Craig25 wrote:
Hi
I am new to the industry and am just about to buy a plate for in Glasgow for £35K but with all of the discussion threads around de regulation I am now unsure if this is a good idea.
Seem to be lots more people on here more knowledgable than me so any advice would be greatly appreciated.
craigwilson25@hotmail.com
Spending 35k on a plate under present conditions is a risky business. You need to find out when Glasgow last had an unmet demand survey and what method they use for regular updates to satisfy themselves that there is no unmet demand. If you feel the method wouldn't pass the test required by law then don't buy one, if on the other hand you feel the method used would pass the test then you are going to have to make a hard decision.
Jacobs has just done a survey in Edinburgh which states only 30% of the public use a Taxi rank as a means of getting a Taxi, that means 70% of the public use other methods. It follows that anyone using a rank survey as a top up method to determine unmet demand is only measuring 30% of any demand that might exist?
What Jacobs don't realise is that when you break their figures down for rank hiring it proves that only 12% of the Edinburgh public use Taxi Ranks in the city. The method of using rank surveys in Edinburgh might be a thing of the past if the Jacobs report is anything to go by? The same might apply in Glasgow, who knows? Some bright spark who wants a plate in Glasgow or Edinburgh may seize upon the Evidence in the Edinburgh Jacobs's report and say, "hey look" Rank surveys are meaningless! Because according to Jacobs they only measure 12% of demand?
This is one of the most alarming statistics to come out of the Edinburgh Jacobs report because it makes a nonsense of the only Rank survey that the Edinburgh LO conducted in the space of two years. Jacobs have proved that the LO could have only measured at the most 30% of demand. However when you break the figures down as I have suggested it works out at 12%. Damming evidence indeed.
Before you part with 35 grand for a piece of paper that gives you no guarantees whatsoever It might be worth your while taking an in-depth look at the situation surrounding grey market plate values.
You are going to have to make an awkward decision. My advice would be to wait until the Government best practice document is published, the picture will no doubt be a lot clearer.
Regards
JD