Taxi Driver Online

Might appeal to the odd Plymouth Argyle obsessive, I suppose, but doubt anyone would spend that kind of money for a colour code unless they absolutely had to.

Plymouth taxis will be turning green and white



Plymouth's taxis will be going green - and white - after council chiefs approved a new licensing policy. Plymouth’s new taxi licensing policy has now been approved by Full Council but there are some key changes following consultation with the public and the council’s scrutiny committee, and council chiefs say cabbies will be given ample time to get on board with the new rules.

Councillor John Riley, Governance Human Resources, IT, Community Safety and Licensing, said there would be a five year lead-in time for the new livery to get sorted. He said: "The green and white livery will be introduced to increase public’s confidence that they are hailing a properly-licensed and approved cab.

"The colours are distinctive. They are Plymouth’s colours and promote pride and professionalism. At night, this will help with identification and will support clearer CCTV images if required.

"We know it’s been a tough few years so are giving drivers and operators more time to do this and this is allowable as a business expense." From May 1 this year a new set of rules will be introduced.

They include:

There will be no limit on the number of hackney carriages.

Drivers can return to the trade within three years without having to complete the knowledge test.

The Plymouth Ambassador Course and the English Spoken Test will now be pre-requisites for new drivers.

Both Private Hire and Hackney Carriage Vehicles must take contactless payments by July 2022.

The Department for Transport recommendations for additional DBS requirements for drivers, vehicle proprietors and operators will be introduced.

Operators will be required to keep a register of all booking staff and undertake safeguarding training.

One year licence fees and the first 12 months of a three year licence will now be non-refundable.

A staggered approach to introducing cleaner vehicles by 2030

Livery for new HCV’s and for existing from May 2027 (private hire vehicles can no longer be white (existing have until May 2027 to change colour).

Last December many cabbies were outraged at the proposed policy with Martin Leaves, secretary of the Plymouth Licensed Taxi Association claiming it could force drivers into retirement. At the time he said: “It is all putting more expense on the taxi driver.

"We pay fees for the licence and their plates, we are having to pay for a DBS check every year, CCTV in the cab, card reader machines, having to wrap the taxi in the colours they want, electric vehicles which they cannot afford, but don’t have the infrastructure. We all know we have to go electric at some stage but common sense is to put the infrastructure first.

"The annoying thing about this is that they are only there to licence in the same way that they licence pubs, but they don’t go down the road of telling a pub what colour carpet they have to have or how it should look on the outside in the Plymouth City Council colours or go down the road of what pub landlords’ bar staff they have to wear or drinks to serve, but they are doing so the taxi trade."

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IDFIMH

I am not a fan of cross border......

.......but I licence elsewhere or retire because of this Cra9.

Luckily at 59 and 10 moths I have been "Headhunted" to be a Professional Boat Skipper, so probably retire from the Trade as I will be under the Working Time Directive with my Skippers Hat on.

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Chris The Fish

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gdlyi5mc ... re=related

One of the primary reasons I left the trade was this unnecessary interference from the councils.

Was just not willing to put up with it.

They are making it more and more expensive despite the fact that taxi drivers over the years and decades have seen their earnings continue to decline.

Livery, minimum legroom requirements, emission requirements and now we have the congestion zone/emission zone fiasco coming down the pike.

The authorities are making people jump through hoops to get their licence. I think from this year there is some type of new check on an applicants tax filing history prior to granting a licence etc.

They can shove it all where the sun don't shine.

The reason I went self-employed in the first place was to be able to do things on my own without all the hassle of working as an employee.

Ultimately, they will drive more people away from the trade and create a smaller pool of potential future applicants due to all this nonsense.

You can just go work with Deliveroo and not have to worry about any of this crap such as licence costs and having a specific vehicle that adheres to the councils rules etc.

I don't envy anyone who is left in this industry.

Council leader Richard Bingley defends plans to turn Plymouth taxis green and white



Plymouth City Council’s leader has defended plans to change the livery on taxis to green and white. Plymouth’s new taxi licensing policy will require colours of the cabs to change.

There would be a five year lead-in time for cabbies to get the new livery painted on their vehicles. The aim is to ensure Plymouth’s colours promote pride and professionalism.

Concerns were raised by taxi drivers at Monday’s full council meeting about the proposed changes to the newly agreed policy. They also questioned the mandatory requirement to take payment by card and whether it would drive more people out of the business.

But Cllr Richard Bingley, leader of Plymouth City Council, said that the livery will enhance confidence and ensure customers will be confident taxis are properly licensed and meet the required standards. And he said that it professionalises the service and would provide positive benefits for the city.

Questions at the meeting were raised about the policy, including from Martin Leaves, secretary of the hackney cabbies’ Plymouth Licensed Taxi Association (PLTA), who himself was a Conservative Party candidate at the recent local elections.

Cllr Bingley said: “A livery will introduce some positive benefits. White and green are bright and easily identifiable and we hope to improve customer confidence in the evening economy. 65 per cent of people said livery would help encourage safety. The livery will enhance confidence as people will be confident it is properly licensed and meets the required standards.

“White and green is identifiable and we hope it improves customer assurance and to assist in identification so they know they have a proper cab and not someone posing as a taxi driver. It will enhance public safety as they can be confident it is properly licensed and meets safety standards, and professionalises the service, and other councils found it increases trade.”

He added that while the changes in the livery could have an impact on whether taxi drivers can earn extra money through advertising, or working at weddings or funerals, he thinks the positive overall benefits would be worth it.

Cllr Bingley added, on the issue of requiring payments via card: “A number of drivers have no issue with this and a large number already have card readers fitted. It assists passengers to get home and is safer for the drivers as they don’t have to carry large amounts of cash. Any costs associated can be claimed as a business expense and it is important to research the products available.”

And answering concerns of taxi drivers leaving the trade, with 243 having left since 2020, he added: “The loss is a massive national problem, this encourages them to return to the trade with a three year return period without having to take the knowledge test, and the limit on the number of taxis has been removed.”

The new policy changes include:

· There will be no limit on the number of hackney carriages

· Drivers can return to the trade within three years without having to complete the knowledge test.

· The Plymouth Ambassador Course and the English Spoken Test will now be pre-requisites for new drivers.

· Both Private Hire and Hackney Carriage Vehicles must take contactless payments by July 2022.

· The Department for Transport recommendations for additional DBS requirements for drivers, vehicle proprietors and operators will be introduced.

· Operators will be required to keep a register of all booking staff and undertake safeguarding training.

· One year licence fees and the first 12 months of a three year licence will now be non-refundable.

· A staggered approach to introducing cleaner vehicles by 2030

· Livery for new HCV’s and for existing cars from May 2027 (private hire vehicles can no longer be white (existing cars until May 2027 to change colour).

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IDFIMH