Taxi Driver Online

A driver from falkirk presented his taxi for it's hackney test, which it duly passed. but when handed his pass certificate the tester had written the following (not verbatim),

blemish on drivers wing to be repaired by next test

(the blemish was scraping on the paint, not a dent of caved in panel). Fair enough, you might say, as he did.

The driver went to the licensing office to collect his plates and relevant paperwork, only to be informed by said issuer (a clerical assistant) the plate was valid for 4 weeks only. They would re-issue the balance (of 5 months) when he presented the vehicle with the paintwork repaired.

She failed to see the damage until it was pointed out to her. The driver then asked when the licensing conditions were amended to allow her to supersede the findings of a VOSA trained technician. She insisted that due to the high incidence of accident damaged vehicles not being intimated to the LA and presented for re-examination after repair, the council felt it necessary to implement this action.

The driver is not accepting her explanation and is taking it to the council for clarification.

So are Falkirk Council's licensing department right, or are the over-stepping their authority?

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My heart is heavy, but my consience clear,
I voted Yes, without any fear.

All councils over-step their authority.

But drivers should make complaints if they feel aggrieved.

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IDFIMH

A council could surely pull your cab if it wasnt up to their prescribed conditions of fitness,we usually get a 28 day period to sort bodywork if its not up to scratch.So it might pass a hackney inspection but still be off a hour later if the council choose !!

They do what they do because we allow them to do it.

Our weakness is their strength.

no they cant

the cgsa states that

2)
A licensing authority shall not grant or renew a taxi license or private hire car license unless they are satisfied that the vehicle to which the license is to relate is suitable in type, size and design for use as a taxi or private hire car, as the case may be, and is safe for that use, and that there is in force in relation to the vehicle such a policy of insurance or such security as complies with Part VI of the Road Traffic Act 1988.

the mot takes care of that

i know ive just put those cants at the cab office through the grinder twice recently,first time they tried it on i put them straight and told them i never wont to see another compliance sheet ever again only an mot pass or fail sheet,the next time with another motor that was worse than the first one,all i got was an mot fail cert and a compliance sheet with the same things written on it as the mot sheet,and they wont be bothering me again

that's part of the problem. the hackney station is council owned. so if anyone should know what's required it should be the tester, the clerical staff or LO should be stipulating what they can or cannot accept and pass or fail on that basis.


edit: wrote above on phone earlier, just transferred it without reading thread

thanks ali, I'll pass that on to him, tho' knowing him he'll know already..

_________________
My heart is heavy, but my consience clear,
I voted Yes, without any fear.