Taxi Driver Online

Heard the benefit fraud squad are targeting taxi operators in Dundee who are past retirement age and still have a plate.If they are getting any benefits (housing, council tax,pension supplements etc) and not informed the benefits agency they will be liable to prosecution and will have to pay back any benefits received.
More licences to be handed back then? I would thinks so!

Interesting Mr villager, it all seems to be happening up there just now.

Do you think Dundee will de-limit, which one or two seemed to think on here seemed to be the intention behind the big story about illegal plates in your paper the other week?

Dusty

Mr Villager, it's a case of what goes around, comes around.

All those non-working plate holders in your manor, have screwed the state and the trade.

It's there turn now.

Is that really necessary sussexman...can you not ever restrain from having a personal dig.... you do it on every single forum that you contribute to. You make so many postings on every subject... perhaps you could ration yourself a bit.... I mean... this forum is almost the Sussexman Forum.

Mr Guest, you could be right.

But please tell me, and lets debate, where my views and comments are wrong.

That's what a forum is for. I very much welcome your views as to where mine, are incorrect.

I didn't read the post as being a personal dig - a dig at the absentee plate holders holding the working taxi drivers to ransom perhaps, but maybe that's excusable, particularly as in Dundee it seems that none of them have actually paid any money for the plate?

In any case, I'm sure Mr Villager said on another forum that he wasn't even in Dundee (hence the name?).

Dusty

No way will I get into any long and drawn out debate with you! I have done this with you on two other forums and I know fully well your views & arguments! And you certainly enjoy a good old slug out Mainly when it comes to plateholders and non-plateholders such as yourself.

I fully accept that you do not like the system... that is fair enough... but although Dusty did not see it as a personal dig, I did.


Mr Villager, it's a case of what goes around, comes around.

All those non-working plate holders in your manor, have screwed the state and the trade.

It's there turn now.

It always seems to me that whenever there is an opportunity to jump at existing plate holders you do it with relish.

I had hoped that by the time you had worked your way through all the forums going and eventually got on to this one you would have resisted your commonly known infamous comments.

You seem to tar every plateholder with the same brush. I would say that your comments were very personal, not constructive and you were in there like a shot... You just could not resist it.

Your attitude is exactly what puts me off forums.. I have viewed this forum since conception and can see that things really do not change.

I dont expect all contributers to be happy clappy best of friends... but, as I previously mentioned.... any opportunity...and as quick as a flash you are in there.

You didnt need to make such a comment, but you did.

Scanner

So you know my views on plateholders and non-plateholders, which at least make my views clear.

When you debate a person instead of an issue, is that evidence of a weak case?

Who knows?

I was just concurring with a fellow poster, you are not in agreement, well so be it.

But do you really think this trade is best served by non-working taxi drivers, illegally renting out their plates in Dundee, and not declaring their income?

Is that what you wish to defend?

As I said you could be right, but I believe you are wrong.

However you mentioned the numbers of posts I had on TDO, as far as I'm aware the owners of this site don't object.

But clearly you do. Thus you are not only content with a quota on the number of HC vehicles in your area, you now wish to have a quota on the number of posts on TDO.

Strange, very strange.

Ha ha ha ha here we go.....

When you debate a person instead of an issue, is that evidence of a weak case?

Ok...so says you.

But do you really think this trade is best served by non-working taxi drivers, illegally renting out their plates in Dundee, and not declaring their income?

Who is defending what? I would not condone anything illegal.. But somehow you seem to have clear evidence of such quoted people not declaring there income... I didnt know that you were so up in the knowledge of the trade in Dundee.

However you mentioned the numbers of posts I had on TDO, as far as I'm aware the owners of this site don't object. Thus you are not only content with a quota on the number of HC vehicles in your area, you now wish to have a quota on the number of posts on TDO.

Strange, very strange


Mmmmmm ...very strange indeed.... as it seems that you are a mind reader now.

Firstly you dont know who I am or where I am from. Therefore you do not know my own personal feelings on such matters.... now that is pure ignorance. And as far as the owners not objecting...well of course that is fine... but then I wonder if your attitude would in fact put off new members. As I said...nothing seems to change.

I wont post anymore... I have said my point and you have said yours .....and you can have the last word.

That is a shame Scanner.

We needed someone on here who appears to be carrying old grudges and criticisng someone for seemingly unharmful comments.

I am also of the belief that if people have, as is only alledged currently, been defrauding the state they need to be prosecuted.

Certainly no grudges here at all...just an observation that some people seem to churn up the same old swipes.... I was hoping for better attitudes.

And what on earth makes you think that I wouldnt agree with people being prosecuted for defrauding the state.... if an where the case may be in whatever trade..and wherever.

Although you in fact state "Allegedly" Sussexman did not, he stated:

But do you really think this trade is best served by non-working taxi drivers, illegally renting out their plates in Dundee, and not declaring their income?

Quite a statement I think..... perhaps even slanderous. But dont get me wrong.... I am not defending anyone here.

It is quite a statement, and if you go to the Dundee Council site, you will see that those views are from the licensing officials at Dundee Council.

And to answer another point you made, I believe they may be "so up in the knowledge of the trade in Dundee".

Didn't you know we were all experts on the Dundee trade now Mr Scanner

As posted above, there's a 160 page report on the Dundee trade (complete with an unmet demand survey and the judgement in a recent court case) posted on the Dundee Council website:

www.dundeecity.gov.uk

There's probably little point in reading it all, but the first few pages contain the recent council report about the illegal plates.

Indeed we ran a story about the report a week or two back which probably summarises as much as the average non-Dundee driver wants to know, this can be found at:

http://www.taxi-driver.co.uk/dundee2.htm

You'll see that the article contains the most pertinent part of the coucil report, and this reads:

"Participation in this unlawful activity is attractive to some existing taxi license holders whose taxi plate has become a valuable marketable commodity as a direct result of the limit on the number of taxi licenses imposed by the [Licensing] Committee...This occurs when the taxi license holder for whatever reason decides not to operate the taxi themselves and rather than surrender it continues to make money by hiring the plate on the black market."

"Anecdotal evidence suggests that upwards of 200 plates are currently being hired, the going rate being up to £2,500 per annum."

So I'm a bit flummoxed here - Mr Villager comes on and says that some of these people, as well as hiring the plate out illegally and effectively being licensed to operate an uninsured car, are also being investigated by the Benefits Agency (and also the Inland Revenue according to the report), Sussex Man replies saying 'what goes around comes around' and you charachterise this as having a dig?

Dusty