I wonder what % of those drivers that didn't renew their license were conned into being here in the first place by those companies promising riches on the streets of Britain

I think the way round this is to ask the customer if they want cheap cabs or quality cabs,

I've put this in the Cab Act Section as I think it should be noticed by the Law Commission and anyone else supporting bog standard requirements for PH.

Following a message from a London PH rep I asked the head of TfL's Taxi Section what the retention rate is for London licensed private hire drivers i.e. those that do, and those that don't renew their driver's license when they expire.

I'm grateful to Mr John Mason for his speedy reply, in which he confirmed that in the first 5 months of this year (2012) 55.8% of drivers who's licenses expired renewed.

Which means that 44.2% of drivers, whose licenses run out this year, have decided to leave the trade for good.

I find that stat quite shocking.

Alex

If ever there was a reason not to include London in the new Cab Act, then the above stats are it.

If London was part of the act then the whole country would be forced to accept London's PH standards, which despite what those working in the City see, are generally quite sh**.

Will the gov set higher PH standards than those in London, well if 45% of the trade are leaving that's highly unlikely, unless they want 75% to leave.

So please Law Commission get away from the Griffin myths that London PH are the standard that the rest of the country should follow, because they are not. London PH standards would decimate the country's PH trade, in the same way it's decimating the London PH trade.

Or if London must be in the party, let councils set their own PH standards in the same way as that you, the Law Commission, are proposing they set taxi standards.

Or if London must be in the party, let councils set their own PH standards in the same way as that you, the Law Commission, are proposing they set taxi standards.

I don’t suppose for one minute that the 44.2% non-renewal rate for driver’s licences has anything remotely to do with the medieval serfdoms that these drivers are subjected to by the PH operators in the capital!!

I would say when something is worthless - losing it doesnt mean much.

Had an interesting conversation regarding one of the bigger private hire companies in Sefton, it would seem they have to replace approximately 100 drivers a week... which would fall in with figures from another thread, suggesting Sefton has five thousands new powers hire drivers each year.

They said [Coventry Show] that if a passenger wished to travel in a lesser quality vehicle at a lower price, then that service should be available for those that wanted it.