Taxi Driver Online

City of Edinburgh Council restricts taxi numbers. It has recently announced its intention to hike the cost of a new taxi licence to £1250 when it is only £79.25p in adjacent East Lothian, and only £142 in London.

Shouldn't it come as no surprise then that Edinburgh Council, which owns the local bus company, is going into business competing directly with the taxi trade?

Is there any doubt that those who are running the council are anything less than corrupt? Is there a smell of brown envelopes involved in this?

Here's the link. Read and decide.

http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/index ... 1665192006

Following is our response in a aletter to the Evening News.

In your report of Lothian Buses new airport shuttle service, you quote Lesley Parsons in her position as Edinburgh Shuttle's head of sales and marketing (News, November 10).

So, given it would take some time to recruit her, design the business plan and have the vehicles in place for you to photograph, hasn't this venture clearly been some time in the making?

Doesn't this explain why City of Edinburgh Council, which owns Lothian Buses, restricts the number of taxi licences operating? Why they're happy for the public to have difficulty accessing the service at peak periods, because any increase in numbers would compete directly with their new taxibus service?

Doesn't it also explain why the Council are currently increasing the cost of a new taxi licence plate to £1250, while it remains just £79.25p to acquire the same in East Lothian, and which they can't possibly justify? Except of course, they knew then that they were about to launch their own new taxibus service and they wanted to stifle demand for new taxis, their obvious major competitors.

Our council regulates the taxi market, restricts the number of taxis operating, yet is now competing directly with it. Aren't they abusing their position as regulators? Just as they did when they increased taxi fares by 15% at the very time their own Lothian Buses launched its expanded night bus service in direct competition?

In controlling the market in the way they do, by restricting taxi numbers, isn't the council denying customers a competitive service by excluding competition to itself? Doesn't this artificially create the significant unmet demand which has hiked taxi licence plate "values" to over £50,000, impose extortionate rentals and fees on drivers and higher fares on customers?

Isn't the public, looking for a taxi on wet and windy weekend peak periods, entitled to know who is really benefiting from this latest wheeze from Edinburgh's Labour council?

Thatcher though she deregulated public transport. Seems the old Labour empire builders just don't want to let go. despite the fact that not one Labour councillor achieved any commercial success in any market, they seem to think they have a right to run business through the council, while using the regulatory clout to stifle competition.

And I'm criticised for properly labelling them fascist?

Jasbar im with you bruv definitely something going on Fascist NO STALINIST probably.
ORGANISE EDUCATE AGITATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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The views expressed by this contributor do not neccesarily reflect the policys of The GMB Nationally or of the GMB London Region.

And WTF is that supposed to mean?

Interestingly, when we asked the council about their "Interested Parties List" they refused to point out the specific part of the legislation which empowers this.

When pressed further they replied that it was "council policy".

Two things occur to me.

First, aren't they acknowledging, admitting even- albeit unwittingly, that it is council policy not to stick to the precise legal terms of the Act?

Second, given that the answer came from licensing officials, isn't it entirely likely that they are telling us that the decision to use the list is a council policy and, by inference that council policy is decided by politicians, it is those politicians who are who are responsible for operating outwith the Law. Perhaps the unelected officials already smell the stench of the difficult times ahead and are already preparing the ground to cover their own backs?

(Doesn't this have the smell of Sir Humphrey Appleby written all over it?

Finally Thomson and Taylor are being invited to appear on Talk107, the local talk radio station, on Alex Hastie's show next Friday night, after 10 pm, to raise these issues. It is proposed that the council be approached to have someone from licensing - we would suggest Chris Wigglesworth, Regulatory Committee convenor, to respond. We're not holding our breath that they will be keen to talk publicly to Taylor and Thomson but if it goes ahead we will confirm here.

This show is available live on the net at www.talk107.co.uk.

Perhaps some from TDO could call in and support us?

Anyway, I'll confirm in a couple of days.

Got it in my diary.

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IDFIMH

Sound like a return to Old Labour/Union policy of bringing in the flying pickets when the two people invited are the marginalised reactionaries (only one of whom actually drives at taxi for a living) and they invite support from outside the local area :

Talk107 - who listens anyway - they only have a 2% market reach and 0.4% of the listening audience.

Jimmy, just keep replying to yourself on the Evening News comments boards - the men in white coats will be with you shortly. I'm sure there will be lawyers listening out for your cries of "corruption" and "unfit to hold a license" (BTW you still having your couple of pre-shift pints at Easter Road on a Saturday

Jimmy Taylor getting support from Terry Flanagan Certainly make strange bedfellows, but is proof that if you go far enough to the extreme left, you find yourself on the extreme right

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Keyboards and Cretins : Facts - not opinions - are the only truths

Damascus Moments - easy excuses for a sociopath

TDO the website of double standards and changing identities

Ain't it really sad that Taylor and Thomson still believe that they are even relevant never mind important in the taxi trade debates in Edinburgh?

The truth is that, not only have they been proved wrong in their prophecies of doom, their illogical conclusions have been demonstrated to be fatally flawed.

Only a pathetic radio station struggling for listeners would even consider such a pair of fools as suitable for coherent debate. Note the time; most of us are either out working or enjoying a night out /in. The last thing on any normal person's mind on a Friday at 10 pm is the taylor, thomson non-event. Gawd, they're even begging for support here, because they know no local people outwith their known list of cronies is even remotely interested in them or their lies.

As for the "interested parties list" why raise it now? We all know that it has no legal standing but is/was an attempt by many councils (not just Edinburgh, guys) to achieve fairness. And that is more than these pair want; they want total destruction of the taxi trade in Edinburgh. One day taylor will wake up and realise that he's trying to destroy the trade he works in.

I tried to check their web site but it wasn't there - must be having a makeover prior to the fantastic audience figures they're expecting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'll have to go out and work now.

I can get Radio Forth online, or whatever its called nowadays.

Is the 'open line' on a Saturday night still going?

I suppose his comments are relevant enough to solicit a reaction from you, so what does that tell you? Knowing your track record for accuracy I think you might be a little premature as per usual in calling game set and match on Mr Taylor and Mr Thompson.

JD

It's cos Jasbar is wetting himself at the excitement of his proposed appearance that he can't type the link properly

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Keyboards and Cretins : Facts - not opinions - are the only truths

Damascus Moments - easy excuses for a sociopath

TDO the website of double standards and changing identities

Apparently so - I used to listen 15 or more years ago, but never do now.

http://www.forth2.com/showdj.asp?DJID=19663

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Keyboards and Cretins : Facts - not opinions - are the only truths

Damascus Moments - easy excuses for a sociopath

TDO the website of double standards and changing identities

Excellent!

It used to be Helen and Andy, but Andy must be pushing 85 by now!

I believe him and Terry Flanaguff share a similar birthday.