Taxi Driver Online

Please help us!

The case for our licence appeal is being scheduled for around May. It is anticipated this will be around three days to hear all of the evidence.

For the first time, the 2005 survey compiled by Jacobs Consultancy will be subject to close scrutiny. We intend to demonstrate its many flaws.

Regular viewers to this forum will be well aware that there were many omissions from this survey and that, while Councillor Wigglesworth recognised this saying at the hearing of the 3maxblack licence application, " I want to go on record to say that the Jacob Survey is flawed", the syrvey was used by him, and his successors, to deny legitimate licence applications.

Indeed, in the 2007 Interim survey of demand, Wigglesworth said again at the hearing of the 666maxblack licence application, that the survey was "... flawed and that there may be demand elsewhere".

Clearly City of Edinburgh Council are quite happy to use flawed information to deny licences, and quite happy for everyone to know this.

(Interestingly, by agreeing to go down the route of legal scrutiny of Jacobs' flawed surveys, the council is leaving itself open to litigation from those wrongly denied by reliance on this flawed material. This could prove costly because there would be a strong case for the restitution of ALL legal expenses incurred by the 35 licences denied, and the 6 cases granted through the Appeal decision, as well as damages for the loss of commercial opportunity the denial resulted in. This could amount to a considerable sum of money, running into tens of millions, and loss of political and professional careers, all because of the legal scrutiny from my case.)

In view of this, I would be grateful if anyone could provide me with ANY background information from their own experience concerning Jacobs, how they run their business, the surveys they've been involved with, who commissioned them, for what price, the price quoted in other tenders, the reults of the surveys - demand found or not &etc. In fact anything relating to the activities of this company in its dealings with LAs concerning taxi matters.

Please help.

Thanks

Jim Taylor

This request is down to me for dragging my feet on what should have been completed a long time ago. Finding the motivation to hurl oneself into a 60 page report and the accurate research and knowledge that is required in order to make people sit up and take notice, is now a time consuming exercise for me. A few years ago I would have relished such an exercise but I can assure you that time does lesson ones motivation. The fact is that Jim has been extremely patient but I’m glad he posted this message because quite frankly I deserve to be reminded of what I see as an obligation.

I therefore won't be around as much for the next two or three weeks so please don’t message me with requests for help because I will be indisposed.

Once this Edinburgh issue is sorted out I shall be concentrating on the TDO newsletter which is another project I have put on hold for far too long. Once that gets off the ground I doubt there will be any more time for protracted long drawn out time consuming issues such as many of those we have experienced in the past. This website has had many successes and as far as I can recall no failures. We have told it how we see it and we shall continue to do so, regardless of which side of the fence you sit on.

It seems like I'm forever apologising these days lol but I do owe Jim a very deep apology for dragging my feet and I sincerely hope he understands.

Regards

JD

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