Taxi Driver Online

Minister willing to listen to numerous concerns raised by Blackpool taxi drivers, says MP Chris Webb following talks

Blackpool South MP Chris Webb is calling on the government to overhaul taxi laws following a meeting with the minister in charge.

Mr Webb held talks with Simon Lightwood, a minister in the Department for Transport, to raise concerns from cabbies in Blackpool that some drivers are flouting the rules.

Deregulation of the taxi industry means operators can work in towns where they are not licensed which it is claimed weakens the powers of local councils to control and inspect taxis.

Mr Webb said the minister was supportive of his calls for a review and "understood the particular challenges local cabbies face in Blackpool" with the department already looking at updating the rules.

Following the meeting, Mr Webb said: "Since the deregulation of the taxi industry in 2015, private hire drivers have been able to operate anywhere in England and Wales with a local authority licence.

"The Deregulation Act permits private hire vehicle operators to subcontract bookings across different licensing areas. This has an adverse impact on both local taxi firms and public safety standards.

"While out of town firms are able to apply for a licence to operate in Blackpool, I am concerned about the standards of some private hire operators in the town who may be contravening rules. I called on the government to overhaul the law on controversial cross-border hiring. Private hire vehicles should be licensed in the area where a journey starts or finishes to accept a booking.

"The minister was supportive and understood the particular challenges local cabbies face in Blackpool, where work is already precarious and inconsistent due to the town’s seasonality. His department is already looking into updating the taxi laws and to clamp down on illegal and uninsured drivers."

Blackpool taxi driver Neil Charnock launched a petition in July calling on the government to review the deregulation of taxis which he says is damaging livelihoods.

The council granted Uber a licence this summer to operate in Blackpool after saying the operator fulfilled all the criteria.

But the Blackpool Taxi Association, which represents drivers in the town, criticised the move and said there had been a number of complaints made against out-of-town Uber drivers who had already been working in the town due to them allegedly contravening rules.

source: https://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/news/minister-willing-to-listen-to-numerous-concerns-raised-by-blackpool-taxi-drivers-says-mp-chris-webb-following-talks-4845994

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

Is he still wittering on with this nonsense yet?

Couldn't be bothered reading last week's debate in full, but did notice this for some reason:

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

I think the minister understands the issue, although the more MPs that bend his ear the better.

Much is made about the ‘right to roam’ but to me that’s not the issue, the issue is that many are taking that as a ‘right to stay’, and that’s what needs sorting.

_________________
IDFIMH

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

The only way to get this beyond a few words in the MP's ear and vague promises to do something is for drivers nationwide to simultaneously protest bringing motorways and rush hour traffic to a halt then maybe senior politicians might understand that there is a major issue to be resolved.

The chances of that happening are probably about the same as winning the lottery

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

Good that Andy Burnham is still on the case.

https://www.taxi-point.co.uk/post/mayor ... public-saf

_________________
IDFIMH