Taxi Driver Online

So in a nutshell what they want to do is:

PHVs and PH drivers: Reduce the whole country to the lowest common denominator quality regulation currently in place.

Taxis and taxi drivers: Leave the current mishmash of standards largely unchanged, as long as they at least conform to the lowest common denominator PH standard.

Marvellous.

It was always about simplifying things

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Shall I get ready to remove the dust cover???

Nice colour Skippy.
Which LA says Pink - or with the contract exemption in the balance are you thinking of joining "Pink Ladies"?

_________________
Chris The Fish

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gdlyi5mc ... re=related

Not sure they say that, just that any PH standards will be universal.

_________________
IDFIMH

I think a far better move would be for Vosa to set and regulate taxi testing and open it up to any MOT station wanting to do taxi testing with clearly defined standards for appearance and quality alongside mechanical soundness

That could make the "market" for taxi testing more competitive and hopefully make it a level playing field

_________________
lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

It's basic 'fit and proper' as far as I can see - CRB and a medical.

They make the point that as a consequence taxi standards will never be below PH standards in another area, so no need for a Berwick.

There would be no point getting a taxi licence in an easy area and using it in Brighton (say) to get round tough PH standards, because there wouldn't be tough PH standards, just the basic fit and proper.

For drivers yes, when you said quality controls I assumed vehicles.

As far as I can see there isn't a lack of suitable drivers willing to join the 'ranks' of the PH trade, the problem seems to be retention.

Will allowing next to no standards improve things? I very much doubt it.

Is it asking too much for new entrants to be able to converse in English, to be able to know where the f*** they are going (without sat nav) and to be able to drive in a professional manner?

According to the Law Commission, it is.

_________________
IDFIMH

Indeed, and I was talking about quality control generally - ie vehicles and drivers - rather than specifically.

So it seems they'll still allow knowledge tests for taxis, driving tests for taxis, age rules for taxis, colour codes for taxis etc etc.

But just the basics for PH.

Indeed if you look back at the press release and our PM exchange the other night then that was precisely what I was getting at.

Actually reading the documents just confirms that.

This has been interpreted by the courts to mean that, in England and Wales (outside
London), leisure use is not allowed, creating the concept of “once a taxi, always a
taxi”.7 This means that family members, for example, cannot in theory drive the
vehicle unless they hold a hackney carriage licence. It also means that anyone
wanting to work in the hackney trade has to buy a vehicle dedicated to the job rather
than using their existing car.
3.10 Transport for London, however, takes the view that London taxis and private hire
vehicles can be driven by unlicensed drivers.8

_________________
Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

On top of the above a driver need to have a reasonable level of literacy, as they will need to be able to read a map or customer directions, as the LC are proposing to bin off the PH knowledge.

_________________
IDFIMH

Well, in prep for 2013 I've been out and bought my next cab




Lick of paint and some new wheels and it's gonna be a knicker's dropper I can tell ya.

Bollox.