Some Snippetts From the Go North East Staff Forum

This forum makes interesting reading Re: the problems of Taxi drivers in Newcastle City Centre. Are they talking about Hacks or Private Hire I wonder?

An interesting thought although Sunderland does seem to have had some problems with its parking officers. I understand that they have sacked them all and started again, so maybe we can encourage the new squad to come out after dark?”

For those of you who like having a dabble in forums, the taxi drivers have one, its called too many taxis and can be found here http://www.toomanytaxis.com/tag/illegal-taxis/

“Well let’s put it this way, no matter what you do or what you say to the Taxi Drivers they will always break the law or bend the rules for their own benifit. Although I don’t agree I can completely understand the police doing nothing as I’m sure we would want to drunken nutters out of the town as quickly as possible but still that’s not an excuse to leave the Taxi Drivers to do what they want.I understand that the company is doing what they can with the forms & CCTV & I’ve got no problem with that but it seems to me that we are not winning this fight, so rather than going on & on & on can we not have a talk with the Taxi Officials & the Councils & compromise by allowing them to have their own ‘Taxi Only Zones’ on nights from say about 7pm.”

“For example give them Green Terrace & have our buses divert onto St Michaels Way but tell the Taxi Drivers they can’t park on Albion Place, Vine Place/Homleside, Fawcett Street & Stockton Road(Going past Chaplins), they can’t be allowed to drop off or pick up in these areas but can only use them to get access to & from the Taxi Zones. Even give them the Empire area have our 36′s miss this part out & our 56′s use John Street & Homleside to get back into the town.

It can be like a Peace Treatie & if they break the rules they should be fined. But we would have to accept fines if we moved in on their Taxi Zones too, it’s only fair to work it like that.

To be fair it wouldn’t be the end of the world for our passengers as you can just put signs on all the bus stops indicating that from 7pm this is a Taxi Only Zone & that they must use alternative stops at the Interchange or Vine Place etc.”

“We have rules in place now for taxis and there still ignoring them they’ll go were the money is and it’s no different for GNE we’ll go were the passengers are what we need them to do is follow the rules. They disciplinary procedures aren’t the same as ours and their bosses are only concerned about the money not bothered how they make it. The end of the day we need proper enforcement unless the Police are willing to come out and say that taxis are exempt from the law of the land and road traffic signs don’t apply to them, if there not willing to do that then do their bloody jobs and start booking them or council enforcement start doing what their paid to do.freedom of information apply to the council or police to see how many parking tickets or violation orders were issued in Newcastle city centre around the gate and long bar area.”

Basically Enforcement lets everyone down and those that ‘Plan’ don’t do it very well!

Link to Go North East Staff Forum

Tagged as: taxi enforcement