Taxi Driver Online

This post was sent to City Cab Members:

DEREGULATION UPDATE!

Fellow Members,
On 14th February 2007, J.Muldoon and I had a meeting with Kenny Macaskill and Fergus Ewing. Both are Scottish Nationlist Party MSP's. Fergus deals with transport. They both expressed their concern about articles written in the Edinburgh Evening News. These articles were attributed to two men - one a taxi driver, and the other an Edinburgh Conservative Councilor who is advocating deregulation for the black cab trade in Edinburgh.

We had a long debate on the subject of deregulation and how it affected the cab trade in Dublin, where the cab trade ended up in court with the government, and how they are seeking compensation through the European Court of Appeal. Fergus asked how much a taxi and plate was worth and calculated that if this was to happen in Edinburgh, the trade would be looking for around £52 million in compensation from the Council or Ratepayers in Edinburgh. A tidy sum indeed, but hopefully it will not come to this if common sense prevails. Jimmy also brought taxi busses to the attention of Kenny Macaskill and told him that they are not making any provision for the disabled ie wheelchair users and should not have been licensed. Kenny Macaskill said he would bring this to the attention of the MSP's in the Parliament.

On the matter of plates, the Council Solicitor is of the opinion that the Jacobs survey from 2005 is good for up to three years before it can be legally changelled. The Council will also be collating statistics and see this as an ongoing survey.


My reply:

We know the council are doing everything not to pull the plug but there’s a bigger problem on the horizon. The Interested Parties List (IPL). There is no provision in law for such a list and nor can they issue from said list in isolation. This means anyone can apply the minute demand is recognised. Live applications take precedence over any interested parties still waiting to apply - the licence would have to be dealt with sequentially and in accordance with statutory process. The IPL stops any council policy dead in its tracks.

In the event no demand is recognised plate ‘values’ will rocket – Dublin caved in at 100K. The council can only buy a little time and in that time matters can only get worse.

In short; the Taxi Action Plan is a ‘pup’ but at least you won’t have to buy one.

We already have a factual critique on Jacobs. Jacobs is all guesswork at best and by its very nature a historical survey. The claim of a three year life-span is not worth the paper it’s written on - the opening-up of Edinburgh Airport has seen to that.

BTW, we intend to make application time and time again - dragging the council into court at every opportunity even if it means representing ourselves. We have a right of appeal every time a licence is refused. This strategy forces the council into a war of attrition where even if they win, they lose. The fact is the council can’t continually fight in court over this issue; the cost to the taxpayer will bring them down, that’s if it hasn’t already.

I am sure you can see we have opened-up a number of fronts, the next move is theirs. If the Law Lords decision is as damming as we think it might be it could be game-over. The 41 licence application would be brought back into the loop. We are already putting together a complaint to the council ombudsman and intend to overturn the Mackey decision if the ombudsman fails to act.

As you can see by the above the council’s problems are just getting worse with each move they make. I don’t think they can hold out much longer. I think the choice not to de-restrict might not be in their hands – that’s if we have got our strategy right, and I think we have.

More fun just around the corner….

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All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.
George Orwell, "Animal Farm"

On TDO we most probably have some of the most ardent supporters of de-limitation, yet no-one on here has ever asked for total deregulation of the cab trade i.e. no standands for drivers or vehicles.

So the chances of a 'Dublin' happening in the UK are less than nill, and anyone who even suggests such a situation is a lying scare-mongering so and so.

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IDFIMH

Yes they seem to have great difficulty with deregulation, de-limitation and de-restriction.

Don't forget this is the same Mr. Mulldoon who wanted more buses rather than more taxis.

Is it any wonder why the powers at be think we are all ass****.

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All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.
George Orwell, "Animal Farm"

We all know McAskill is a friend of the plate bosses, I remember a few years back he was singing the praises of the anti-competition policies most Councils have to the delight of the Scottish Taxi Federation.

It now seems he has dragged Mr Ewing in to defend the undefendable

If you feel the need to contact these guys with your views they can be reached at


Email - Kenny.MacAskill.msp@scottish.parliament.uk
Website - http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/msp/m ... /index.htm


Email - Fergus.Ewing.msp@scottish.parliament.uk
Website - http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/msp/m ... /index.htm

It is my understanding that taxi licences in Scotland do not have any legal value & remain the property of the licensing authority not the 'owner'

Fergus & Kenny as Solicitors really should know better

I see it as our mission to educate them

It just goes to show when Pink Floyd sang "we don't need no education, we don't need no thought control" they knew exactly what they were singing about. These guys just repeat the same pi** over and over again. You can’t tell me they’re not institutionalised. I think this is what happens when public representatives are programmed by a state funded totalitarian educational system -their capacity to think is diminished. It’s a bit like the Borg off Start Trek “you will be assimilated, resistance is futile” they all have a hive mind, incapable of processing information that’s not passed down from what they consider to be, a higher source.

Scary to think these pr*** are running the country and your trade.

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All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.
George Orwell, "Animal Farm"

The Scottish Consumer Council have informed us that the OFT are conducting another report into Taxi regulation. They will be reporting back sometime this year.

I can't help but get the feeling the end of this is just around the corner.

_________________
All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.
George Orwell, "Animal Farm"

Oh i think their using the word de-regulation quite delibarately, pure scaremongering!!!!
BTW how do you claim compensation for something that was never yours!!!!

I suspect that will all be JD's fault as well.

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IDFIMH

Deregulation-delimitation.

Both mean I will earn less.

There has got to be a third way where we can all win and none of us lose.

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Unmet demand you're having a laugh

Skull are you going to post your mug shot on here as well?

It's already been on - Edinburgh Evening News

Why do you fancy me? I think I should let it be known I don't go out with people on Internet forums, you don't know who you might meet. It's not safe.

I didn't think I was your type?

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All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.
George Orwell, "Animal Farm"

well put it on here and we will see if we can find a suitable partner for you

The only suitable partner for the skull's fizzog would be an egg cup.

Or perhaps a furry pussy like Blofeld's.

If he does show is face, make sure the parental controls on your pc are up to date. Can't bear to think of innocent children being subjected to this.



BTW Perhaps I should be the other one in this prized duo of Toby Jugs?

Naw, perhaps not. Even the adults would be scared witless. And there ain't a lot of wit in Edinburgh's taxi trade anyway.

Well that's another good reason for allowing people to post anonymously.

I mean, imagine if we all had to show our mugshots?

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