Taxi Driver Online

Get your money ready boys, everything is about to blow up in the council's face. The End is definitely nigh, and the council don' t stand a chance. On the 17th of this month, the council finds itself in the last chance saloon, with the Regulatory Committee (RC) at the bottom of their pints and no money for the next round. The council's defence, “the appellants should have applied for a judicial review of the council's decision to deny their licence applications”. You just couldn't make it.

The council profit to the tune of 30K straight into the council's coffers as a consequence of granting thirty licence applications but spend 50K on a futile court case.

The most recent Halcrow survey found, No Significant Unmet Demand, despite waiting times increasing beyond that of the previous survey, triggering thirty new licenses.

The council then conducts a new survey. Peter Lang and the council minions' find a Significant Unmet Demand, but fail to publish their findings. However, I am told they will not deny their findings if challenged.

Upon hearing the existence of a significant unmet demand, the ugly sisters (CRT- City Cabs) pull out all the stops to clear the ranks at weekends by refusing to take work off the phones at peak times. Mobiles are encouraged to work, the ranks to clear demand.

On top of all this, Murray Fleming and Bill Purnel approach the council with the idea of a party tariff, £4.50- £5.50 at the drop of the flag, as an incentive for drivers to stay out and meet a demand that doesn't exist.

Cllr Colin Keir, Chairman of the Hire Car Consultation Group (HCCG) nearly has a heart attack at the mere mention of a party tariff, and points to the court case at the end of this month, and how easy it would be to put on 100 licenses at £1500 each to clear said, Unmet Demand, that doesn't exist. The party tariff idea goes down the toilet. City Cabs Chairman Dod Aird, almost does a double back flip and a rift develops between City and Central over the Party Tariff and Demand issues.

Message to all those who applied for a licence but accepted a refund of their application fee – GET YOUR MONEY DOWN IF YOU WANT YOUR LICENCE. If the council loses, they won't refuse a licence application in the future, they might even pull the plug altogether. That's if they haven't decided to do so already. The council needs money BIG TIME.

Next up is the proposed merger on the 14th of this month, that's if anyone believes City Cabs is about to get into bed with CRT.

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All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.
George Orwell, "Animal Farm"

How much is, 200 or maybe 300 licence applications at £1500 each?

Now that's the way to make money, especially when you've not got a pot to pi*s in.

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All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.
George Orwell, "Animal Farm"

If City Cabs members vote to go into bed with Central then the lunatics really will have taken over the asylum.

Committees run supposedly co-operative companies as if they own them. They depend on members not wanting to put their heads above the parapet and rock the boat.

Central's committee has already been proved in the past to be inherently corrupt. The architect of that corruption lit out to PH. His bosom buddy is still in place. Draw your own conclusions.

Word is that City Cabs is already becoming a nestling place for committee mens' family flotsam and jetsom.

Meanwhile PH is just hoping this "marriage" happens. Ask yourself why?

As for the copuncil. Well, they have been manipulating data allalong. Yopu have to be corrupt to refuse licences in a byrgeoning market, then find a demand in the depths of the nation's deepest recession in 70 years.

Does anyone doubt that licensing in Edinburgh is fundamentally corrupt? And that Colin Keir has to be corrupt because he is supposed to be in charge?

I can't believe this corrupt scumbag wants to be an MSP

Let's see what happens in the court case. If it does come to court



BTW Travis Gladdrags - Better to be corrupt than a snivelling school scumbag sneak eh?

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Skull, "You are a police inspector, aren't you?"
Cab Inspector Smith, "Yes."
Skull, "So, are you going to tell Mr Taylor what his rights are?"
Smith, "And ... What rights?"

Has anyone challenged the licence price???
FFS it must be the most expensive in the UK it certainly is in Scotland.
Ours is now £180 per year and new applications a further £36 for the crb, plus £25 plate deposit

That license fee is there for one reason only.

And that's to deter applicants.

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IDFIMH

The price is set to deter applications.

And it clearly works.

However given that licensing is supposed to set charges only to fund itself, then taxi licensing is clearly cross-subsidising other licence types.

Yes there is a challenge. But, given the costs of doing so whoever challenges the council. And they know this.

Of course, the trade "representatives could challenge this? But then they are the vested interest being protected from having to operate in a real commercial world. So they ain't gonna do are they?

That's how rotten this pile is ....

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Skull, "You are a police inspector, aren't you?"
Cab Inspector Smith, "Yes."
Skull, "So, are you going to tell Mr Taylor what his rights are?"
Smith, "And ... What rights?"

So who's side is the councils ombudsman on??? has anyone contacted him with a list of licence fee's from other areas and asked him to make a decision, remember they have to be completely impartial

That's actually a good idea. We've contacted the council ombudsman in the past and found them reluctant to act, but on this issue they may have too.

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All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.
George Orwell, "Animal Farm"

Well Skull here is the Scottish Borders fee this is for a new applicant
£178 operators licence (includes test fee) £36 CRB £25 plate deposit £78 drivers badge = £317
There after £178 (includes test fee) and £78 = £256 a year

Drivers £78 + £36 CRB, there after £78 per year

Thanks for that. I'm sure Jim has all the licence fees in Scotland somewhere on his computer.

It will be interesting to see how the council ombudsman responds, but it won't surprise me if they claim their is nothing they can do.

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All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.
George Orwell, "Animal Farm"

What do the adjoining councils around yours charge, you could have a very strong argument there

This is surely where the best practice should be used and the onerous conditions. They shouldn't be using price to deter applications

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

That's more than 4 times what the same application would cost here.
I would love to see it justified.

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http://wingsoverscotland.com/ http://www.newsnetscotland.com/

The council ombudsman is being contacted this week. It should make interesting reading whichever way it goes.

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All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.
George Orwell, "Animal Farm"

Make sure you provide a list of other council licence fee's and have back up from other owners