Taxi Driver Online

Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson backs cabbies’ fight against rule changes


LIVERPOOL Mayor Joe Anderson today backed a fight against rule changes which city cabbies say threaten their livelihoods.

The government has asked the Law Commission to look at laws governing the hackney carriage trade, with a view to replacing 340 sets of local regulations with a single set of rules.

One of the commission’s key proposals is to take away the power of councils to limit the number of taxis in their areas and allow drivers to use vehicles other than the traditional hackney carriages.

It is feared that would lead to Liverpool’s streets being flooded with taxis and would see a fall in the number of wheelchair-accessible vehicles.

There are currently 1,470 black cabs in Liverpool – the highest of any city outside London – used by around 4,000 licensed drivers.

Earlier this month two officials from the Law Commission came to Liverpool to meet with Mayor Anderson and cabbie Tony Mullane, who is national secretary for the National Taxi Trades Group.

Mr Mullane, who operates four black cabs in Liverpool, said: “The Law Commission wants to take away the power of councils to limit numbers.

“Liverpool council has had a long-standing policy of having wheelchair-accessible taxis and a limit on numbers.

“They justify that because they believe the drivers have to earn a certain amount of money to be able to reinvest into the trade.

“Mayor Anderson met with the Commission and told them if it was delimited, it would hit drivers who had paid good money for their plates.

“If they delimit it means there could potentially be hundreds more taxis, but where will they all go?”

“The Law Commission has also had complaints from disabled groups saying wheelchair provision is very poor. But Liverpool has the best – we have 100% accessible fleet.

“The Law Commission wants to water down the regulations to allow drivers to use any vehicle.”

A spokesman for Mayor Anderson said he had expressed his “concern” to the Law Commission.

Mr Mullane added: “We are already getting squeezed and could end up disappearing altogether.”

Read More http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpoo ... z20OL9kvPC

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

At last someone on a council who can see further than his wallet,

Something I'd like to also highlight amongst it is this WAV thing, it's ok saying the disabled need them (and there should and is provision in most places anyway both HC and PH) but how about the many able bodied people who don't like being a small box in a royal mail van, or the disabled that also would rather ride in a saloon, nobody seems to gaf about their opnion,

As I recently read, it's become like taking a demolition ball with you to make a new window opening in a wall.

the latest stats show a massive 2.3% of PHV's are wheelchair accessible.....the LC state;

existing powers in relation to taxis be extended to private hire vehicles, due to the broadly successful operation of market forces in this sector.

'broadly successful' pmsl

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

I think they are wrong, in my area HC WAV is 33% and the PH I would estimate @ 10% and that is out of a 1000 car fleet, so basically there are at least 180 WAV types available.

some areas have non....some areas have 100% fleets.....but I was referring to PH.....not HC

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

Those without are most likely rural and not much demand tbh CC, I remember Meridian did a tv series The Village irc and one guy bought a brand new TX and ended up taking £8 a day running Mrs Jones to the post office and back, they need to look at it sensibly and not insist on £35k layouts that the owner will never get a return on, i.e any major city/town with a poulation of over 40k must provide that service and those with less and no real cab demand full stop will need to make provision by way of a council funded vehicle with a driver on wages rather than the normal way, if they are going to give subs out to train and bus firms to ensure a service then they must do the same for a cab where the economics say not worth it.

Do they?



Really?



I understand their concerns but I think Liverpool has a bigger worry than that tbh, they should be more concerned with the watering down of the cross border hirings imo

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

Any point in reading the rest of the article if it's so fundamentally misleading from the outset?

So is he trying to say that he drives all four of his taxis at the same time?

Presumably not, thus it's not about drivers reinvesting in the trade, it's about maintaining the market in plates.

His drivers will pay him his inflated rentals. It could hardly be said that they're reinvesting in the trade.

Whether he has 4 plates or not isn't the issue, I don't have 4 plates and neither do most other hack owners, the issue is he can see there will be over ranking, squabbling and service levels diminished if an enforced de-reg happens, if you want a fair outcome to this case then one man one plate and he sells the other three on to recover his money but only gets to opp one cab in future.

What he has or has not is not of my concern.....but what he hasnt got is brains.

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

Could you elaborate on the bits he got wrong, because from my reading he pretty well told the future as it will happen CC.

Well he opened his mouth for one.....then he let slip he had four plates, which to me and you means the guy have an investment, but to others ....well they would suggest he's got an awful lot to lose, so perhaps he's doing this for his own reasons?

Yeah that last sentence, it doesnt really matter what I think or you think.....its what others think and what they believe.


You know what doom, I reckon you or me would have said the exact same words.....but there'd have been no potential for finger pointing?

I am going to take a stab in the dark now....and suggest your next post will basically say.....CC, you're right.

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

Well he opened his mouth for one.....then he let slip he had four plates, which to me and you means the guy have an investment, but to others ....well they would suggest he's got an awful lot to lose, so perhaps he's doing this for his own reasons?

Yeah that last sentence, it doesnt really matter what I think or you think.....its what others think and what they believe.


You know what doom, I reckon you or me would have said the exact same words.....but there'd have been no potential for finger pointing?

I am going to take a stab in the dark now....and suggest your next post will basically say.....CC, you're right.

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

CC you're right, and so the crowd doesn't think I'm making it up, he allowed himself to put a personal angle to it rather than a collective one,

my turn

Your next reply will be, farking A Doom, if only we we're in Liverpool that day.