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I am Disappointed at Ians attitude to my posting the news item entitled ‘Drunk’ driver says he only ate liqueur chocs
He is quite happy to have his Logo on this site when it’s a free driver recruitment tool, he has also had the benefit of displaying a weeks call log on a site where Taxi drivers frequent, a good advert, I wonder if driver numbers rose the week after posting. He has been quite happy in the past to have “Blueline driver and proud of it” come here and whitewash the comments system with more recruitment fodder, Where is Blt and proud anyway has he retired after making 1400 quid a week for the last couple of years? He’ll be back when he’s spent it.
I can see his point re: the Logo and the Motto, it was a bit strong, a bit mischevious to say the least. I could understand if this site had a massive public readership, like the Chronicle, it could be off putting to potential customers, but drivers come here, They couldn’t give a toss about any of it, not passengers.
I’m also disapointed with David Wilson for crowing that he and Mr. Fiddler were somehow instrumental in Wolverhamptons decision not to issue more Hackney Carriage Licences (That’s quite funny really given your previous experience with issuing Hackney Carriage Licenses) As far as I can see numbers of HC in Wolverhampton will still be increased albeit with relaxed age limits for vehicles. Not much of a Victory there then?
HACKNEY CARRIAGE PROVISION IN WOLVERHAMPTON-21.10.09
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
@David Wilson, Settle down David, I was disappointed by your crowing about being the champion of the Taxi trade but I havn’t lost my sense of humour.
No pleasing some people it seems.
Central City Cars in Wolverhampton OPPOSED the revision of the licensing criteria for new HC Plates – see Appendix to Committee report. I suppose they they saw an advantage in the limited supply of cabs on the streets.
The outcome is that there will continue to be no rush to plate £35,000 chariots and the prospect of large numbers of 5 year old ‘bread vans’, as they are called in North Tyneside, was averted.
That’s what the existing HC trade wanted and that’s what they got.
Just a quick note.
Wolverhampton retains current policy on new Hack plates.
The decision, as I understand it – subject to sight of the Minutes of the meeting but my client is the Chairman of the HC Association – was that the policy would remain unchanged i.e. that any application for an additional HC plate will only be accepted on the basis of presenting a brand new WCA type vehicle – the policy adopted in 2005.
However. existing vehicles now require to be replaced with a vehicle not more than five years old and must come off the road after 16 years from registration – hardly onerous.
The proposed policy shown in the ‘links’ section was the Officers’ recommendation which was thrown out by the Committee when it met last Wednesday morning.
The support which David Wilson and I provided was by way of a briefing for counciullors and cabinet members which pointed out that the Report from the Officers did not take account of the serious implications which may flow from the Equality Bill currently at Committee stage in the House of Commons – some food for thought there.
Wolverhampton has no saloon type hacks and could be in some difficulty if the Bill as finally enacted includes a ‘mixed fleets’ approach – not looking likely at present lads and lasses, it must be said.
Wolverhampton Council last reviewed its policy in 2005 and was advised by our dear friends Halcrow that Wolverhampton needed 300 hacks.
The council, like NTC until 2004, is uncapped and allows applications for new vehicles of WCA type. The number of hacks has grown from 90 odd to 120 odd in four years.
In addition, our commentary for the committee pointed out the impact of the current financial situation and the need to have regard to the Local Transport Plan and likely changes in funding patterns for the support of special needs transport in the West Midlands area.
The result is that those who have ‘invested’ in new vehicles to obtain a plate will have a further 18 months at least to recoup some of their outlay before the policy is reviewed again, unless the committee is persuaded otherwise.
Unlike our Regulation and Review Committee in North Tyneside, the decision in Wolverhampton was not carried through in traditional ‘Politburo’ style and the HC Association got a considered response from the Committee, to the discomfort of the Officers who had assumed the ‘opening of the floodgates’ was all cut and dried.
As ever the devil is in the details.
Blue Line
Statement in response to driver disqualification
Blue Line provides a professional taxi service; all our drivers are licensed and by being so they have been through rigorous checks by local councils.
This, however, does not prevent an individual from acting irresponsibly; Mr Lech’s actions were completely unacceptable and Blue Line ‘dismissed’ him the next morning, when we were informed of his arrest.
It is impossible for Blue Line to comment on Mr Lech’s behaviour; that is a matter for him to explain.
The company, however, will not tolerate any of our drivers behaving in such an irresponsible way. Our drivers are rightly proud of our reputation for passenger safety, built up over more than 50 years. It was another Blue Line driver, Robert Cain, who reported Mr Lech to the police, because he was concerned that his behaviour was unacceptable.
Although it is impossible to predict if any individual will ever act irresponsibly, Blue Line does have strict Codes of Conduct, which are rigorously enforced. Any individual who is thought to be acting in an inappropriate manner will be dealt with accordingly, as was Mr Lech.
If it had not been for the fact that Mr Lech worked from a taxi office, he may well have been able to continue to work right up until he was disqualified from driving by the magistrates’ court, a whole month after the incident had occurred.
Blue Line regularly undertakes compliance checks to ensure that drivers are maintaining the highest standards set and required by the company; and will now be investigating new ways to increase our activities to ensure that the company continues to provide the quality taxi services that our customers value.
As part of the company’s ongoing commitment to promote road safety, the Blue Line annual road safety “Don’t drink and drive” campaign will be broadcast on radio over the festive season.