Silly points scheme for Cambridge?

February 2, 2012

People in Cambridge will be invited to have their say on an enforcement policy for taxi drivers. The document sets out how hackney carriage and private hire drivers will be treated by the city council if they fail to follow motoring laws or trigger complaints about courtesy and helpfulness. The council is considering a points system for disciplinary offences, but this has proved controversial with drivers. Cllr Julie Smith, chairman of the licensing committee, said: “The council will not tolerate those who fail to comply with their conditions or legal obligations, or whose conduct brings into question whether they are a ‘fit and proper person’ to hold a licence.

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North East – private hire radio circuits win court appeals

February 2, 2012

A private hire radio circuit  has won a court battle to overturn a council’s policy on  out-of-area cabbies. North Tyneside Council introduced new rules in 2010, including a condition  preventing private hire companies in the borough from using taxis licensed by  other local authorities. The policy, which came into effect in September last year, was brought in so  that North Tyneside officials could ensure all vehicles operating in their area  were regulated and safety checked according to their own criteria.

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Taxi driver checks are ‘downgraded’

February 2, 2012

CRIMINAL records checks for taxi drivers in Sheffield have been downgraded and council chiefs have revealed they do not keep data on individual drivers’ previous convictions – prompting criticism from a crime reduction charity. Taxis The council said the Government now requires it to offer a choice of Criminal Records Bureau checks for cabbies, with only those working with children and vulnerable people still requiring ‘enhanced’ checks. Drivers can choose a cheaper, standard check, in which less sources are checked.

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Cardiff cabbies angry at MoT plans

February 2, 2012

CABBIES say they will fight Cardiff council in the courts to stop a proposed  move for all taxi MoT testing to be carried out in-house by the authority. Taxi drivers have been allowed to take their cabs to any of the city’s MoT  garages to test their roadworthiness since 2010. The council Licensing Department, however, says the standard of the capital’s  taxi fleet has since deteriorated, with the number of warnings almost doubling  last year to 1,303.

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Olympics’ black cab fare rise for London blocked

February 2, 2012

Taxi for Olympics bonus bid A bid to ramp up black cab fares during the Olympic Games by nearly a quarter, has failed. City Hall blocked the move by the Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association (LTDA). London Mayor Boris Johnson branded a ‘major own goal’ for cabbies the suggestion that Londoners and visitors to the Games pay a significantly more to take a taxi during the Olympics. The prospect of taxi drivers quitting the capital city during the Games triggered the bid, the LTDA claimed. “This was an idea for TfL to consult on, as a way to encourage drivers not to go away for the Games,” said Richard Massett, of LTDA.

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Taxi permit scheme at Bristol Temple Meads is postponed

February 2, 2012

A scheme designed to cut congestion at the taxi rank at Bristol Temple Meads railway station has been postponed to allow drivers more time to sign up. The permit system by First Great Western (FGW) means taxi drivers will have to pay £375 per year to use the railway station as a base. The National Taxi Association (NTA) in Bristol objected but dropped its opposition after taking legal advice. Now the dispute has been resolved, FGW has postponed the scheme until 1 March. FGW, which owns the land at the front of the station, said the scheme would ease congestion, and that charging for permits was normal at other stations

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Northwich taxi association given green light

February 1, 2012

PLANS for Northwich’s first taxi association have been given the green light by Cheshire West and Chester Council (CWAC). As reported in the Guardian’s January 18 edition, cabbie John Woodward, of Winnington-based JJ’s Taxis, hopes to restore consumer confidence in the taxi trade by introducing a scheme to regulate  fares, companies and drivers. Council officers have now given his code of conduct, constitution and sticky badge the thumbs-up, spurring John on a drive to recruit more members to kick-start the scheme. He said: “It shows we can work together with the council to provide a good service for the public

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Chester cabbies angry at plans to change licensing

January 31, 2012

BLACK cab drivers in Chester say their future is being threatened by proposed changes to licensing rules. Council officials have announced plans to “standardise” regulation so the same policies exist throughout Cheshire West and Chester. As part of the bid, which is currently up for consultation, zones which currently separate Chester, Ellesmere Port and Neston would be lifted. The scheme includes a penalty points system which would see taxi drivers who continually break the rules eventually stripped of their licence.

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Dundee Police chief raises concerns about up-front taxi fares

January 30, 2012

Plans by Dundee taxi drivers to charge passengers for their journey  in advance ”may create additional confrontation,” according to the  police. Members of the city’s taxi industry have been considering the move in a bid to stop ”runners” from leaving cars without paying. However, a letter from Chief Superintendent Gavin Robertson to Dundee City Council’s licensing committee has suggested that charging passengers up front may be counter-productive. He also states the number of drivers reporting passengers who do not pay dropped from 62 in 2010 to 45 in 2011.

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Idiot Councillors refuse to back down on Help for Heroes stickers

January 29, 2012

A RIPON taxi driver has lost his fight to support Britain’s injured soldiers with a Help for Heroes sticker in his cab. Councillors have banned the district’s taxi drivers from having charity stickers or religious symbols in their vehicles, in a bid to keep the district’s cabs “multicultural”. The shock decision came as the council’s Licensing Committee turned down the appeal at a meeting on Thursday, January 19, going against advice by the council’s own officials. The row over stickers in taxis began when driver and Army veteran Bob Turner was ordered to remove a Help for Heroes sticker from his taxi, while another driver was refused permission for a Christian fish symbol on his car

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