Over the last couple of weeks North Tyneside Taxi Licensing & Enforcement officers have been extremely visible.

In that time 2 hacks have been stopped for minor infringements, 1 Berwick plated vehicle and 2 Private Hire vehicles for illegally plying for hire (flimping) allegedly. We know this by way of the Taxi grapevine as the Licensing dept. are tight lipped about such matters, even though this kind of news would serve to ease tension in the trade.

Whilst it is to be applauded that enforcement officers do come out from time to time, it seems nonsensical that they knock off some hours prior to kicking out time when the vast majority of out of town plated vehicles and Private hire flimpers descend on the coast and steal the work of legitimate Hacks. A recent story in the Newcastle Evening Chronicle tells of a Lady, hiring what she thought was a Taxi, from the’ Gate’ in Newcastle, to Ponteland. On arrival at her destination she was charged £39, an exorbitant amount for the journey. The driver of the green & white plated vehicle had not used a meter to calculate this fare..Full Chronicle Story here
I noted two letters to the Evening Chronicle one from the Father of a Private Hire driver who goes on to say that this kind of thing makes us all look bad. I couldn’t agree more. It reflects badly on the whole of Taxi trade, Hackney & Private Hire alike.
The second letter was from a Trading Standards & Licensing officer appealing for the aggrieved passenger to come forward. Read Full Letters Here.

Surely Taxi Licensing & enforcement officers have a duty to the Legitimate Taxi trade licenced by them and to the travelling, fare paying public to actively deal with the menace of bogus Taxis. Let’s see some evidence of this duty.

Peterborough

Peterborough City Council Taxi Licensing Officers target a minimum of 60 stop and checks per week. They also carry out late night inspections to ensure compliance with licence conditions.

East Staffordshire

East Staffordshire Borough Council has once again strengthened its commitment to protecting public safety by proposing to change the way it regulates and enforces laws relating to taxi services in the area.

At present all Hackney Carriage and Private Hire taxis that hold licenses issued by East Staffordshire Borough Council are subject to a complex penalty points system where a license holder can receive up to 12 points in a two year period before the license comes under review.

Rossendale

Cllr David Barnes, Chair of the Licensing Committee said:

“It is important that local taxi firms are able to use the designated taxi ranks. We often get complaints about taxi’s using our short stay car parks but if one of the designated ranks is being used by other motorists it is much harder to insist that they don’t use the short stay car parks.”

“I am pleased that the Council and the Police will be working together to enforce the current taxi rank provision.”

Can we expect the same levels of commitment as the above from our Enforcement officers? The last couple of weeks would suggest that we can. Yet it still remains to be seen that something will be done and that this recent ‘Visibility’ is not just an exercise in appeasement.
I would formally invite any enforcement officer to comment in these pages, you should never be afraid to speak your mind, I’m not!