national phenomenon, my eye is on the ball and has never been off it, but since myself and my family have lived and worked here all our lives I can only really speak about the place I know and care about
I was suprised they got in again, and so were many others, that again is fact. If investment is flooding out in your neck of the woods are you glad that our council has been instrumental in costing jobs in one place to add them to another?
wharfie, my gripe with them is this, I vote them in to run services not turn my home town into Edinburgh PLC I do not think councils should be running business enterprises, thats not what their there for(in my opinion)
They built and ran a large out of town shopping centre then sold it, and now chastise the population for using the dreaded car to get there!they now have decided to turn their attentions to the world famous princes street with one of their companys trying to build underground malls in a world heritage site! they are killing our town centre with their ham fisted traffic management schemes and tacky tourist attractions, it's a beautiful city and I do not want it spoiled by a bunch of philistines only intrested in the tourist buck.
But wharfie that is my opinion and like most of the people I know and care about, we all feel the same, I cannot give you the composition of the next council but I will keep my finger on the pulse as I have been for the last twenty five years and let you know when the indigenous population changes it's opinion on the council, sorry I upset you

NO NO you have not upset me I am just suprised about how you look at things, I get a different feeling when I pick up your city folk from our station to take them to work.

I always ask what the taxi services are like up there, and they tell me they are better than here, which is a relief ours are terrible to be frank, the bank book us beccause most Halifax drivers dont know where the hbos data centre is you cant get worse than that!

I find them very proud people, obviously we are getting quite a few moving down getting promotion.thats a few for us but a drop in the ocean by your standards.

I have been there for the arts fesival and stayed in a hotel on princess street I left with positive memories. I find your people excelent to be with to be frank.

I cannot say a thing bad about your city at all, obviously I an unable to say what your council did(these things are confidential), but thier offer was better than ours lets put it that way.

we hope one day the HQ will move back, but I dont think its a remote possibility, whilst property remains high we have a chance, of keeping what we have.

when I take your people to the data centre they are always amazed by its size and pleasing looks it is impressive, the former head office is impressive too but out of scale with our town centre.

there is nothing more that I can add except to say you live in what I think is one of the most beutiful and delightfull cities in Europe, and I hope in the future you will be able to prosper there.

Wharfie

Sorry Jim

forgot to answer your question forgive my rudeness, would I like a council like yours?

My feelings are as a buisnessman, that I like to know exactly where I stand and have quick decisions so I will work with a council of any particular colour, with experience as I have sat on this council I can tell you that whoever runs the council will make the same decision based on the same facts.

if all your councillors came here tomorow and succeaded at the ballot box, yes I would welcome them, and in the not to distant future perhaps as early as next june one of your city folk will be on our council.

Having worked politicaly with scottish people my experience is that they get a good grasp of the issues quickly, and they have a very good grasp of financial matters.

I also find that they are not tormented by meddlesome bueracrats or overawed by rank, yes I would have them anyday.

Wharfie

Well you could ask the 20 odd thousand cabbies in London.

Sussex Man

Aren't there more people getting into dodgy mini cabs in London than anywhere else on the planet?

Doesn't sound much like quality to me.

Jim Taylor

And the rest are getting into TX2s. Its a no win situation. lol

But,

I have a dream......

The 80,000 PH cars are all told they must now pass the PCO's test as part of the new single tier legislation bought out following the OFT report. The Execs are exempted, but that still leaves 76,000 Abdullah's with their Ford Cortinas. PCO cannot cope, and nor can LTI, and the orders for 76,000 single-tier cars allow Jubilee and Cab Direct to sell Mercs and Piggots into London.

Well, I did say DREAM !!

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There is Significant Unmet Demand for my Opinion.