Northumberland County Council has drawn up it’s new Taxi Licensing policy which is to go before Councillors this coming Friday with a strong recommendation for it’s adoption.
Legitimate Taxi Drivers,both Hackney and Private Hire, on Tyneside have long awaited this new policy with the hope of some clarification of the High Court Judgement last year,which to most of us was all too clear. Maybe now this saga will come to an end. Tyneside Hackney Carriage proprietors staged protests in Newcastle city centre last year in an effort to highlight the problem of ‘out of town ‘ Hacks operating on Tyneside. Even if these Hacks were legitimately working as Private Hire they were still causing confusion to the travelling public. After years of trying to educate the public as to what was a ‘Taxi’ which could be hailed on the street and what was a private Hire which could only be pre-booked,out of town hacks driving around with Taxi signs illuminated left people in the dark as to wether or not they were hailing a bona fide,fully insured Taxi.
The new policy will ensure that those seeking a badge from Northumberland County Council to operate in any of the six Northumberland Hackney Carriage zones will need to prove to the Council that they fully intend to ply for hire within the zone to which their licence is issued. As for existing licences, currently working from Tyneside Private Hire firms,the future is uncertain. Badge holders may be required to apply for a new Northumberland badge,in which case they will need to state which zone they are going to work in and as Tyneside is not one of the six zones of Northumberland,They should go!
Fee Structure for Taxis & Private Hire Northumberland:
|
Hackney carriage |
Annual fee vehicle |
£205.00 |
Exc. MOT cost; mid point to reduce possible challenge to level of income as can’t be seen to cross subsidise |
|
|
Annual fee – LPG & bio-diesel |
£185.00 |
Approx 10% reduction for green friendly |
|
|
Annual fee – Drivers |
£50.00 |
|
|
|
Private hire plates |
£20.00 |
|
|
|
Door insignias – each |
£7.50 |
|
|
Private Hire |
Annual fee vehicle |
£205.00 |
Exc. MOT cost; mid point to reduce possible challenge to level of income as can’t be seen to cross subsidise |
|
|
Annual fee – LPG |
£185.00 |
Approx 10% reduction for green friendly |
|
|
5 years – Operator |
£456.00 |
5 year licence of £96 per year |
|
|
Annual fee – Operator |
£96.00 |
|
|
|
Annual fee Drivers |
£50.00 |
|
|
|
Door insignias – each |
£7.50 |
|
|
Hackney or private hire |
Inspection fee |
£50.00 |
|
|
|
Meter sealing |
£20.00 |
|
|
Joint Hackney carriage / private hire |
Annual fee – Drivers |
£75.00 |
|
|
Drivers test |
|
£25.00 |
|
|
|
Resit |
£15.00 |
|
|
CRB checks |
|
£20.00 |
Excludes CRB charge; intention to licence all drivers for 1 yr and CRB check on renewal; currently some authorities licence for 3 years |
|
Vehicle transfer between licensees |
|
£30.00 |
|
|
Byelaws & conditions |
taxis |
£4.00 |
|
{ 37 comments… read them below or add one }
Whilst welcoming Northumberland County Councils stance on this new licensing regime,I make just 1 comment,`will the Council enforce it`.
After all,you can have all the rules and regulations you like,BUT,if nobody bothers to enforce them,they are as much use as a chocolate fire guard.
I have no doubt that Northumberland CC may well attempt enforcement to start with,but will it be on going.
As for Newcastle CC,will they even bother,or just check our own `hacks`,as usual and still stick to the usual absurd arguement that as `we dont license them,we cant touch them`.
dont hold your breath john.
those who wish to exploit the trade for evrything they can will no doubt be looking for ways around this.
@Andy Warhol, apparently a big operator from north tyneside has bought a plot of land next to the new health centre in cramlington.could this be a way round things and if so does this mean we are going to be swamped with northumberland plates?
I thought it best to clear a few things up from what ive been told by both Newcastle Coucil and Northumberland Council. The Berwick fiasco is at last coming to an end, there was a meeting two weeks ago between the two councils and it was decided that the judgement which was made last year should be upheld. It has to go in front of commitee in a couple of weeks but that is just a formality.
What this means is that when you go to Berwick to renew your Hack plate you are going to have to prove that you will be doing MOST of your work in that area, which off course nobody will. BUT i hear you cry that won’t matter, I’ll just say I work in Cramlington, that will not work either, although Nothumberland is now all one council as far as the taxi trade is concerned it is split into six different zones so if you say i work Cramlington you will need to be licensed in that zone NOT Berwick. It will also be a waste of time trying to lie saying that you work Berwick because the records that have to be held by the operators will say different and your plate would be revoked.
Nobody knows as yet the time scale of all this but from what i’ve been told I think it will be all finalised by next March when most Berwick plates are renewd.
From a personnal point of view I think it’s about time, this fiasco destroyed the taxi trade in Newcastle and the sooner we get all these cowboys off our streets the better.
you really think its going to be as simple as that?? if so why is mr shanks scooping up as many berwick plates as he can??there is bound to be some loophole these people can exploit .
@hack man, Mr Shanks is not buying plates at any good price, one lad got offered £50,but as he’s be taken £5200 and year in office rent and £5980 in car rent from that plate (plus one more lad to fight for work) he told his lacky where to go and handed his plate back!
@say what you see, at what point in my message did i mention “buying plates at any good price ” i think you need to say what you see (just like your name )
@hack man, This is what you said: “you really think its going to be as simple as that?? if so why is mr shanks scooping up as many berwick plates as he can??there is bound to be some loophole these people can exploit .”As Bluline drivers we know that Ian is attempting to buy as many Berwick plates as he can, or as you say ‘scooping up as many berwick plates as he can.’we see the Loophole to be exploited that you talk about’Blueline drivers,in the main would like to see the back of Berwick cars as much as anybody and hopefully the ‘Northumberland Hackney Carriage Intended Use Policy’ will put paid to them and we can get back on a level playing field.
you really think its going to be as simple as that?? if so why is mr shanks scooping up as many berwick plates as he can??there is bound to be some loophole these people can exploit .
mr shanks could exploit a loophole up your asshole so watch your backs !!!! or should that be sides
@Observer,
He’s started scooping up offices now, 1st coogar, now Wallsend Taxis, where next?
@john, should not be allowed to buy all these offices its monopolising other business wouldn’t be able to do it
@john, Innisfree Kicked Shanksy oot of Cougar
@john, Are we seeing the end of the small independant offices then?
The little Offices do nothing to take the big boys on, so they may as well surrender and sell up!
i am a blueline driver we r making f*** all at the mo its down to all off these micky mouse berwick plate drivers one big f***ing joke
@pablo123,
look on the bright side, the weathers great and you can get a really cool suntan… as for earning a living.. pass on that, maybe someone can enlighten us.
@pablo123, A friend of mine works the High View office, getting about £75 a day but the rents are much lower. Still not a patch on a few years ago before the Berwick influx.
you know whos to blame for that
mr stay puffed pmsl
What the hell’s that black Mondeo doing driving around town with a Northumberland plate on,I hope this isnt the start of another Berwick Fiasco.
Oh it has BLT mags on the side SURPRISE SURPRISE!!!!!!!
@Live the Dream, It has BV before the plate number so I assume it is a Blyth Valley zone Northumberland hack.
@Private hire driver NCLE, Shansys got a office in cramlington so all his ex berwicks are plated there now! Nowts changed.
@PHD, I think you will find that is not true. I do not know if Blueline has an office in Cramlington, but what I do know is that Blyth and Cramlington Hackney Carriages are the old Blyth Valley Region of Northumberland and there are only 45 Hackney Carriage Licences for that area, as there is a capped limit in place in Blyth and Cramlington Zone and has been for years although there was 4 new wheelchair hackney carriage licences issued a couple of years ago, that the New County Council have not removed. The last new issue Blyth and Cramlington Region Hackney Carriage Licences to be released was in 2006/2007, if my memory serves me correctly when the limited number that had been 41 was increased to 45 because there was a lottery style draw for the 4 new issue wheelchair vehicle licences that were to be issued to drivers who applied, who aledgedly as soon as they recieved the confirmation papers, so the story goes, recieved the deposits for the brand new wheelchair Hackney Carriages by putting them in the name of the finance provider for the wheelchair vehicles and those plate numbers were 42,43,44 and 45 in Blyth Valley.
You will find if you read your Hackney Carriage Licence that the plate is registered to the vehicle registration number and that belongs to the finance hire-purchase or loan provider until you have paid all the payments and the vehicle is yours, but the keeper of the vehicle will be stated on the log-book and that is the person who is listed on the licence as the any other person who is the proprietor or part-proprietor of the vehicle.
The Finance provider can only be remove when the log-book keeper recieves the confirmation of settlement on the vehicle papers, because in law the vehicle still belongs to the finance house intil the final payment is made and the settlement papers are released.
I hope this clears up this mistaken belief that Ex-Berwick are now plated in the Blyth or Cramlington Region of Northumberland.
I am not writing this as a Blueline supporter, but as an honest person who will agree with Blueline when they have not done wrong and disagree with them when they have, as Ian would probably agree, if he had answered this response himself.
@thelighthousekeeper,
for you my friend i will tell you what you want to know !!
but the issue in Blyth must change when it becomes one unified authority !! anyway blyth’s last survey was done more than 12 years ago.
what shit will i get this time i have put my head above the parapet ?
The Nothumberland situation is a chance for us so see an end to all the dregs of society that mr Shanks has driving for him,I pray to God that all these Bandits are refused plates(most of them prob wouldnt even know where Northumberland is!!!!!!)and they can go back to the caves they crawled out of.
Plate No. 1100 Berwick, picked up at ASDA in Gosforth today, NO Top Sign or ID, just a adhesive Plate stuck on the Boot, could be anybody!, Peter Sutcliffe or Fred West!!!!!!, lets hope they all go!
@Stephen (FKA Central Enth.), I agree with Jimmy D, it was really stupid and vigilante like of you to put this post on. People like you can do more harm than good sometimes.
@OH NO! Shanks has taken on another driver., What do you mean when you say the dregs of society as i work at Blueline and just wonder why you make a stupid remark like that!
Next time you have a shave look in the mirror!!!!!
Alright clever Mr OH NO,
I am a Blueline driver and happy,so what do mean regarding going back to our caves etc! and dregs whatever that means ??
Just rememember that admin is responsible for all of the comments on here and its people like you that bring the whole lot of us a bad name as anyone can view this site.
Hey mr oh no,exactly what do you mean by by “the dregs of society” as i am a blueline driver and proud of it.
Blueline has kept me in a reasonable standard of living and i dont understand your outlook of us!!!!or is it you are jealous and need to make things up!
@Smudger, or is it something else ?????
Or is it something else MR OH NO
Well the meeting was held yesterday at Northumberland to adopt the new taxi policy.let’s see how long it takes for these Berwick plates to fade away.
peter sutcliffe’s still in nut hoose and fred west’s deed.car had plate on,probably not affixed
where it should be,but does a top sign mean its a bonafide taxi?,was he working,was he piking his missus up,did you ask him?,probably not, so just stick his plate number up on here and basicaly brand him a thieving murdering flimping bandit,and all because he had a berwick plate on his car,stephen VIGILANTE springs to mind,maybe we should all keep an eye out for this plate,grab the driver and burn him at the cross,or if your feeling really cruel and vindictive…..BUY HIM A SEASON TICKET FOR ST.JAMES PARK NEXT SEASON
IF YOU DON’T LIKE COMMENTS OR BANTER ABOUT BERWICK HACKS, SHUT UP AND LEAVE THEM ALONE, I AM SURE JACKO’S MONKEY ‘BUBBLES’ WOULD KNOW THAT BERWICK CARS HAVE SCREWED THE TRADE IN NORTH TYNESIDE & NEWCASTLE!
OK Referring a Bandit to a Murderer was naughty, I apoligise!, but I can’t help wandering why more Bandits are springing up from a Council that no longer exists!…..
Monday gone I saw a Northumberland Hack with ‘TD’ in front of it’s number, this Car had a Plate bolted on and blue and white Door Crests on, it looked fit and proper.
@Stephen (FKA Central Enth.), I believe Tynedale Council Zone have been very pro-active in there approach to their front door stickers for their zone, already deciding to issue a white front door sticker with a blue outline with the TD infront of the plate number on the front door sticker for new Tynedale Hackney Carriage Licence Renewals, but perhaps when the information comes out from the 16 July meeting at the County Council, then perhaps only perhaps the Airport and Out of Town Tynedale Hackney Carriages could be the first to lose there plates, if the Licensing Enforcement Officer is as quick off the mark, as they have been so far.
I know nothing about what is happening in the New County Council with relation to there New Hackney Carriage Policy Decision on Thursday 16 July 2009 at 4pm.
Take Care All.
stephen,these berwick plates arnt suddenly springing up,they’ve alwasys been here,as you rightly state berwick council no longer exist,and nothumberland council arnt handing out berwick plates,what they are doing is,when a hack plate falls due for renewal,they are replacing existing plate i.e berwick,tynedale,castle morpeth etc etc with the new northumberland hack plate,”td” denotes it is licenced to hack tynedale zone,bv blyth valley and so on,are these “out of town plates” responsible for stuffing up the trade in newcastle and north tyneside?
yes,to a certain extent no doubt,if a driver changed from say berwick plate to north tyneside hack plate would that stop him flimping in the toon,very much doubt it because he’s already proved he dont give a toss about the laws and regs attached to his licence,if you think somebody is flimping get his reg no,plate no.and licensing authority and phone them up or e-mail them and dont let it lie there,keep banging on their door until you get a satisfactory answer as to what there doing about your complaint,make enforcment justify why WE pay their wages.
as for newcastle council blaming berwick council for this fiasco,they too have some blame to take,they should be clamping down on operators who take on out of town hacks,make it a condition of their operators licence that they use only licenced cars from within their own licensing area,and if the law needs changing to ensure this,then they should be using the courts to get the laws introduced.if 100 berwick hacks change to newcastle ph and 100 change to north tyneside ph,your still going to have those 200 cars doing exactly what there doing now,then who do we blame?.the people we should have been blaming all along…THE COUNCILS and their enforcement teams or should that be lack of enforement,these are the people we should be venting our anger at.lets stop attacking each other and set our sights on the licensing authorities,if there enforcement officers do there jobs properly they’ll soon catch and weed out these clowns who wont play by the rules.