Taxi Driver Online

You bring up and seem to accept the idea of a PH operator being able to use drivers and vehicles from any area in the country, which in my view is the most dangerous of all the Law Commission's ideas.

If this LC proposal becomes law, just picture this scenario, which in my view will happen, especially with cowboy PH operators.

A PH operator in LA X decided that he will not employ any drivers licensed in LA X nor use any vehicles licensed in LA X, because he can use drivers and vehicles from LA A through to LA W and drivers and vehicles from LAs Y and Z. The drivers and vehicles that this PH operator who is licensed in LA X uses are all local drivers but they and their vehicles are licensed in remote, 100 plus miles away LAs.

Now how the kcuf is that going to be controlled and how is the local licensing enforcement officer going to get a grip on that.

Now apply this situation throughout the country, with every cowboy PH operator that doesn't want any regulation and you have total chaos.

The law commission may be just doing there job, but we have to do ours? And there decisions will affect us all? A level playing field is all I ask for?

Always happy to oblige!

The law commission may be just doing there job, but we have to do ours? And there decisions will affect us all? A level playing field is all I ask for?

17. Consultees were very concerned about enforcement – both that the current system was being insufficiently enforced, and that our proposals for opening up cross- border activities of private hire vehicles would increase the practical difficulties in information sharing and licence fee allocation. We recommend introducing a range of tougher powers for licensing officers, including the ability to stop licensed vehicles, impounding and fixed penalty schemes. We also recommend that such powers should apply in respect of out-of-area vehicles. We also recommend clarifying the scope of the touting offence and reinforcing licensing officers’ powers in dealing with it.

I expect nothing less from a villa fan:-)

I think we should give credit where credit is due , we should thank Mr RP Law Commission for being so prompt in giving us their findings... even if we don't agree... I found the team to be extremely even-handed at the meetings I attendant, and considering they were not in a position to take sides.... (As after all for them it was just a job of work.)
they always had time to explain what is an acceptable argument and what wasn't......

-PS.... I am sure they won't forget this job.....MR T...... Sefton

You bring up and seem to accept the idea of a PH operator being able to use drivers and vehicles from any area in the country, which in my view is the most dangerous of all the Law Commission's ideas.

If this LC proposal becomes law, just picture this scenario, which in my view will happen, especially with cowboy PH operators.

A PH operator in LA X decided that he will not employ any drivers licensed in LA X nor use any vehicles licensed in LA X, because he can use drivers and vehicles from LA A through to LA W and drivers and vehicles from LAs Y and Z. The drivers and vehicles that this PH operator who is licensed in LA X uses are all local drivers but they and their vehicles are licensed in remote, 100 plus miles away LAs.

Now how the kcuf is that going to be controlled and how is the local licensing enforcement officer going to get a grip on that.

Now apply this situation throughout the country, with every cowboy PH operator that doesn't want any regulation and you have total chaos.

I'll suggest that the taxi trade requesting higher standards for ph is most likely based on the assumption that it will slow the uptake of ph down to reduce competition and it is most likely true. However at the expense of the safety of the public and also to fit in with some taxi drivers opinions that ph should be kept in the lowly gutter where they perceive they belong they now think it's ok to lower ph standards and to make the difference between the two trades bigger, albeit the public won't be aware of this in any case. The public are not only ignorant they are apathetic and it is that apathy that is a danger to themselves and what requires the councils to protect them from. Not all members of the public are deserving of the contempt some drivers have for them insofar as the service they require, some passengers don't have the where with all or the nerve to complain about shoddy service and it's these vulnerable passengers that should be considered over and above the drunken louts that use the services for a few hours a week. It is the visitors to areas that need protecting too. It seems to me that to avoid upsetting some folks nobody wants to admit the areas that have problems such as you mentioned with regards to touting, sexual assault etc are most likely areas with low ph standards. It also appears to me that to feed the greed of the operator and to help fill his coffers, at the expense of the public they purport to serve, they are quite happy to have reduced standards and drivers clueless as to where they're going.

Imo if the taxi trade don't back calls for high standards for the ph it will be the final nail in the their coffin and it will be their own arrogance that will have provided the hammer

Its the operator that should be responsible for standards - at the moment all of their true responsibility is sub contracted to the Local Authority - the other week I posted an article regarding some PH driver racing to get through a level crossing - the gut response of the operator was to portion blame, point out self employed status and responsibility to the council.

http://www.taxi-driver.co.uk/phpBB2/vie ... =cambridge

Paul Clare, operations manager at Panther “Taxis”, with whom Ahmed was working, said: “Mr Ahmed is self-employed and was suspended from the Panther radio network pending his appearance in court and we fully support the penalty imposed on him.”

Of course the driver may be a nutcase - but he may have been late for a booking due to company incompetence - we'll never actually know - although if he'd died it may have came out in an inquest.

I expect you'll be horrified to know that we are doing a project on level crossings as well.

I expect you'll be horrified to know that we are doing a project on level crossings as well.