This Story sounds familiar….well it would seeing as most Councils are singing from the same Hymn sheet. “Keep issuing Plates…….No you can’t have anymore Ranks……Enforcement??”
Source: BBC News
Taxi and private hire drivers competing for late night business outside pubs and clubs in central Bristol are putting lives at risk, it is claimed.
Bristol City Council says there are so many drivers crowding in to the city centre that some are posing a danger to other road users and pedestrians.
It plans to use CCTV to clamp down on drivers who are obstructing the road.
Union Unite said the problem has been caused by the council lifting the limit on cab driver numbers in the city.
Bristol City Council says it will suspend the licence on any driver caught trying to pick up passengers in unlicensed areas.
It says the problems occur when crowds spill out onto the streets and into the path of taxis which are parked in the road – rather than on official ranks.
The council says letters will be sent out to offending drivers warning them their licences could be suspended or revoked
Taxi driver Shafik Ahmed said an independent review in 2008 recommended an increase of some 40 taxis on top of the city’s fleet of more than 700.
“We raised concerns with the council at the time but they chose not to listen.
“One of the problems is that the number of taxi ranks hasn’t increased – and in Bedminster one rank has been decommissioned.
“We are calling on the council to increase the rank space and enforce the rules with regard to unlicensed cabs,” he added.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
If, as it has been said in Essex, that councils are now powerless to prevent increases in licences issued because of some edict from Brussels, then we should find out how and if drivers in other EU countries are being affected.
Are French or Belgian drivers affected, or have their councils ignored Brussels? I think councils should defy Brussels and if necessary raise a human rights issue as this affects the livelihoods of drivers.
I am not a cabby, but I think the whole thing stinks!
Please read website content of http://www.cga.ct.gov/2004/rpt/2004-R-0380.htm
for direct experiences overseas of deregulation. Quite interesting!
@david fisher, Thanks for that, David.