Concerning ranks on Collingwood St and Mosley St, I agree the provision of ranks would help the situation, considering the Council licensed both ‘Floritas’ and ‘Perdu’, anyone could be forgiven for thinking that parking for taxis would have been provided.
There again, maybe the council in their infinite wisdom didn’t think transport was needed, since we keep getting told our nation is obese,maybe some `joker` on fat cat wages thought people could walk home, getting fit at the same time.
With effective enforcement, ranks would be ignored by our fleet of `clown` operators, they who see themselves as above the Law, with `out of area plates.
Examples are `munchies, Percy St, it’s almost a `Blueline` rank, with the occasional incursion of `Battlehill, or Eastcoast`, we sit at the Leazes lane rank and watch all the work done by these Guys`, makes you wonder if we are the `clowns` for paying the council for nothing.
Other `out of area` ranks are, Gallowgate Flame, home to our Asian friend with his Derwentside plate on an Audi.
Grainger St, by the Bigg Market, on both sides, the kebab shop on old Marlborough Crescent, again we park by the Centre for Life, `Blueline` park at the door, picking up 2 to our 1 job.
Or outside the Dog and Parrot, which involves sitting on a pedestrian crossing, zig zag lines and all…, .always understood that was a traffic offense. There are more, but you get the jist of it.
I know the idea of using CCTV to catch people out is favoured….BUT…it’s not a deterrent.
What happened to the idea that the Police were there to enforce the Law, rather than a council doing it by covert means?
A cynic could be forgiven for thinking the enforcement of parking had become nothing more than a covert way of raising income for the council.
Covert cameras do play a part in Law Enforcement, but so do the Police on the beat, possibly more so than a daft camera, so why not give enforcement powers back to the Police…let them do their job, and get the mess sorted.
{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }
you only have to look at the figures that the council put out themselves to see where enforcement are focusing there attention!
and where are the figures of covert operations? if any has been done! and where is the evidence of what happened to these people that got caught?
Yes enforcement are more active these days, but you only feel there wrath if youy are a hack parked on double yellows!
The views expressed in this site do not necessarily reflect the views of TooManyTaxis or the general U.K. Hackney Carriage Trade
just look at how unbalanced the figures are! dont enforcement even bother to go round to offices and check cars over, as they clearly cannot be bothered to track them down and pull them in!
it appears we have lazy enforcement, at least its a step up from none!
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Attended the Tariff Meeting last Week, NO TARIFF INCREASE was agreed upon.
Was very Surprised and Concerned about NEW Police and Enforcement policy now started !
Everyone heard of the ‘Three Strikes and Your Out’ situation ?
Well Now This Applies to Newcastles Hack’s.
If you are caught, Parking on Double Yellows, Illegal Turns or any other offence, you will be getting Done Even More from Now.
A Register of Vehicle/ Driver Offences is Now Being Kept.
So Much For Leeway Whilst Rank Spaces were being Resolved.
The Forum did NOT Oppose this Action from what I have been told.
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@Zaf,
3 strikes and your out? please elaborate zaff.
The views expressed in this site do not necessarily reflect the views of TooManyTaxis or the general U.K. Hackney Carriage Trade
@Zaf, is this not the enforcement the hacks have been crying out for, or is it as I have said in the past , hacks only want selective enforcement? i.e. enforce rules that suit them
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@SC,
i’d be more than happy to keep quiet and stum and get on with my job, providing that they do COVERT operations to catch the flimpers, then actually do them for no insurance!
once again we have one sided enforcement!
once again sc (irc) 228 cars stopped 33 private hire 179 hacks, does that scream fairness to you!
The views expressed in this site do not necessarily reflect the views of TooManyTaxis or the general U.K. Hackney Carriage Trade
and what about PH who choose to park where they want? U turn where they feel like?
those figures say nothing more than VICTIMIZATION of Newcastle Hackney Carriages!
I desk clerk at an office i know, has never seen enforcement come in and check over the cars.
she didnt need to tell me that, the councils own figures tell the WHOLE story!
after today sitting for 5 hours for 8.60, i am one step closer to jacking in this game, for what i dont know…
… perhaps i should go private hire and just do as i feel!
The views expressed in this site do not necessarily reflect the views of TooManyTaxis or the general U.K. Hackney Carriage Trade
@ Andy Warhol
If you caught three times doing the same thing,(Parking on Double Yellows, Illegal Turns, Etc) you will be Prosecuted.
Currently a Note is being made in a Register, of your Vehicle and You.
Another Example of Victimisation of the Legal Hackney Trade.
The Double Yellow Lines are a Licence to Print Money and should Never been Approved by Councillors till Rank Spaces where Resolved.
This Whole Situation WAS pointed out to them in December ‘O8 by Me, at the Final Commitee Meeting Hearing for the Controlled Parking Zones (CPZ), (Double Yellow Lines).
The views expressed in this site do not necessarily reflect the views of TooManyTaxis or the general U.K. Hackney Carriage Trade
@Zaf,
and this is just for the hackney trade?
weel if that is the case, then i would go to any court in the land, with the councils own figures, and just ask what there opinion were of what was going on! victimisation, lazy enforcement, milking a cash cow, you name it but anything other than people doing there job properly.
to me zaf, it appears that the council/licencing are playing a game, and if so they should hang there heads in shame when its peoples livelihoods we are talking about!
where are these extra 189 rank spaces that a police liason officer told a bunch of drivers we would have within 2 weeks over 1 month ago!
why when enfocement asked do they not know much about this!
why are the figures so 1 sided, why not aim to stop and check an EVEN proportion of hackney and private hire vehicles, are newcastle licencing trying to send out some alterior message!
where is the figures of covert operations and intended prosecutions! are these going on? a hack driver i jknow was flagged down, and then the person apologized and said they wrere after private hire, then why o why flagged a black car with taxi top sign and for hire sign on? why not aim for a clear private hire car, are they just trying to make us think they are doing active covert operations!
The views expressed in this site do not necessarily reflect the views of TooManyTaxis or the general U.K. Hackney Carriage Trade
@sc
I don’t have aproblem with Enforcement as long as its Enforcement of All Hacks and P/H that are in Newcastle Boundaries, but, the councils own figures do NOT show that. It appears to be one sided to a large extent.
Any N/c Enforecement or Police officer Should be Able to Stop and Check All Vehicles No Matter where they are plated from, when they are clearly operating in Newcastle Boundaries.
In addition Police Officers working in Newcastle should be taught the Difference between the Different Plates.
The views expressed in this site do not necessarily reflect the views of TooManyTaxis or the general U.K. Hackney Carriage Trade
@Zaf, the police can stop any car any where, and I agree with you on the council stopping any car in their area. The council probably do more enforcment in the hacks because you are sitting ducks waiting on a rank, it not right, but the council are lazy and its easy to say “we done 20 checks tonight” when they are all in one line.
My point original point is, you cant ask for enforcement and ask for them to turn a blind eye to illegal turns, no entry’s, waiting on crossing etc.
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@SC, What do you think of the sites new look?
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@Admin, it looking good, seems to be running a bit quicker as well
The views expressed in this site do not necessarily reflect the views of TooManyTaxis or the general U.K. Hackney Carriage Trade
@ Andy Warhol
If you want the latest on where the Promised Rank Spaces are,then, I would suggest contacting Peter Weightman at the Civic Centre as he the person sorting them out.
Regarding the Hack that was flagged down and then asked to move on, could it Not be do with the Number of Black Cars working the City with ‘Out of Town Plates’ and the person Not being able to distinguish a Newcastle Hack till its decal was visible.
I believe additional markings for N/C H/C are on the agenda for the next meeting scheduled for next week.
The views expressed in this site do not necessarily reflect the views of TooManyTaxis or the general U.K. Hackney Carriage Trade
@SC, If you witness this why don’t you report it?
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@SC
As soon as we ask for enforcement, the 1st reply is ‘the Hacks Will Be Targeted As Well’.
I Don’t Have an Issue with That.
What I Do Have an Issue With is From the Councils Own Figures, More Hacks Have Been Stopped Than Any Other P/h, Out of Town Plates, etc.
What I would like to see is a Similar Amount of Vehicles From Each Area, Stopped and Checked.
The Figures Should Also Show which Licensed Area they Where From.
In Addition, Vehicles That Are Pretending to be Taxi’s (i.e. Top signs, No Plates, No Markings or Vehicles Cruising Slowly Past Ranks, Hopeing to be Flagged Down), Should Also Be Targeted and Listed in These Figures.
The views expressed in this site do not necessarily reflect the views of TooManyTaxis or the general U.K. Hackney Carriage Trade
@Zaf, do an FOI request and ask for the breakdown you want
The views expressed in this site do not necessarily reflect the views of TooManyTaxis or the general U.K. Hackney Carriage Trade
@SC,
stephen, the council have said that they will be more trade friendly and give us these figures reguarly, so why should zaf have to do a foi request when they have said that they will give us the info.
i make it a 6-1 ratio of hacks being stopped against private hire.
what i would like to know is why is this when there is 780 hacks and over 1,000 private hire?
it seems to me that, when you ask for proper enforcement (which is licencings duty to the public), all you get is enforcement of those who asked!
The views expressed in this site do not necessarily reflect the views of TooManyTaxis or the general U.K. Hackney Carriage Trade
@Andy Warhol,
and one enforcement officer said, the private hire trade are harder to catch than you lot!
really?
i could go to the jurys right now and get at least 8 noda private hire (double at weekends), or the premier in on newbridge street and get a similar amount, how about friday and saturday nights, i wonder how many ace cars i could check outside the 3 mile, or blueline on the fire station court, or abc cars anywhere round the westgate road, clayton street junction area, or aline up at the crofters, gateshead central outside the travel lodge etc etc etc …
the hackney trade is in no doubt as to whats going on!
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@Andy Warhol,
and 1 driver pointed out to this guy that someone he knew had been driving private hire for 8 years and NEVER been ctopped or checked by enforcment! whereas i bet i have either been stopped/checked/or moved on at least 8 times this year!
the enforcemnet officer said he was shocked to learn that about this private hire guy, really? just look at your own figures…………
…… by the end of the year at the current rate, over 1,000 hacks (out of 780!) would have been checked, against 130 private hire…..
now are you so shocked that a private hire driver can go about his business for 8 years without ever meeting an enforcement officer other than at newington road!
(my figures based on an estimation from licencings quarterly figures)
The views expressed in this site do not necessarily reflect the views of TooManyTaxis or the general U.K. Hackney Carriage Trade@Andy Warhol,
Stephen? not my name?
The council are never going to be forthcoming with information that shows them in a bad light, which is why, if you want to hold them accountable you will have to go down the route of FOI requests and put a bit of home work in
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Well,firstly happy New Year to all….thats the civilities out of the way.
After the successfull 4/5 week run of Mamma Mia and our old Abba friends,may I invite you all to the new show of…Carry on Cabbie…unfortunately not the comedy version with the late lamented Sid James,..no…this time the rerun took place on `tuesday 19 jan 2010,and was i 1 night only showing….THANK GOD FOR THAT.
Script was by? Newcastle City Council and Northumbria Police,with special guest stars?….YES YOU GOT IT the long suffering Newcastle hackney drivers…….AND WHAT A SHOW.
First Plod decided that no `taxis` were allowed to rank on the north side of Collingwood Street,then….they decided that we couldnt stop to pick up `flag down` fares as we drove past. So round and round we drove,like idiots,and attempted to pick up as we drove past the 3 different clubs.
I believe in the dark old days,BR did this to pick up the mail as the trail flew through stations…..unfortunately our taxis are not so equipped…bit dodgy from a health and safety point of view too…..might snap a few legs or necks.
Any way…back on stage,Plod still refuses to allow parking,or tries to prevent cabs stopping to pick up,..UNLESS..you are 1 of 2 `out of area hacks` hiding behind Mr Plods own car,outside of Revolution bar…told Plod they were booked,and only MI5 or the CIA had the name of the booking,too secret to be put on the data head.
Having managed to get a job,I proceeded to ask a certain rather handily placed Plod…directly,but politely…..Officer,could you tell me why you are stopping licensed hackneys from picking up our fares,and parking so to do….BUT allowing `out of area` cars and PH vehicles to park without any bother.
The reply I got,was seeing people in my cab…get away with your job..or get locked up.
My passengers then asked me `whats up with him`,to which I explained what was going on.
I returned to Collingwood Street at about 02.10,turned right into the street to be confronted with maybe 100 plus bodies all over the path and road….needless to say…no cabs.
I managed to pick up nearly straight away,just to be confronted by yet another Plod with a problem…i was told quite abruptly to `shift it`…MOVE..,which I couldnt do as 1 of my passengers was half in and out the car.
Mr Plod was by this time getting rather knarcked as i was still standing still.
02.15 I got away,and went home….fed up.
I know this is long winded…sorry for that,but which lunatic wrote the script.
The Plod say they want a good working relationship with the trade,they want us to help them,to work towards sorting problems out together…WELL gentlemen,going on like that is not the best way to achieve that co-operation.
I know and accept there are major traffic problems in this area,god knows i`ve been stuck in the daily jams,and friday/saturday nights are a joke,…BUT LOOK WHO CAUSED IT.
The Council issued the three licenses,`Florritas,Baby Lynch and Perdu`,and i assume sine the clubs opened,Plod didnt object,so therefore approved the clubs.
Any half inteligent being from Mars could see what was going to happen with no rank outside,and no transport within easy reach,be it taxis,busses,rickshaws or even skateboards.
People come out,at 2.30/3am,no taxis,what happens….remember its safe to assume these people have been drinking,albeit not very pc to act like that,the first car to appear is going to get mobbed….result…a fight.
Happens every week end….so what does Plod do….rather than allow cabs to park ,pick up and go (common sense)..NO…they try to stop us parking at all,or picking up…..result….drunken people all over the street…..net result…you have the right sort of senario for a flash point and trouble.
Tonight,Thursday,I was again working Collongwood Street,and would you `adam and eve it`…cars ranked all along the north side outside `Florritas,Baby Lynch and Perdu`,no problems at all,and Plod went past 2/3 times and left us to it.
So which`Fu….ing` idiot was the stage manager on tuesday night for our `comedy of errors`,…was it the Council…who cant even get ploughs out at new year,and we end up with 4“ of snow everywhere,incidentally my snow chains proved very usefull,so expecting them to do enforcement properly is probably a lost hope.
Or was it some newly promoted Plod,whom not having a clue how the trade works,decided to try to make a name for himself,which if so…there are several names i could think of,but not print here.
Finally,as i said before,this problem was caused by the issue of so many licenses in a confined area,it was guarenteed to happen,but to solve it requires a common sense approach,all parties working together,to achieve a method of operating that suits all parties,and NOT what we had…not far short of chaos.
Just a not to Plod……you wouldnt think of trying that stunt on a match day with 55,000 supporters in town would you…..please use some brains…dont do it at night and give us more flak than we get to start with. Plod when I was in my teens were supposedly allowed to act within their own discretion,not act as parrots impervious to the situation on the ground.
The views expressed in this site do not necessarily reflect the views of TooManyTaxis or the general U.K. Hackney Carriage Trade
@Andy Warhol,
TBH I have been a North Tyneside private hire driver for 8 years and have only been stop once by a joint exercise between Newcastle council, Police and HM Revenue & Customs by chance at 9.30 am when I wasn’t at work!
The views expressed in this site do not necessarily reflect the views of TooManyTaxis or the general U.K. Hackney Carriage Trade