All Entries in the "Deregulation" Category

Government ‘minded’ to amend sec 16 and allow unrestricted numbers of taxi WAVs

Following a Lords debate on the government’s flagship Equality Bill it has become clear that in restricted areas that don’t have a 100% WAV taxi fleet, an unlimited amount of new WAV plates will have to be issued on demand. The current law that allows councils to restrict will no-longer apply to applicants that produce a WAV for plating.

Amendments relating to PH WAV provision were withdrawn following government concern that it ‘would be incredibly burdensome to the private hire industry‘.

Labour Peer proposes amendment to scrap (in part) sec 16 of the 1985 Transport Act

A late amendment to the 2010 Equality Bill was added by Baroness Wilkins on Tuesday 19th January 2010. This amendment, if enacted, could end the discretion that local licensing authorities have in restricting the number of hackney carriages they license.

Taxi drivers hit by legal bill

TAXI drivers say they will be crippled by costs after losing a landmark court case. Salford hackney cab drivers went to court to overturn the council’s decision to implement new rules across the city…………….

Fare Play Required in Cab Wars

Geoff Riley (Eton College) examines recent proposals to deregulate the UK taxi market

In recent weeks I have had to make more journeys than

normal using a taxi. The flexibility that a taxi service

provides is often greatly valued, particularly when you……

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.

Dublin taxi protest blockade lifted

O’Connell Street in Dublin has reopened to traffic tonight after being closed in both directions for several hours due to a large protest by taxi drivers from around the country.

More than 150 taxis parked along both sides of O’Connell Street earlier in protest at what they claim are worsening working conditions…………

Salford Protest at delimitation threat

TAXI drivers went on a go-slow to protest at a council’s proposals to shake up the trade.

About 100 black cab and private hire drivers took part in a crawl through Salford streets.

They started at Broadway in Salford Quays, passing through Irlams o’ th’ Height, Swinton and Eccles before finishing outside the Salford council offices at Turnpike House. Black cab drivers are against plans to scrap the limit on the number of Hackney Carriage licences issued by the council.

Instead, they want a `controlled increase’ of licences over the next three years.

They believe the council plans will threaten the livelihoods of the 79 drivers who currently hold black cab licences…………

Taxis will be forced to “circle the town” after cap lift

WORRIED cabbies have warned an influx of taxis would bring High Wycombe to a standstill following a council’s decision to lift a ban on hackney carriage numbers.

Wycombe District Councillors decided to lift the cap on the number…………

Salford City council to Delimit Hackney Carriages

Unite members supported by their colleagues in the taxi trade will protest on Thursday (17th September) over the proposals by the environment directorate of Salford city council to delimit the control of Hackney carriage numbers with effect from the 1st October 2009.

Perth cab drivers’ TooManyTaxis

PERTH taxi drivers claim their livelihoods are being put at risk because of a potential “loophole” in the region’s licensing laws.

A representative from three firms currently operating in-and-around the Fair City met with the PA to discuss several issues facing the industry – with the transport of disabled passengers top of the agenda…………………..

Taxis cause Leeds city centre gridlock

Leeds city centre is being brought to a standstill by queuing taxis.

Every day scores of black and white Hackney carriages park up on key routes waiting for work. One queue often stretches along the Headrow causing chaos for buses.

Leeds City Council was forced to act after the problem became serious in Boar Lane near the train station. A ’snake’ of parked taxis waiting to pick up passengers………….

Myth and reality: By Taxi Driver Online

(Originally published March 2004)
Taxi Driver Online announces the publication of ‘Myth and Reality’, a 70-page paper examining the issue of restricted taxi numbers.

INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM FOR IDEAL TAXI TRANSPORTATION

One point that is extremely important: Deregulation cannot be reversed once a market is opened up, you cannot close it again. It is impossible to put people out of business once they are in it. This has been Atlanta’s problem. Until the need for taxicab service dramatically increases in our city, we will continue having problems with the quality of service because there is not enough business for the taxicabs we have to make enough money.

Too Many Taxis in Crawley

CABBIES have begged town hall bosses to deal with the “huge over-supply” of taxis in Crawley. Drivers want the council to use licensing powers to limit the number of Hackney Carriages working on town roads. The taxi rank outside Three Bridges Station has become so crowded that police have started forcing drivers to move on……..

LTI Drops UK Dealer Network

They didn’t do their sums a few years back did they? If you saturate a market in order to make big sales of large wheelchair accessible vehicles, you have to know, somewhere deep in your educated mind that repeat sales will drop off as Taxi driver earnings decline, due in turn to larger numbers of Taxis……………..