Nobody in the Council is willing to admit there is a problem.
The only thing they will admit to is that there are lots of Private Hire Vehicles parked illegally.
We have been asked to pass on to all our colleagues the following letter in response to the Videos
Quote:
It has been brought to my attention that a series of videos have been placed on YouTube that purport to show a large number of private hire vehicles illegally plying for hire in Chester City Centre. The videos claim that plying for hire offences are widespread in the city centre and that enforcement is ineffective.
The videos actually show a number of private hire vehicles parked in Northgate Street where parking restrictions are in force. They do not show any plying for hire offences, and indeed, it would be almost impossible to show such practices with footage of this type.
I write to advise you that Cheshire West and Chester’s Licensing Officers have conducted a number of operations and follow-up investigations in the city centre at night and have found very little evidence of illegal plying for hire by the private hire trade. The evidence strongly suggests that the practice is not widespread, although it is accepted that are a small number of non-compliant drivers, who will be dealt with appropriately.
Illegal plying for hire is taken very seriously by this Council, and most, if not all, cases are prosecuted in the Magistrates’ Courts. However, there are a number of less serious offences and/or breach of licence conditions in respect of which the Council has taken a more pragmatic view. It has adopted this approach in the interests of ensuring that people are able travel out of the city centre quickly and safely at night. For example, illegally parked vehicles, or hackney drivers that are over-ranking, have been asked to move on instead of being issued with a parking contravention notice or being required to appear before the General Licensing Sub-Committee.
However, in view of the YouTube video and representations by both the hackney and private hire trades that the Council is not enforcing less serious offences/breaches of licence conditions, the Council finds itself in the position that it is having to review the ‘softer’ enforcement approach, with a view to reverting to strict enforcement of a series of less serious matters. It is important to point out that this approach, if adopted, will, of course, apply equally to both trades.
I would be grateful if you bring the content of this letter to the attention of your association’s members
Just in case you missed the videos
http://youtu.be/IlBxqV6EAsY
http://youtu.be/6X3R7DiJxss
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for all you know he might have a stutter 
