Judge rules over rival taxi row
News admin | Nov 05, 2008 | Comments 112
A judge has told Berwick Council to rethink its policy on taxi licences after Tyneside cabbies protested over an influx of rival operators.
Newcastle City Council brought the High Court case, complaining Berwick Council was issuing hundreds of licences which could be used anywhere in the UK.
The town has 672 licensed Hackney carriages, one for every 40 residents.
Berwick Council has now been advised by the court that is should only license taxis intending to operate locally.
The court heard the streets of Newcastle were flooded with Berwick-licensed taxis doing private hire work.
‘Local in character’
The border town’s cheaper and easier regime had seen a rapid increase from just 46 licensed Hackney carriages in April 2006, the judge was told.
The court heard Berwick licensed cabs were common in town’s across the North East and some drivers lived as far afield as the West Midlands, Wales, Liverpool, and Surrey.
Judge Christopher Symons QC rejected Berwick Council’s arguments that it is obliged by law to issue a Hackney carriage license to any applicant, so long as they and their vehicle are “fit”.
He said the taxi-licensing regime, which dates back to 1847, was designed to protect the public and was essentially “local in character”.
He said: “The licensing system should operate in such a way that the authority licensing Hackney carriages is the authority for the area in which those vehicles are generally used.”
“If the Hackney carriages are used in areas remote from Berwick, enforcement will be very difficult and impracticable.”
Judge Symons said his ruling would remain at the authority’s discretion.
A spokesman for Newcastle City Council said it was “delighted” with the outcome of the case.
Berwick Council said it was now preparing a new policy in light of the ruling.
Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/tyne/7711503.stm
Possibly Related Posts:
- Northumberland Consultation on Draft Policy
- Pile ‘o’ Poop
- Berwick/Northumberland situation: Questions Answered
- David Wilson on Enforcement
- Northumberland Hackney Carriage Intention of use Update
Filed Under: Berwick plates
NEWCASTLE PRIVATE HIRE DRIVERS ASSOCIATION
The only things that have been decided are –
Newcastle cannot prosecute those using HC to fulfil pre-booked hirings in the toon, and it doesn’t matter where that HC is licensed.
Berwick have to pay half the costs of Newcastle.
Berwick are advised to rethink their policies.
Berwick are advised to lie about their policies to stop people from applying in the first place.
appart from that the ruling says or does F**K all.
waste of time and money if you ask me.
CC you mentioned Jimmy Buttons book, well I’d put it straight in the bin cause people in this game believe fiction as if it was fact.
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I asked the question previously on a separate
string but nobody answered.
Is a hack from Newcastle allowed to work out
of Blue Line?
I booked a taxi in the last few days and was
sent a Ncle hack. Should Ncle remove his plate?
Or is distance between licence office and booking
office relevant?
A BLT DRIVER – NO KWARMS ABOUT BLT JUST
ASKING A CIVILISED QUESTION – IT COULD BE ANYWERE.
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NTH Reply:
November 14th, 2008 at 1:59 am
As far as I’m aware if the phonecall was taken in North Tyneside for example the fare should either begin or end in North Tyneside,I would think if the fare began in Newcastle and a Newcastle plated car came for you that would be ok.If the fare began in North Tyneside and the same car came for you that would probably be wrong but who knows! everything seems more up in the air than it was before the court case! Re: a Newcastle Hack working out of Blueline or a North Tyneside Hack working out of say Lansdowne I would say that was wrong.Reading North Tynesides Draft Pri/Hire & Hackney carriage policy which states “Operator,Vehicle & Driver must all be licenced by the same Local Authority” To me that says it all! I don’t know how anybody could interpret that in a different way.
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Deka Reply:
November 14th, 2008 at 3:34 am
@NTH,So what will happen with the likes of taxicall? whomm have their office somewhere in the midlands i think?
Yet they use newcastle and nt hacks?
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ian shanks Reply:
November 14th, 2008 at 8:08 am
@Pandora,
why should’nt he !! you got your car MOT in one area and driver anywhere in the country !
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TFollowing the handing down of my judgment in draft I heard Counsel on the appropriate form of relief that I should grant. In my judgment the appropriate relief, and the relief that I therefore grant, is by declaration as follows:
(i) In the proper exercise of its statutory discretion under section 37 of the Town Police Clauses Act 1847 a licensing authority is obliged to have regard (a) to whether the applicant intends that the hackney carriage if licensed will be used to ply for hire within the area of that authority, and (b) whether the applicant intends that the hackney carriage will be used (either entirely or predominantly) for private hire remotely from the area of that authority.
(ii) A licensing authority may in the proper exercise of its discretion under the said section 37 refuse to grant a licence in respect of a hackney carriage that is not intended to be used to ply for hire within its area and/or is intended to be used (either entirely or predominantly) for private hire remotely from the area of that authority.
(iii) In determining whether to grant a licence under the said section 37 a licensing authority may require an applicant to submit information pursuant to section 57 Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 in order to ascertain the intended usage of the vehicle.
Berwick will pay half of Newcastle’s costs of the action to be assessed if not agreed.
Note 1 Wilson No 1 paragraph 11 [Back]
his still confuses me but!!!!
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Also why cannot an out of area hack not take a phone booking?
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simple, berwick are acting inappropriately by purposely issuing licences to work from another LA. Like the judge says, it takes away the power of enforcement and saftey aspects regarding the car/driver from newcastle.
i think berwick will issue a statement to say that as of 31/03/08 they will ask where the liceneces will be used and not issue to people who wish to use them elsewhere. (as the judge said).
so i do belive they are here for a bit longer yet.
but come one people, none of you houestly believe it would be rational to go to a LA miles up the road for a plate and badge to work, in some cases, 100’s of miles away do you? You dont hounestly believe that it was acceptable to take the responsibility of the driver and vehicle saftey away from the LA that it is used in. You dont believe that citys such as newcastle find that it is safer to have a knowledge test to show that the driver has a basic understanding of the area he is working in, shouldnt be undermined?
and as for the supposed comments made by berwick, if these are true, it is disgraceful that they continue to try and undermine councils. I mean less we forget, berwicks WHOLE argument was based around that they thought they were legaly oblidged to issue plates to people irrelevant as to where they lived or worked in the country. And this was dissmissed by the judge whole in no cetrain terms they were NOT oblideged to issue licences to those that they know would use them elsewhere.
i just hope wrexham win and sort this out once and for all.
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Andy, once the Northumberland County council is in place and current drivers have to replace their badge what to stop them saying that they intend to work from Blue Line during the week, then at weekends they will work the ranks in Hexham,Blyth,Morpeth,Cramlington etc etc? which basiclt is what a few Newcastle hacks do now, only difference is drivers from Northumberland CC have more towns/ranks to chose from?
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sc, firstly no one is aware of how the LA of the Northumberland Council will proceed. Whether they will remain individual or join as one remains to be seen. They will probably remain seperate untill a later date as there will be more important issues on the NC agenda.
Newcastle should not be issuing licences to those that they know will be using them outside there LA, and I believe they will stop this practice.
You all seem to be wishing for further loopholes and ways to exploit the law. Yet you forget that Berwick will openly admit that there case was built on not that they did not wish to issue plates and cause neighbouring councils problems, BUT they were legally olbliged to do so. Now that the Judge has said to the contary (section 37) I cannot see how or why berwick would look to try and seek further ‘loopholes’.
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just some quotes from Mr. Wilson and the IOL …
… David Wilson, the borough council’s licensing manager, said: Berwick Borough Council has always recognised that law evolves and accordingly is taking steps to ensure that it will probably the first council in the country to address the issues identified by the judge.”
The council will now prepare a policy setting out how it proposes to deal with applications for licence renewals and applications for new licences by other people.
Once the council has a draft policy, consultation will take place with the general public, the taxi trade and other councils including Newcastle
to me that doesnt seem like a LA that wishes to cause further problems. Or do the Bandits read this differently?
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Andy, I am not looking for loopholes as I dont have a Berwick plate, but I think people need to realise that it not a clear victory as people are claiming, and if Newcastle expect other councils to follow the law to the letter, they maybe best starting to do so themselves, at which point this board will be full of drivers moaning about get warnings or even having their badges taken of them for not following the law to the letter.
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Also having just spoken to Alan Newton, he wished Berwick had won the case outright, so to force the government into standardising the whole trade across the country. He also stated the a he expects a North tyneside hack to be in North Tyneside when it receives private hire job, see how many drivers complain if they start to enforce that
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FAO Ian Shanks, As you are very keen to point out about “when Berwick becomes Northumberland” will you at that point allow your drivers who have a Berwick plate have the correct hack rates on their meters? because as it stands right now, you claim that hack drivers should be able to work anywhere as a private hire because they can still hack in their LA area, yet your lads clearly will not be if they dont have the correct rate on their meters! It also shows you done trust the Berwick lads not to flimp or rip off your customers if you insist they only have Blue Lines rate on their meters, yet let Newcaslte and North Tyneside hack have the correct tariffs and Blue lines on their meters
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john dodds Reply:
November 14th, 2008 at 7:52 pm
Just to add to the last comment,no matter which area a hackney carriage comes from,as the law stands,as I understand it, the hackney must have the tarriff as laid down by his OWN licensind authority on his meter.
He may also have additional tarriffs on the meter provided that the extra tarriffs do not amount to more than the LA set tarriff,what ever that may be from his own area.
In addition,some LA`s,ie Newcastle,unless an Airport car,do not allow their licensed taxis to have anything BUT the council tarriff on the meter. Therefore,in the case of a 2/3 car job,with different plates in use,the customer is the loser.
Local licensing is for public protection and safety,not for the benefit of someones bank balance or to help circumnavigate the licensing laws.
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hey u lot i seen some bitchin in my time and yes!! i got plenty to bitch about. ffs the lot of u are acting like 5 year olds errrr no my 5 year old is more mature!! The fact remains there are too many taxis but greed and the genral attitude of all councils esp berwick stinks. God i bet my toliet waste pipe smells better, it is all about the money that is what pays bills divers are suffering all operaters cant see that. Can u read then!! nah nobody cares or gives a stuff until some 1 is killed or raped by a foreign driver. and this is what it boils down to customers want there service and could not care either most on there way home are drunk and want to go home asap so stop moaning and get back to work and let the big wigs work it out there will be winners and losers. NOW DO WHAT U THINK !!! i am sick of reading this cr@p
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If any one thinks the IS toomanytaxis why not sell your plate and work from a propper taxi office ???????? one day 1 man will have all the work mark my word that day will come .
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CJ Reply:
November 14th, 2008 at 10:28 pm
@FOXY GINGERBALLS, selling a plate don’t mean there’ll be less,there’ll still be too many, who would buy a plate anyway the games knackered! one day the offices will be knackered too mark my word that day will come! And Foxy Gingerbollock the man who will have all the work aint who you think it is!!
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I am moving to Cramlington in readiness for next April.
The nightlife is great – the shopping is excellent.
I might catch those two runners I had last year –
Bastards – I will find you for real!!
Anyone want a lovely semi in Wallsend with running water?
About £120k will cover it. Great schools close by etc.
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Stephen (FKA Central Enth.) Reply:
November 15th, 2008 at 11:31 am
@Pandora, “The nightlife is great-the shopping is excellent”
You want to be a Hill Billy pet????, or is Ashington too complex?
The Cramlington I know is just full of Roundabouts and of course Manor bloody Walks!
You lot running to Hill Billy land won’t be alone you know!, all our foreign friends with Berwick Cars will be thinking the same!, that’s 700 new migrants from North Tyneside and Newcastle!, going to cosmopolitan places like wee Ashington and Cramlington for the Nightlife???????, their is a good few Blyth Valley hacks who can’t wait to get their teeth into their new residents!!!
Regards
Stephen
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“Anyone want a lovely semi in Wallsend with running water?”
FFS
An oxymoron surely
CC
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BIG SILVER Reply:
November 15th, 2008 at 9:25 am
@Captain Cab, Is it not unlawfull to have a semi in wallsend or as mr shanks might say illiglalalityyyy
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John or John Dodds,whichever one you are?
I may be wrong but as far as i can remember it is stated on the newcastle meter certificate that as long as the extra tarriffs are below the current hackney tarriff,then it does not need to be added to the certificate.Have they changed their policy?
After all what about five star,lansdowne,they have different tarriffs.What about noda/metro do they not have a different tarriff?
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@ Big Silver…..perhaps not, but it should be
CC
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Admiski, Ian shanks will skip your question as he did when I asked, which just go’s to prove the whole Berwick thing was not for the benefit of the trade as he claimed, it was no more then a way he could get more driver on his books! if what the Blue Line drivers say is true, that would be an extra 80-90 driver, put that in to the way he thinks, that would be an extra £8000 to £9000 per week rent, more if they hire a car from him! so it no wonder he’s fighting the council every step of the way!
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Ian Shanks Reply:
November 20th, 2008 at 9:26 am
@John,
john don’t be a knob all the time !! this is whats wrong with the trade , you all like making up nonsense and then go around believing it and adding more and more nonsense in each conversation
it has been explained in the past when i wrote my first article that i went to berwick for their obstructiveness of allowing a polish driver after several months of fighting with them. so read the facts
Blue line do not have 80 or 90 polish drivers (but wish i did) we have in fact for the record now only 8 EU drivers and 2 Russian, we did have as many as 14 at one time but some have returned home.
again repeating myself, my statement said after winning the high court case in 2003 and getting some Tynedale plates at the time to simply prove the point that this could be done, we then sat on this judgement and had no plans on doing anything about it until the obstructiveness of the council to the point where we had no choice to get this individual working. we reluctantly did this and many people have jumped on board of their own doing.
my views once this was done is maybe this could be a “TOOL” to get the antiquated laws reviewed and changed !
so read and know your facts and ask admin to give you the article i wrote before you like many other drivers wobble your gums in a attempt to make your self look good.
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foxy gingerballs Reply:
November 20th, 2008 at 11:16 am
@Ian Shanks, So mr shanks how many days did yiu go to the high court then was it the three or was it just the one ? you see you say it was three but your manager told me it was one ? dont you think you should sort out your owen office before you try to sort out taxi licencing law ? one of your managers told me you dont talk to paul irwin now why is that then ?
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CJ Reply:
November 20th, 2008 at 11:31 am
@foxy gingerballs, During the Court case I read this site everyday and Ian Shanks was giving regular updates daily, So he was either there or did a good job of making it up!?!
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foxy gingerballs Reply:
November 20th, 2008 at 12:04 pm
@CJ, Well lets see then hope your as quick to say sorry IF mr shanks tells the truth remember the making it up part !!!
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foxy gingerballs Reply:
November 20th, 2008 at 12:22 pm
@CJ, his manager told me he only done one day he says he done 2 now we all know it was not three like he says from the start told you all lets see wot comes out next ?
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Ian Shanks Reply:
November 20th, 2008 at 12:08 pm
@foxy gingerballs,
i was in court for the first two days of the hearing and flew to frankfurt the afternoon of the third day but did not attend on the third day if it makes any difference ! but if you want to believe other people that may or may not know more about my life and arrangements you do so, as what you think about me is matter less. spoke to my mangers and they know nothing about your claims or have you simply been talking to a driver with aspirations of being a manager !!
i will go on to say in this game everyone looks after themselves and i should do the same myself, i have and do speak to other operators and have no problem in a joint cause to benefit the business and myself but don’t we all do that ? but as you have mentioned in a earlier post you feel i have fell out with everyone !!! would i care if i had ?? the answer is no, we have been around 50 years without the trade working together and i guess another 50 years will pass and the trade will still not be together ! this trade is full of envy and selfishness to see anyone person make a bob or two more than the next man ! but if people want to work and speak i have no problem.
anyway back to you !!! i would address your source of information, and lets not look at every post and use it as a platform to take snipes and cheap shots at someones entry’s.
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Stephen (FKA Central Enth.) Reply:
November 20th, 2008 at 1:16 pm
@Ian Shanks,
Whether you went for one day or three days, you still stood up for what you believed in and posibly still do, you want to remind your latest critics, that it should be Mr Savage from Newcastle Council that they ant to get their teeth stuck into, as you know when he was asked, Have Newcastle won?, he replied “Yes”, SO as I have said where is the evidence, I think folk should pursue him to see what he is going to do, because more Foreign Berwick drivers have turned up this week at the coast!!!!
Secondly if you have fallen out with a certain operator….Good, because he ain’t ever backed you on here has he when you have taken a barrage of abuse off us lot!!
Regards
Stephen
PS I think Newcastle Council should be the new enemy!!
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ian shanks Reply:
November 20th, 2008 at 8:49 pm
@foxy gingerballs,
just spoken to Paul Irwin to ask him if had has had any issues we need to sort !! other than being busy lately he said not at all and hope to catch up very soon !!!
you boys have so much shit going on in your lives don’t you if only you could concentrate on real issues and make progress of some description rather than just “tittle tattle”
sorry for busrting your bubble and informing your so wrong !!
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@Ian Shanks. who said Polish drivers? I was referring to Berwick licensed driver, and as you have already point out, allot of the Berwick car you have on your books wont pass North Tyneside’s stricter standards,so I stand by my statement “it no wonder he’s fighting the council every step of the way!”. I hear your now advising your North Tyneside drivers to apply for a Berwick badge in case they need to rent a Berwick plated car off you? not really helping them save money are you asking them to have two badges, just saving yourself money by not plating car at North Tyneside.
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Ian Shanks Reply:
November 20th, 2008 at 4:25 pm
@John,
all our cars are to the same standard which is a VOSA test station standard that can not be avoided and because we have a large fleet of both vehicles and offer our owner drivers free loan car in the event theirs breaks down by holding either badge simply assures them of a car in the event of a break down !! it not obligatory
ps stop proving me right !! and stop being a knob
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Yet again Ian you only read bits that suit you (just like the council rules eh) I did not say your Berwick cars dont meet VOSA test standards, I stated allot of your Berwick cars dont meet NORTH TYNESIDE COUNCIL’S STANDARDS, but in case this is still confusing for you I am referring to, tinted windows, size of the car, number of seats etc.
p.s. didnt prove you right, just proved that yet again you only read what you want to.
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ian shanks Reply:
November 20th, 2008 at 8:40 pm
@John,
while car manufacturers build cars, the department of transport allow them on our roads of England and insurance company’s are happy to ensure them to do the job we do. North tyneside get them selves concerned that we the driver who has had a enhanced CRB check may all of a sudden turn into a dangerous person and take advantage of a member of the public behind some slightly smoked glass while styill driving the bloodly dangerous car, and you think they are better standards GET A LIFE !
i guess your car is a bog standard old wreck because you have obviously never had to buy a car for a long time ! you should not have to consider when walking around a car lot saying i can’t have that one because of glass and i can’t have that one unless i go to another authority such as Newcastle with my luxury JAGUAR
you ever thought its North Tyneside that may have bad rules and standards ?? which could lead to driver being force to go else where such as Berwick !!
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Captain Cab Reply:
November 20th, 2008 at 9:31 pm
@ian shanks, which could lead to driver being forced to go to a place like Berwick?
If it wasn’t for the fact Berwick have bent over to be as accommodating as a lady of the night in Bangkok, do you honestly believe half the owners would have gone there?
If a person is aggrieved by conditions they have the right of appeal.
CC
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ian shanks Reply:
November 20th, 2008 at 9:47 pm
@Captain Cab,
i am starting to get board in constantly repeating myself
were drivers pushed or pulled ?
by this i ask were drivers enticed up to berwick or did they get pushed by unsatisfactory service or standards in their own ares ?
why do you think a driver would travel from as fare afield as some people have to simply licence a ford tourneo that their LA would not ?
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Captain Cab Reply:
November 20th, 2008 at 10:02 pm
@ian shanks, you fail to answer the point Mr Shanks, I merely state that if a driver is aggrieved by conditions they have the right of appeal.
You’ve already used this right of appeal on numerous occasions, and with a degree of success?
In answer to your question to me, from the outside looking in, I would suggest it looks like no other reason than to circumvent licensing rules locally, with a degree of mischief on the part of the licensee.
I think there can be little doubt if a knowledge test were in place within Berwick, or if testing were local to Berwick, then the number of vehicles licensed would have been considerably less.
However, I see a certain degree of hypocrisy from others in this, Newcastle is over-run with vehicles licensed elsewhere on a weekend, and even during the week, it seems obvious this has happened for years and a blind eye has been thrown, yet as soon as a Berwick HC appears there’s outrage.
CC
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ian shanks Reply:
November 20th, 2008 at 10:15 pm
@Captain Cab,
appeal is costly long winded and time consuming to a driver that needs to get back on the road and has to get the car as quick as possible !!
i have My reasons for using this route and have make that clear on my first article on this site which is now revisited
i can only tell you why others tell me why they have also taken this route but that was for them i certainly didn’t ask them to do it !
your correct if there was certain conditions in place as as did Eden Vally before we turned to Berwick as Eden Valley started to put some obstacle in place !! but they could have been over come, so it would not have ultimately halted this !!
Captain Cab Reply:
November 20th, 2008 at 10:24 pm
@ian shanks, is the phrase’get back on the road’ the correct one? because that implies the vehicle was on the road in the first place.
CC
ian shanks Reply:
November 20th, 2008 at 10:40 pm
@Captain Cab,
sorry if i have to spell things out !
a driver needs to get another car for what ever reason as his earlier car is now wrote off, and the only one that attracts him is a titanium mondeo and its at the right price !
but the council will not licence it because it has smoked glass on the rear windows and it a top of the range model.
your saying he has the right for appeal !! he needs to get back on the road and has not got the time money or patience to fight a LA over a silly rule when it is the LA who is suggesting its us the driver who may put the public in danger
Captain Cab Reply:
November 20th, 2008 at 11:02 pm
@ian shanks, your dealing with the taxi trade, of course you have to spell things out!
I’m not disagreeing but pointing out the council policy may be challenged through the courts.
I would have thought a gentleman such as yourself with your undoubted knowledge of the system would pass on your beliefs to your local authority to iron out such issues before that need.
Your also suggesting in your post that a driver can afford a vehicle but not afford a trip to magistrates….£200? for magistrates and perhaps less if he’s a member of the NPHA and they think its a case worth pursuing?
Again, the point made is that some wish to circumvent the arguably more legal route on the back of an LA who has a guy running the licensing department who has a napoleon complex.
CC
FYI Ian, I have a 57 plate Mondeo, which I bought from new, but when i did by it I made sure it complied with the LA rules and didn’t go looking for loop holes so that I could save money and get a fiesta!
Maybe North Tyneside has got some things wrong, but Berwick’s “if it passes an mot it will do” approach is far from right, 6 seater doblo’s? Toyota Corolla hatch back? the list is endless, the public should be given a standard of car, that is easy to get in and out of, comfortable for the number of average size adults it is licensed for. Is this not part of customer service you keep banging on about?
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ian shanks Reply:
November 20th, 2008 at 9:34 pm
@John,
i don’t think i have any of the vehicles you refer to ? and as a operator will buy and use cars that i feel my customers deserve.
in some cases i could criticize councils for licensing some old sheds that are dated and tired but they do. if customers where to make a issue then i would obviously consider their concerns. but for a council to refuse tinted glass in the interest of public safety is a bloody insult to this trade !! what to they think us drivers are going to be up for f–k sake ?
remember the council are civil servant there to assist us and guide us in the running of our businesses not laying down the law a preventing us from doing perfectly reasonable things and forcing us to wait unreasonable times because of their restriction to have options !! remember the BEST VALUE policy the council were supposed to off the public !! they simply ignored it when it came to us and many other things because it doesn’t suit their way of operating !! is that fare ? could we just ignore things ! i think not
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Knobhead Reply:
November 20th, 2008 at 10:57 pm
@John, What about an individual who buys a car they can afford which may be smaller than what you consider a decent size.
Your comments seem to be aimed at operators buying vehicles but please think about how your requests may effect other individuals. A mate of mine put a Vauxhall Astra hatchback on the road and it met the minimum dimentions with literally millimeters to spare, and by the way it wasn’t Berwick.
Rules and Regs are there for a reason, and that reason is for the benefit and safety of the public NOT solely for the benefit of the drivers.
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So whats being said about the local authority who declares their standards are higher than another but doesn’t trust the drivers they licence to the point that they don’t allow darkened or even blacked out windows.
Does this not say more about the regard of a person fitness and propriety to become a licensed driver and if a person should be considered as such are the public not to be assured that by getting into a taxi or private hire car that the driver will do them no harm.
I suppose what I’m saying is that if a council needs people to be able to see into a taxi or private hire vehicle to be sure that nothing illegal is taking place in there surely they should consider whether the person who holds the licence for the vehicle and the person who’s driving it be considered fit and proper.
Seems straightforward to me …………. but there again common sense usually is easy and straightforward.
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Ian, you did have a hatch back Toyota Corolla working from your office and you have got VW touran plated as a 6 seater, which if an old person was to get, they would struggle to use the rear seats. The point I am making is just because a car is passed by the ministry to transport has passed it as safe to be on the public road, doesn’t make it suitable for the general public to use as a taxi, as you have stated you would like the to be a national standard like buses? buses have a very strict accessibility/emergency exit criteria, so if a national standard was to be put in place, it maybe stricter then the LA have now.
As for tinted glass, I agree, its a crazy rule, which was no doubt put in place before the CRB check.
As for passing old sheds. You must agree that just because a car is only a couple of years old, it doesn’t mean its in good condition, if its been used as a taxi from new its going to be worn out after 3-4 years, which is why North Tyneside test twice a year (I think Newcastle test 3 time per year) yet Berwick only test once a year?
I am struggling to see how the fare paying public benefit from any of Berwick’s rules? It seems they have in place to ensure public saftey
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btw Ian Shanks you still haven’t answered my question about Berwick meter rates, so I’ll ask it again.
As you are very keen to point out about “when Berwick becomes Northumberland” will you at that point allow your drivers who have a Berwick plate have the correct hack rates on their meters? because as it stands right now, you claim that hack drivers should be able to work anywhere as a private hire because they can still hack in their LA area, yet your lads clearly will not be if they dont have the correct rate on their meters! It also shows you done trust the Berwick lads not to flimp or rip off your customers if you insist they only have Blue Lines rate on their meters, yet let Newcaslte and North Tyneside hack have the correct tariffs and Blue lines on their meters
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Knobhead what is your point? you start off saying “What about an individual who buys a car they can afford which may be smaller than what you consider a decent size” then contradict yourself be saying “Rules and Regs are there for a reason, and that reason is for the benefit and safety of the public NOT solely for the benefit of the drivers”?
to answer your first question if you cant afford a car that is of a size that all passengers are comfortable in, then you should not by something smaller as the public deserve a standard of service.
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Knobhead Reply:
November 21st, 2008 at 10:53 am
@John, My point is that I may well consider a 8 passenger seat vehicle to be of such a size as to properly deliver a service to the travelling public.
The fact is though that different areas and different companies have different requirements, my mate had identified that the majority of journey’s he undertook only had 2 people travelling and throughout the 2 years he ran the vehicle had absolutely NO complaints to him, his office or the council.
Dictating minimum dimentions is required, but we must then accept that where a vehicle meets those dimentions that it is suitable to use.
I’m not saying that your wrong buddy, I’m just saying that your opinions and values of working practices are yours and what must be accepted is that other peoples opinions are equally valid.
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Well i am not brainy by all means,but at the least we should all be allowed the same vehicles by the whole government of britain!
Ian Shanks has a point in when he says we should all be able to have similair cars etc!
SORRY FOR SHOUTING LADS ! BUT IF YOU LET THE COUNCIL WALK ALL OVER YOU,THEN WHAT CHANCE DO YOU HAVE!!!!!!!
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ian shanks why dont you take n.t.c to the high court if there are unreasonable!! and battle there with issues then. i have driven your sheds and some of them are a discrace and you did not lend me for free!! as some poor blokes insureance compamny paid 4 it through onhire i had to sign it and they charged his insurers £125 plus vat a day for a wreck that wernt safe to be on the road! as u dont know what is going on in yah own fleet of company cars i cant blame you personaly but the half yore company drivers dont give a toss!! it aint there car have you seen how there are driven!! you have not got a clue how they get ragged/thrashed to a inch of there lives all the time well some cases u do as they are written off when they crashed them or they come in more than often with brakes and tyres that needed to be replaced then u know who these drivers are coz they wont buy them.
p.s alan newton is a idiot we all know that and some issues can be resolved not all i rather deal with n.t.c than some tw@t in bewick or anywere else ian shanks u have the power with n.t.c with the drivers help but u pi55 us off so much we dont suport u as much as we wish because money talks we all have bills to pay time is short and i have a life like u ian i have kids and a wife to look after i do not want to spent more than 40 hours a week in my cab i think some of yore clientell needs to be looked at as in 45%anit worth pi55ing on if they were on fire the feeling is vice versa but i do the job to keep my family in bread and a roof over my head i am not looking to get rich i just dont want to worry about my bills .
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Stephen (FKA Central Enth.) Reply:
November 21st, 2008 at 12:25 pm
@mouse,
Do you kna wot it is eh????
We would like to see other Operators on here to discuss, challange or even abuse them!, but you cannot blame them when you BLT lot come on here slagging Mr shanks off, his business and his Cars!,
Why work there?
Why drive his Cars if they are so dangerous?
You know it’s no wonder Mr shanks nit picks his applicants, there is bloody good Lads & Lasses out there, that would maintain the image of his business better than you lot, but he is too scared to take them on, and I can see why!
Me & Central Parked get our opinion in now and then at home!, but we NEVER slag off Graeme day in and day out???
It would be grate to get a debate going with Mr Direct, Mr Eastcoast, Mr Battle Hill, Mr Lansdowne etc, because all these lot still want there Rent in this economic downturn and these ALL have Bandits working for them!!!!!!!!
Log on and go and work the Toon, their is a lot of NT coastal office Drivers that wish they could work the Toon all day!
YOU KNOW YOU LOT AND US CENTRAL LOT SHOULD STICK TOGETHER BECAUSE THE HACKS IN NC & NT WOULD’NT P155 ON US IF WE WERE ON FIRE!!
REGARDS
Stephen
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Mouse, I have disagree with you about the state of cars that Blue Line rent out. Last year I hit a young lad who ran out in front of me on the coast road, I happened to by a Blue Line loan car. As it was a bad accident (the lad wasn’t expected to live) the police seized the car to examine, the Police report came back stating “the car was maintained to the highest standard”. If you are in the position where a car Blue Line has supplied has an issue, you only have to take it to the garage to be put right. But as for drivers driving the nuts off them, its a sad fact of life that people tend not to look after stuff they dont own as well as they should
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try working in blyth valley the council havent got a clue
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