Taxi Driver Online

Warning taxi marshals plan could see fares rise in Dundee

Taxi fares in Dundee could go up, according to a group of drivers who have united against plans to bring taxi marshals to Dundee.


The GMB union’s wheelchair-operated vehicles taxi branch, with more than 70 members, voted unanimously to oppose the introduction of marshals.

Now a petition has been launched among the trade — with a target of up to 1,000 signatures.

Dundee City Council is considering introducing taxi marshals to the rank near the city’s casino at weekends to help control crowds and vehicles.

Some taxi drivers are in support — saying it will prevent rogue taxi behaviour and help ensure the public’s safety but others are against the cost and feel they will not have any impact.

GMB says their introduction would add £30 to every taxi driver’s licence fees each year.

The branch’s president, Stuart Elder, said: “The members voted unanimously for a mass petition, which has been drafted up and is now circulating in the taxi offices and ranks, with great success.

“Dundee City Council is trying to push the move through, so this is our next step. Hopefully, we will get a lot of signatures and that will be handed to the council.”

Licensing convener Stewart Hunter said: “This was originally an idea by the taxi drivers themselves. It does appear that there’s a split between some drivers who like it and some who don’t.”

http://www.thecourier.co.uk/news/local/ ... e-1.246951

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

I have already posted this some weeks ago.

In Cardiff they introduced inline with what they termed "The Safety Partnership". It was I believe a mixture of Police and Councillors. The Marshall scheme was initially funded by them via some type of government scheme (not actually sure on that one), but I do know that we NEVER asked for it. Basically it was brought in to keep order at taxi ranks and to generally make things safer, as far as I am concerned it was "Law and Order"related, something we already pay for.

Four points.

1. It was one less job for the police to do - happy days for them, the job of "Keeping Law and Order" (important to remember that) was passed onto another body who fund the cost that does NOT affect their budget, also they can stand around a lot more.

2. The cost was eventually passed onto the drivers (Only the Hackneys), and £100 was added to the license of every Hackney driver. They have put forward for a judicial review on that one, as of yet to my knowledge it has not been heard.

3 Remember this is a "Law and Order " issue, as such IMO it is NOT the responsibility of the population to pay extra when things are allowed to get out of control. For example if a neighbourhood became infested with extra criminal/disorderly behaviour.....would you expect to have to pay more than anywhere else for policing! That in a nutshell is what is happening here. The authorities are allowing drunken disorderly behaviour + yobbishness to prevail and then passing the EXTRA cost onto the working man (Us).

4. It does nothing to increase the takings of a driver on two points.

4a. Rogue taxis will find another part of the City/Town/area to illegally pick up - neither the Police or the Council/L.A down here try to stop it as it gets the yobs off of the streets quicker - no yobs on streets = less crime!

4b. Whether you have an extra 20/50/100,000 people in your working area on a given night, having Marshals does not mean that you will have significantly any more or less passengers. So basically you will taking the same money and then paying for "Law and Order", and that is as far as I am concerned is a police issue that should be dealt with out of their budget - NOT YOUR POCKET. Your profitability if the cost is passed onto the drivers (as it will) - will be down.


I have had a busy day home wise and did not see this post from Grandad until now, it summarises basically the same as in Cardiff - Law and Order!

_________________
if you cannot be yourself, then who can you be.

Taxi marshals to be introduced in Dundee to keep cabs in line


Dundee is to introduce taxi marshals to help prevent the illegal activities of some cabbies in Dundee’s West Marketgait.

Councillors have agreed to the scheme to use two marshals to help ease taxi problems outside the G Casino and the nearby rank at West Port/Hawkhill which have been described as a “serious public safety” issue.

The city council’s licensing committee heard some taxis were ignoring the rank queues and were stopping on zig-zag lines at the pedestrian crossing to pick up passengers coming from the casino.

Some members of the public were even vaulting the metal barriers to get into taxis which were backing up from the crossing, members heard.

Four deputations from representatives of the taxi trade in Dundee were heard, with Chris Elder from Unite Union insisting the problem was a policing matter.

He said taxi drivers already pay for the city’s Cab Enforcement Officers and for the police and drivers felt they should not be liable for the extra £30 levy to pay for marshals.

Referring to drivers stopping to pick up fares on zig-zag lines he said: “If we can see it why can’t the police?

“The police should be booking them.”

His comments were backed up by Eric Thoresen of the Dundee Hackney Association and Willie Lees of the GMB Union, who both said if police came down hard on the offenders they would soon stop as it would hit them in the pocket.

Both felt it was unfair for law-abiding drivers to have to pay for what, after all, is being caused by a minority.

Graham Stephen from the Dundee Taxi Association, who is in favour of the taxi marshal scheme, pointed out that the £30 fee was for three years, or 20p a week.

He said patient drivers on the rank were not getting any work due to some cabbies ignoring the rank and stopping outside the casino.

Mr Stephen also pointed out that in other cities, marshalls were used to regulate the queuing public whereas, in Dundee, the opposite was true.

“The marshals will be there to make sure the drivers don’t pick up at the casino,” he said.

Council officer Stuart Galloway said taxi marshalls would have the same powers as traffic wardens and, if need be, could issue parking offence notices to taxi drivers.

Moving approval of the motion, committee convener Stewart Hunter said: “Our priority and sole duty is public safety.”

http://www.thecourier.co.uk/news/local/ ... e-1.257234

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

How is a traffic offence anything to do with Taxi Marshals- should that not be police scotland-
and public safety- should that not be Police Scotland and why do taxi drivers in Dundee pay Police Scotland £130.000+each year to Police and Enforce taxi drivers in Dundee
-there was over 300 Signatures on the GMB Taxi Marshal Petition Opposed to taxi marshals and the £30 increase on every badge holders licence fee
even if you drive a Private hire car that can never sit on the rank or you work only dayshift and never see the rank you will still have to pay
-some signed the petiton from DTA-Unite- GMB and Non Union Members so why did the council approve taxi marshals
what is it with the SNP Administration in Dundee City Council and Graham Stephen of DTA
- how can one man that has less than 20 members in his association which will soon to be reduced put forward the taxi marshals idea to the Council without consulting his members and get Council Approval at every taxi badge holders expense
was this idea put to the council for his own financial benifit as he himself works the G casino rank
-as for his deputation to the council he said its only £30 and SNP Councillor Jimmy black again said its only £30-
are we not still in a Recession are Councils/NHS/ And Businesses not trying to save money are we any different its hard out there
so Mr Stephens DTA and Councillor Black dont devalue the value of money £30 is £30 its an increase in this financial climate its something we dont wont and dont need
MR Stephens if you read or hear about this comment im sure you will from myself and the 300+taxi drivers that put pen to paper including some of your own members-
YOU DO NOT REPRESENT TAXI DRIVERS IN DUNDEE.

Just remember if you accept to pay just 1p this year..............it always continues up for ever and a day, creating a well paid job for some jobsworth + an army of staff to assist................do not part with one penny!

This I have been banging on about is a "Law & Order" issue - something that you already pay for.

_________________
if you cannot be yourself, then who can you be.

The GMB are in talks with there Solicitors on this issue a dundee city council officer said we cant appeal the dicision of the licensing committee to increase fees for taxi marshals.

So what is he saying! I suppose he has it in mind that they can charge Taxi drivers any amount of money that they deem fit, when they decide to add bits and pieces as they go along .It looks like on that basis a judicial review might be needed.

_________________
if you cannot be yourself, then who can you be.