ONE of Tyneside’s largest taxi firms has been told it must agree to operate a Newcastle-specific service – or face closure.
Newcastle City Council took away Blueline taxis’ operating licence in December prompting a court room showdown.
Officers at the council got fed up with the firm sending drivers to Northumberland to get a licence – which the council says results in a different standard of safety checks being applied to those operating under Newcastle’s criteria.
In order to operate in Newcastle, Blueline had promised it would run a Newcastle number for city-registered drivers.
Documents entered into court show this number would have been known by fewer than 100 people since the firm did not advertise it.
Newcastle City Council has said even when the number was answered, test calls showed the drivers sent were typically registered outside of the city.
The courts have now ordered the firm to comply with some of the conditions the local authority originally ordered or face losing its licence.
Blueline says it is awaiting the outcome of a judicial review on other issues – those regarding where it gets its hackney licences from.
Lib Dem councillor Anita Lower, who has raised the issue in questions to the council, said: “This is about the fact the council won a case at the High Court against drivers using licences not granted by the council.
“We won that case, but it is still going on. We are talking about drivers not being licensed by Newcastle, drivers not being vetted by Newcastle and drivers being outside our system of safety checks.
“People should be told that the council has no way of knowing whether the car customers are getting in meets our standards because it is not licensed here.”
Ian Shanks, managing director of Blueline, defended his firm.
He said: “While we are pleased that the district judge agreed that we can use any hackney carriage to fulfil bookings, this case was only necessary because the legislation is antiquated, unclear and out-of-date with modern technology.
“Fortunately for us and all councils in England and Wales, the Law Commission is currently reviewing taxi legislation and is expected to present a new draft taxi law bill to the Government.
“As a company, Blueline has been campaigning for many years for new taxi laws because the current laws that date from 1847 are simply out of date and do not allow for us to provide better services to our customers.
“As one of the largest taxi businesses in the UK, we shall continue to provide information to the Law Commission in the hope that it helps them to draft the best possible laws for the future.”
Stephen Savage, director of regulatory services and public protection at Newcastle City Council, said: “We are pleased that the judge took the view that people have faith in the licensing system of this council and that committee were correct to set a condition to ensure that Blueline maintained an independent operation in Newcastle, requiring use of private hire vehicles and drivers licensed by Newcastle city council.
“This ensures public safety remains at a local level and within the control of the council. The city council is determined to maintain the high standards which currently exist in this area.”
Source: Chronicle Live
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{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
Well Admin?
This is not the Courtroom Transcript, but it states North Tyneside Council can now apply decision of 17 September 2010, that was to take effect 17 September 2011 & close down Blueline if they do not comply!!!
Sorry Admin, but you jumped in to early with the BLT Properganda on Wednesday this week.
I am Sorry you were fooled in this way, but hope you agree with what Newcastle has achieved Now!!!!!!
Do you think that all those Blueline liveried Northumberland plates will go the journey? Well watch this space, it’s a bit like when you said “the question of taxi Law would never go to the Law Commission”
Dear Admin.
Do not be bitter about your decision to do as the News of the World of the Murdoch Properganda Machine used to do, expose very good stories, but sometimes it got things wrong!!!
Now Admin as you well know you are not in the ROOM as it were with Certain Matters, but I did attend the National Taxi Association Conference, & I did attend the Local Region Meetings, therefore I was in the Room at the time of Dialog, but I am not on the Panel who met with the Law Commission I do agree, but the People I Speak to are in the Room, therefore I am well aware of what can be released to this Site & what cannot, unfortunately I fear your Source does not have a Seat at the Table or can even gain Entry to Meetings any longer, as they may just have been EXPOSED by the Law Commission, therefore NO LONGER WELCOME to voice their OPINION of PROPERGANDA!!!
Please Admin be very careful who you discuss things with & perhaps this has educated you a very valuable Lesson in checking your Source for Truthfulness, as the Evening Chronicle has clearly stated Blueline now cannot use OUT OF TOWN Hackney Carriages as they are not LIcensed By Newcastle upon Tyne Council, therefore North Tyneside Regulation & Review Decision of 17 September 2010, that was to come into effect from 17 September 2011 will now be followed through as the Court says it is Lawful to apply the Condition to the North Tyneside Council Operator Licence, just like Newcastle Court Case Ruling.
Hope you agree Admin.
Since you seem to know everything about everything can you tell me why Newcastle Council Gerard/Jonathon have told me that because of the judgement made last week that ALL Newcastle offices can for the time being use out of town hacks. What you are saying is the exact opposite on what the council are saying.
Transport Manager I hope you agree, my comment merely said: BLT v Newcastle council, No Council can prevent the use of out of area Hackney Carriages for Private Hire. Which is still correct. You built some massive conspiracy about Murdoch, sources & propaganda etc from this and as for being in ‘the room’ I’ll bet the room clears when you’re in it! But no I’m not bitter I don’t even visibly shake with fear. I’ll give you this though your entertainment value is second to none.
Transport Manager,
As you clearly don’t have the Newcastle judgment either, you’d also be well advised not to proclaim to know, let alone understand, the terms of the judgment!
The Evening Chronicle reported, what you would describe, the propaganda of Blue Line Taxis, but also that of Newcastle City Council.
The question is: are Blue Line Taxis and Newcastle City Council talking about the same provisions of the judgment and whose account is correct?
The clearest part of the article was a statement made by Ian Shanks, who said, “While we are pleased that the district judge agreed that we can use any hackney carriage to fulfil bookings, this case was only necessary because the legislation is antiquated, unclear and out-of-date with modern technology.”
I would suggest that was a very measured and balanced comment in view of the crux of the statement – Blue Line Taxis CAN use any hackney carriages to fulfil bookings!
Well as I have clearly stated NOBODY HAS GOT A COPY OF THE COURT ROOM JUDGEMENT YET & I still want to read for myself the FULL TRANSCRIPT, but after the Evening Chronicle Article I base my statement on what was said in that Article, that Newcastle can Impose the condition to only use Newcastle Licensed Vehicles.
Now if anyone wants to furnish this site with the Full Transcript not an edited version, Please do so, but until that happens we will all still wonder about what you seem to be saying David Wilson.
I heard only the Blueline Solicitor & the Council Solicitor got a Copy of the Full Decision Transcript, but it appears Neither side what to release the Draft Copy or release who got awarded what in Costs!!!!
I know what happens in the Rooms I visit, but cannot trust what I here from other sources therefore waited for the Evening Chronicle to produce Saturdays Article, before I commented on what the Paper Said ONLY & will not be forced to say something else, till I get to read the Full Draft Copy of the Judgement David.
Hope you agree I am being very sensible & I am not going to comment on what Taj has said in his comment, as I have no way to varify, if what he is saying is true or not?
Transport Manager,
You must be the only person in the country who will accept without question a report in a newspaper, especially when there was no journalist in court to hear the pronouncement of the judgment, but will not accept what those who were there say!
As the NTA seems to have had member representatives present in court, why don’t you ask them what happened?
just reading this article and as a NT licensed driver and i will keep my thoughts to myself on the whole issue but one thing i will say is (first posting on here for quite some time) The Transport Manager has ideas above AND BEYOND his station and IMO is full of it.
Nuff said and i shant be replying to and comments directed towards me on this subject
Well Now,
Had a very friendly meeting this morning at North Tyneside Taxi Forum 10am with the people in the room.
For once NO raised voices, just a lot of debate between level headed people who had very different Opinions.
Very strange offer made by a person in the room, who would not furnish the Magistrates Courtroom Minutes for all to read, but apparently there are 11 pages to read.
Quite how people are supposed to decide who is telling the truth is beyond me, as Blueline claim one thing & Steven Savage claims another view, who is right? who knows as Nobody releasing Courtroom Minutes of Judgement for others to read for themselves instead of snapshot quotes, that could be taken out of context.
Maybe we should be able to find out, if the Court Case with North Tyneside Council goes ahead, we might get a copy of the Judgement then, that is in Early February apparently unless a deal is to be done first?
Not taking sides here, as trying a different approach for someone else to say what took place this morning!!!!!
It would appear Understanding the Business and Legal Processes if Road Passenger Transport the Taxi & Private Hire Drivers are not happy to be told by me……ha ha ha
All this Cut and paste about Northumberland and Newcastle, but what about those Jokers from South Tyneside and Gateshead at BLT!, people forget that these two are Bandits too, it annoys me to see South Tyneside Hacks doing Jobs around Whitley and the Meadowell, South tyneside has a good nightlife, so why do them lot want to work over here?
Lets be honest Northumberland BV cars (berwick villians) have no foundation and have to work somewhere, but Gateshead, South Tyneside, they are proper so they say!
Anyway off to make another £3.70 per hour guess where????
BLT and proud of it!
Just going off the subject, you burst onto this website some years ago displaying your impressive earning figures at BLT, got one weeks free rent from Mr Shanks, I would be interested to see if you were still doing well, I work at BLT now and things are not that exciting!!
Well Stephen, i do ok, but i put the hours in when it counts,
Granted more hours than id like to and yes 2011 was tough but i got through it and im still earning a living at BLT
A lot of its about how you approach the job and the attitude you have towards it
Hello BLT driver & proud of it.
Well you say you will not respond to me, but say I am so full of my own Self, but I have been aware of your identity for more time than I care to remember, but chose to not reveal who you are because you did not want to identify yourself at the start to even Mr Shanks. I am not going to reveal you, but I believe you are a man who has knowledge of Hackney Carriage Ownership & Private Hire too, but still I will do you the respect of not outing you, as I have no grief with you.
Please do me a favour & read the Wayne Casey Column I have commented on & read it properly, then digest it as a fair minded person, then reference the Acts I talk about before giving an Opinion on if I am Full of it, or just a reasonable Qualified National Road Passenger Transport Management CPC Holder, who understand the Law as it is written?
Thank you in-advance for doing me this service of reading & hopefully acknowledging I do indeed understand what I am talking about, unlike some others people turn to for advice?
Blt and proud of it
2012 will be worse than 2011, every time BLT buy a office out another one shows up in it’s place doing better than the original and doing better in that region/area than BLT, how long before a new Office opens in Dudley???, since A1 became the property of BLT.
Do you know a Priory driver did double than I did the other day, an Office open for less than three months compared to 52 years of BLT, it is like a Greasy Burger Van having a queue and a nearby McDonalds being empty, despite there global domination, it would be fair to say there is something not right with it?
I take it you are Mangement at BLT?
WHY DO ALL BLT DRIVERS WHINGE ON AND ON AND ON AND ON. THE ANSWER IS SIMPLE.GO SOMEWHERE ELSE.WHY PUT MONEY IN TO THE POCKETS OF A REGIME THAT TREATS YOU WITH SUCH CONTEMPT.
Does anybody know if there is any time scale for renewing your licence after it has expired. (Northumberland).
Delboy,
There is case law regarding the renewal of licences after expiry.
I do not believe that Northumberland or any council has a specific policy on the point, but would chose to consider each on its own merits.
If you have Taxi Licence Protect membership, whether by individual or a firm subscription, contact me for further free information and advice.
If you do not already have Taxi Licence Protect membership, I’m afraid my advice will come at a price, although I would have to say a very competitive price.
David