Belgium.

Government Minister, Bridgette Grouwels explains why UBER has been banned in Brussels.

Translated to English;

A debate rages on at the moment (services) taxi company Uber  

I present below some thoughts and some facts that must be considered, primarily in the interest of the consumer

Commercial Court Brussels prohibited Uber continue its activities in Brussels in their current form. This judgment follows a complaint filed by a private company. Compliance with the court does not preclude the establishment of an intelligent mobility.-

The paid conveyance of passengers is subject to clear rules to guarantee quality and safety for consumers and fair competition.-

These rules cover a minimum level of quality, the possession of a license, the payment of social security contributions, subscribing to appropriate insurance, etc.. We want to avoid a "race to the bottom." We say no to the total absence of regulation.-

The purpose of these rules is mainly consumer protection. A simple, special insurance is not sufficient to be able to provide paid transportation of people. In the United States, a serious problem so happened following a fatal accident involving a taxi Uber. Uber ships this problem by saying that their company has nothing to do with this accident.

-Applications offer unique opportunities we can also use for the taxi industry. The CD & V fully supports the development of computer tools that make life easier for the consumer. This is what I've done over the past five years as Minister of Information.

Past five years, I deeply modernized the taxi industry in Brussels for Brussels and visitors introducing a new identity, a quality charter, information posts, digital taximeter, etc.. In addition, we have significantly increased the number of locations taxis and conducted the opening bands bus taxis. Many of these reforms have been taken in consultation with the sector, which was not always easy. It is implausible to say that the Brussels government defend the "taxi cartel."

London

Euston station evacuated after taxi catches fire

Rail passengers have been evacuated from Euston station after a taxi caught fire on the rank outside.

Commuters tweeted images of the disruption as they were led out of the building.
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Taxi cartels to be 'App'ed to Death'

EU states have made huge strides in transport liberalisation over recent decades, especially in areas such as the air industry. But one sector that has remained stubbornly resistant to change in many of the continent’s towns and cities has been the licensed taxi lobby.
Across Europe, governments and town halls have tried on many occasions over the years to break up licensed taxi unions. The constant complaint of politicians and the public is that taxi drivers in many cities are organised in cartels that use tight monopolies to impose high fares on customers.

To keep drivers busy and well remunerated, these cartels strictly control the number of taxis that get a licence, imposing long waiting times on customers. The former French president Nicolas Sarkozy said in 2008 that “Paris is the only city in the world where it is hard to find a taxi”. Many European leaders – including his successor – can say the same today.

Governments in France, Italy and Greece, among others, have tried to undermine these cartels by expanding the number of licences on offer or by giving greater opportunities for private drivers to ply their trade as is the case in London. But the licensed drivers have successfully fought back, blockading roads and calling strikes.

Now, however, the cartels face a much bigger threat in the form of app-enabled taxi services. Increasingly popular apps run by companies such as Uber, a San Francisco based start-up, link private chauffeurs with mobile phone customers within minutes. Uber has been particularly prominent, raising $258m last year from a group of investors led by Google Ventures.

These taxi apps are unsettling licensed drivers not just in Europe but the US. Under pressure from the licensed taxi unions, regulators have come up with some perverse responses to the new phenomenon of “e-hailing”. This week a Brussels court issued an order banning Uber, stating that Uber drivers will be fined €10,000 if they are caught carrying private passengers.

Reining in these apps in this way is completely absurd. Internet-based technologies are revolutionising industries and shifting employment patterns across the world. Why should taxi drivers be exempt? Neelie Kroes, the EU digital commissioner, described the Brussels court’s decision as “crazy” and “outrageous”. She was right to do so.

The views of the taxi lobbyists cannot be completely dismissed. Licensed taxi drivers in many cities have paid large sums of money to acquire their permits, often through auction.

 In Paris, drivers pay more than €200,000 to acquire one of the limited number of state taxi licences.
 In Florence, the cost of permits was recently put at €300,000.

 New York yellow cab medallions have been sold at auction for close to $1m.

 Many drivers view these licences as an asset that will guarantee their pension. Having made that investment, they will fight hard against any attempt to devalue it.

At the same time, city regulators will be wary of allowing a taxi free-for-all. A completely unlicensed taxi market has very low costs of entry. If too many drivers enter this market, urban congestion will result. Arguments about the safety of an unregulated market also have some validity.

Still, “e-hailing” is bedding in and the cartels will have to respond. Licensed drivers appeal to some as a service that is more secure and regulated. But one thing they could do is learn some lessons from the taxi-app business. Hailo, a London-based app company, now has 60 per cent of the city’s black cab drivers on its books. It has neatly fused licensed taxis with new technology.


Ultimately, however, licensed taxis will only survive if they go further. There need to be more permits, lower fares and faster pickups. If the taxi cartels fail to change, they will be “apped” to death.
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TAXI FARES INCREASE TO BE REVIEWED BY ALLERDALE COUNCIL

Allerdale councillors will look again at plans to increase taxi fares.

Last month, the council voted to increase journeys by 10p – making it the first price change in four years.

But some cabbies say they would have to make hundreds of fares to fund a change to their meter to accommodate a 10p price hike.

The matter will be discussed again next week by councillors sitting on Allerdale’s licensing panel.

Davies Taxis, of Keswick, has objected to the planned increase.

They say the “minimal” financial gain didn’t justify the cost of having to get their meters recalibrated.

The taxi company has been invited to the meeting.

And Workington taxi driver Ray Cottier has previously said that increasing the cost by just 10p is a “waste of time.”

He said: “All it means is that the first mile goes up from £2.90 to £3,” he said.

The licensing panel has been given two recommendations. They can either keep the table of fares as originally proposed – 300 pence for the first mile, which comes into effect on June 1 – or change it to come into effect also on June 1.

But taxi driver Brian Sparks said: “The Hackney carriage table of fares is in need of urgent increase.

“Yet again one rise has had to last several years.

“At least 10 per cent is required on the first mile and subsequent 1/5 mile charges to keep up with all the other constantly rising costs, including your licensing. Ten per cent is less than the rise in inflation since the last increase.

“I don’t consider it an unreasonable request.”

Fellow driver Gerard Glaister suggested increasing the rate to £3.20 “as we have not had an increase for four years.”


The licensing committee’s recommendation will be considered by the council on May 14 and that decision will be final.
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US taxi app Uber recently received a $333 million investment from Google, whilst UK-based company Hailo has had a reported $77 million.  

The taxi economy is worth almost £9 billion in the UK and no one company has the lion’s share of it. This clearly presents a valuable opportunity, which is why many technology companies are keen to move in and try and extract some of this revenue for themselves. But will it happen and is it even possible?

The seemingly obvious solution, and one that’s getting lots of media coverage at the moment, is the taxi app. That's just what the guys at Hailo did, when a group of taxi drivers and investors got together to create what is arguably, London’s most popular taxi app.

Whilst Hailo is undeniably servicing a need in the marketplace, it does have its limitations. Black cabs are not the cheapest way to travel in London, especially over long distances, so their market is somewhat limited.

Alternative players in the market, like Kabbee, use London minicabs, which can be half the price of a black cab – so between the two, that's the London market covered.  

But isn’t that just the easy part? A booming international city with millions of potentials customers travelling the streets each day is all well and good, but what about the rest of the travellers across the UK? How will the apps fare as well in Rochdale or Lincoln? Move out of London and the landscape changes dramatically.

So what does an app need to make headway in the other 1500 towns in the UK? Well, it needs customers and willing drivers ready to share their income: two things that are not easy to win over when you’re not in the capital city.

Long-established taxi companies are not going to share their income easily, and customers who ring 555555 every time they need a taxi are unlikely to change their habits any time soon either.

It is also important to point out that successful taxi businesses will always need to deliver good customer service. Yes, an app is quick and convenient, but right now in the UK, phone calls bookings compared to app bookings are probably in the region of 999 to 1.

As mentioned above, apps like Hailo are designed for the impulsive  ‘I need a taxi right now’ market. This doesn’t include the taxi work includes the pre-booked work, airport transfers and business customers.

Then there are other more serious business issues such as cash and VAT to consider. It's fair to say the taxman doesn’t see all the money in any industry where cash is heavily used.

When you suddenly start to map every transaction out electronically, things start to change quickly. Take all this into account and suddenly, the goal of getting full UK coverage looks much more challenging. 

Shanghai recently had a crackdown on its booming taxi app market, banning them both in rush hour and also completely from the private hire minicab fleet. When you take into account $43 million investment that had been put in the app market, the no rules appear very harsh.

But technology companies far too often have had their own way. Bulling their way into new markets, killing off the competition, extracting huge profits and then minimising their tax liabilities.

Technology companies will not win over the taxi companies easily and they will find impossible to replace them and take over by simply releasing a new app that connects passengers to customers.

A symbiotic approach will be needed where technology companies work with both taxi companies and drivers. Building a customer base will be much slower than in the capital and patience will be needed, as well as an acceptance of heavy losses while a customer base is built.

But even after all this, the app market will still be a relativity small chunk of a £9 billion market, with over 80% of that money going to the drivers. Technology companies won't really start to see massive revenues from the taxi industry until the invention of cars that can drive themselves. Or, wait – doesn’t Google already have these?

Start-up Taxicode believes the future of the taxi industry is to work with all taxi companies with a piece of software that can connect everything together, and the app just one of many interfaces and connectors. Time will tell what makes the biggest impact on the industry.

In ten years there will likely be a combination of some exciting emerging technologies. The Google self-driving car, Google OAA car dashboard software and a universal booking system connected to all internet devices and third parties.


In reality, this could lead to only a few major players in the industry. One thing is for sure, they will be many battles and blood lost, before an overall wining technology is found.

ONE of Edinburgh’s largest private hire taxi firms is set to be liquidated, owing around £300,000 to Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs.

A winding-up order has been lodged for Capital Cars Ltd for unpaid VAT but the jobs of 25 staff and 350 self-employed drivers have been secured after a phoenix company bought the assets of the collapsed firm.

Seven Sevens Cars Ltd took control of the private hire firm on Thursday and has retained the trading name.

An official liquidator has been appointed for the old company.

A petition to wind up Capital Cars Ltd was published on Tuesday in the Edinburgh Gazette. It is understood that despite “management restructuring” the company was unable to meet repayments of VAT totalling around £300,000.

Following legal advice, director Stephen Rose – who took over the running of the firm in August – decided to file for insolvency.

Staff at the firm’s Gorgie Road depot were alerted to the insolvency event yesterday but it is understood there will be no job losses.

In an e-mail to staff, director Stephen Rose said despite the financial collapse it was “business as usual”.And he moved to allay any fears about future job losses.

It read: “Capital Cars (Scotland) Ltd has gone through a necessary financial restructuring process.

“Seven Sevens Cars Limited has, as of yesterday, concluded the purchase of the entire ‘Assets and Undertakings’ of Capital Cars (Scotland) Limited, including the trading name.

“The old company has had an official liquidator appointed. Do not worry, the only changes that take place in the future will all be positive and all jobs remain secure.

“We will be starting an exciting and fairly aggressive marketing campaign in the near future that will ensure the continuing growth and success of the company.

“We will keep you all informed of progress.

“I cannot stress enough that there is no need for concern about the security of all your positions within the company and this turn of events means we can implement even more features and benefits of our services.”

Capital Cars – which is taking bookings and hasn’t been affected by the change – is thought to be the second largest private hire taxi firm in the city.

The firm won praise last year for prioritising bookings from women travelling alone throughout the year and for offering a text service to customers informing them of the make and licence number of the collection vehicle.

Last February, a lucrative £30 million contract to control Edinburgh Airport’s taxi rank was awarded to rival firm Edinburgh City Private Hire.

A spokesman for the HMRC said: “We can’t comment.”
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Wolverhampton

Court upholds taxi licence decision
The owner of a taxi firm which has had it’s licence revoked has seen the decision upheld by magistrates after he challenged it in court.

Councillors in Wolverhampton ordered for the licence of Westside Radio Cars to be revoked in October but Tahir Hussain, the owner of the firm, had appealed to magistrates.

It was revoked after a council investigation found they had four uninsured cars operating over a weekend in July last year.

Mr Hussain had appealed the original decision, which was made by the licensing sub-committee in October, and appeared at Wolverhampton Magistrates Court to hear his fate.

But magistrates upheld the ruling made by the committee, saying he was not a ‘fit and proper’ person to run the firm.

Mrs Sarah Hardwick, who represented Wolverhampton City Council at the hearing, said Mr Hussain had failed to provide the correct insurance documents when the council visited their base. She told the court that the trips the four uninsured cars carried out jeopardised public safety.

She said: “Under council guidelines, they can revoke a license for multiple breaches of guidelines, and the council believe there were multiple breaches as a number of journeys were made across the weekend.”

She said Mr Hussain accepted that the cars he was using from another company, Motor Accident Claims Ltd, were not properly insured.

Chairman of the bench, Dr Alison Felce ordered Mr Hussain to pay £2,125.52 in costs, but he said he will now appeal to the crown court.


Speaking after the hearing, he said: “I have 21 days now to appeal which I will do. I feel as though we have been treated unfairly and I will take it as far as I need to, to clear my name.”
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Adelaide

A MIDDLE-AGED taxi driver who had sex with a 13-year-old-boy and then claimed he thought he was 17 has been jailed.

District Court Judge Rosemary Davey last week criticised prosecutors for not disputing James Stanley Higham’s submission that he reasonably suspected the boy was an adult.

Higham, 57, of Seaton, pleaded guilty to four counts of unlawful sexual intercourse with the boy, aged between 13 and 14, in 2010 and 2011.

In sentencing, Judge Davey said she still did not accept Higham’s assertion that he thought the boy was 17 partly because he had prior convictions for indecently assaulting underage persons in the 1970s and 2004.

“It defies common sense that you would engage in an ongoing relationship with a young man without knowledge of the very serious risks if that young person was underage and I do not accept that you did not turn your mind to this matter,” she said.

Judge Davey said Higham was a taxi driver when he met the boy but stopped working when he was arrested in 2012.


She sentenced him to seven years jail with a non-parole period of four years and six months.
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Leeds.

A YEADON private hire firm claims its future could be in jeopardy following a decision by bosses at Leeds Bradford Airport to axe a scheme which allowed drivers access to the pick-up point outside the main terminal, without having to pay the usual fee.

Until now, SJK Private Hire has paid an annual charge of up to £35 to be a member of the airport’s Voyager scheme, which meant its drivers were exempt from the £2 charge, paid to allow vehicles access to the concourse outside the main arrivals and departures hall.

Airport management confirmed yesterday Voyager has been discontinued and replaced by an hour’s parking now available available free of charge in a car park a few minutes’ walk from the terminal.

A statement added a free shuttle bus will also run 24 hours a day.

A spokesperson added: “There is also an option for all users to use the terminal front express car park which costs £2 for up to 30 minutes.”


But Mr Murphy claims the distance to the free car park will still be a major obstacle for elderly customers or families with heavy cases - and finding they’re not being dropped outside the doors of the airport could put many off making a booking.

“I think it’s appalling that we’ve only been given nine days’ notice that Voyager has been scrapped - and just before the summer season starts,” said Mr Murphy. “I’ve just invested a lot of money in marketing which says we have access to the drop-off and pick-up points close to the terminal and that we don’t charge extra - and then this happens.

“As we also have contracts with concessions inside the terminal, our drivers sometimes make three or four runs to the airport to pick up or drop off staff every day. If we had to pay £2 every time, this could cost us up to £130,000 a year.”


http://tinyurl.com/o3spt87
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Brussels.

One does not simply disrupt incumbent industries with something fresh and innovative without running into trouble with the Belgian government and its legislators. A week after launching an urban P2P ride-sharing service called UberPOP in Brussels, the first (completely privately-held) vehicles of Uber drivers have already been seized, reported newspaper La Dernière Heure this morning (via De Tijd).

Brigitte Grouwels, Brussels’ minister of public works and transport, already made it clear that it wouldn’t be allowing Uber to operate any of its taxi industry-threatening services in the city, and she seems to be hellbent on keeping her word.

Update (6 March): Uber just gifted everyone in Brussels one week of free UberPOP.

During a coincidental check, two UberPOP drivers had their vehicles seized by the police this morning, for not adhering to the relevant laws on taxi services.

UberPOP is different from most of the services Uber offers globally, in the sense that it’s actually not a way to book cars driven by professional drivers like the regular Uber or the cheaper UberX service.

Instead, Uber lets individuals sign up to become a driver, and acts as a facilitator for potential ‘clients’ to look up drivers and book rides (at a lower rate than ‘real’ Uber cars, of course).

That would be too convenient for people trying to get around the city, so Brussels’ lawmakers want to make it impossible for Uber even to offer its watered-down transportation service.

Grouwels, with Brussels’ taxi industry representatives cheering loudly in the background no doubt, has formally requested Uber to stop operating its services in Brussels entirely, something the Silicon Valley-based company appears to be intent on ignoring.
Uber rep Susanne Stulemeijer told De Tijd that it will back the two drivers as the issue gets caught up in Belgium’s complicated legal system, which the company said it was thoroughly examining at the moment. Uber says it’s received a lot of positive feedback from drivers and passengers alike since it launched its service in Brussels last week, and appears to have no intentions of terminating its operations in the city.

According to various media reports, Uber has claimed ‘hundreds of drivers’ have signed up for the service in Brussels so far, with more than 1,000 passengers sharing rides in the week after its debut.

Stulemeijer added that it was not surprised about the Brussels’ government and police actions and attitude regarding the matter, noting that local rival Djump had been operating a very similar service in the past 9 months without running into any kind of legal trouble so far. Here’s the bad news for Djump: the authorities will now watch the Belgian company’s activities more closely.
Another victim of the whole ordeal: consumer choice.

http://tinyurl.com/ktckbq6

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — A plan has been introduced to track New York City cabs, in an effort to curb speeding and other dangerous driving habits.

As CBS 2’s Sonia Rincon reported Thursday, even taxi drivers themselves will sometimes admit that taxi break the speed limits on city streets – driven not by them, but by other taxi drivers.

“I do see that,” said taxi driver Mohammed Salo. “(It’s) 30 (mph), but some do more than 30.”

City Councilman Jimmy Vacca (D-13th) said taxis set the standard for other drivers in the city. With speeding under attack under Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Vision Zero plan to reduce deadly crashes, Vacca has proposed outfitting taxis with the same type of technology that records data in planes and trains.

“I want a black box in taxis, because taxis have got to be part of the solution to speeding,” Vacca said. “I want them to slow down. I want passengers to feel safe in these cabs.”

The boxes would report the taxis speed back to the TLC, as well as other movement and sudden stops. Passengers who talked to CBS 2’s Rincon liked the idea.

“It’s all about public safety, and we want everyone to be safe,” said passengers James Cara.

Some drivers did not mind the idea either.

“I don’t have a problem about it. I feel it’s in the right direction,” Salo said.

But other taxi drivers wanted to know more.

“What it all entails about it, because every time they come up with something, you know, they say it’s for the best,” said taxi driver Emilio Rivera. “I don’t know. I can’t say.”

Vacca’s proposal is just for a pilot program to see what the black box technology can do. It would not include any enforcement or penalties for drivers.

But some drivers and their advocates were worried such enforcement and penalties would soon follow.
“From what we understand, the discussions for the black boxes for the taxis go far beyond just accident data,” said Bhairavi Desai, executive director of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance.

 “There’s even been talk about using this technology to turn off the meter or reduce the fare in the middle of a trip, and I mean, how can that kind of meter tampering, you know, be good for anybody?”

Taxi driver and Taxi Workers Alliance member Beres Ford Simmons agreed that the black box technology would likely end up being bad news for drivers.

“It’s not necessary, because really eventually if it becomes part of the industry, we the drivers are the ones who are most likely going to have to pay for it,” Simmons said.

For its part, the Taxi and Limousine Commission said it supports Vacca’s proposal and to working on the next steps.

A bill for the data recording devices was introduced before the City Council on Thursday. There was no word on how much the black boxes would cost; the pilot program would determine that as well.

TfL invites trades to help shape regulatory framework for taxi and private hire apps

09 April 2014

Smart phone apps offer significant potential benefits to passengers, drivers and operators

Transport for London (TfL) has confirmed that it welcomes the use of taxi and private hire apps to benefit passengers, subject to those apps meeting the high standards of public safety TfL expects. 

TfL is inviting the taxi and private hire trades to provide their views on how the regulatory framework should be applied to this rapidly developing technology, while ensuring that the current highest standards of public safety and customer service in the trades are maintained.

The development of taxi and private hire booking apps offer tremendous potential benefits for customers. 

This includes enhanced safety and security measures - with many apps providing the passenger with a photo of the driver and their name, the registration of the vehicle and the ability to track both the approach of the vehicle and the remainder of the journey in real time.

However, the rapid pace at which smart phone based technology has been developing in recent years has led to a need for clarity about what is required in order for apps to comply with the regulatory framework in London. 

TfL is seeking to clarify that position and has asked the taxi and private hire trades for their input to formalise the regulatory framework and ensure there is a level playing field for all operators.

Leon Daniels, TfL's Managing Director of Surface Transport, said: `We welcome developments that make life easier for passengers. 

`As in many other areas of transport and retail services, apps can offer passengers the potential of better and more convenient services. 

`We are asking the trades to embrace these advances in technology, which have the potential to further improve London's taxi and private hire services, and have asked them to be part of the formal process to help shape the regulatory framework in this rapidly developing area.'

Constructive meetings were held recently with both the private hire and taxi trades on this issue. 

Discussions focused on the use of apps for private hire vehicle bookings, with TfL presenting its provisional views on the use of apps, which are as follows:

Apps can put a customer in touch with licensed private hire operators, either by signposting a customer to a choice of licensed operators or by transmitting a customer's data directly to a specific licensed operator.  Apps that deliver this service do not in themselves 'make provision' for the invitation or acceptance of private hire bookings.  Only a licensed operator can 'make provision' for the invitation or acceptance of a booking

While it is perfectly legal for an app to put a customer directly in touch with a licensed hackney carriage driver, any app that puts a customer directly in touch with a private hire driver without the booking being accepted by an operator first is illegal.  Even if the licensed driver is also a licensed operator, the booking must be accepted at the licensed premises.  A booking can not be accepted by a private hire operator in a vehicle or through a mobile phone on the street.  

Certain details, such as the date of the booking, must be recorded by operators before the start of each journey.  There is no obligation to record the main destination at the time of booking unless it is specified by the customer

There is no obligation to quote a fare when making a booking via a private hire app unless a quote is requested

Smart phones used by private hire drivers - which act as GPS tracking devices to measure journey distances and relay information so that fares can be calculated remotely from the vehicle - do not constitute the equipping of a vehicle with a taxi meter
Further discussion with the taxi and private hire trades will take place in the coming weeks to help clarify the regulatory framework for this rapidly developing technology to ensure that the current highest standards of public safety and customer service in the trades are maintained.
Only a private hire operator licensed by TfL can make provision for the invitation or acceptance of, or accept, a booking for the purpose of private hire in London.  A licensed private hire operator has to meet a number of legal and regulatory requirements and is subject to regular compliance audits and checks to maintain public safety and promote a high quality service to customers.

Any private hire operator found not to comply with these requirements will be subject to action which can include the suspension or revocation of its licence.

Private hire apps may either direct a potential passenger to a choice of licensed private hire operators or transmit the passenger's request directly to a licensed operator who will then accept and record the booking and allocate a driver.  From TfL's perspective, the essential aspect is that an app facilitates a customer to be put in direct contact with a licensed private hire operator.  Any app that puts a passenger in direct contact with a driver for the purpose of a private hire is illegal and TfL will take appropriate action against the person responsible for the app.

http://origin.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/media/newscentre/29941.aspx

TAXI drivers in Southampton could bring the city to a standstill over a double council U-turn they say will hit their livelihoods.

Angry cabbies say they could strike and blockade the city centre if council chiefs go back on plans to help pay for CCTV cameras and extend the lifespan of city taxis.

They are also threatening legal action against city chiefs.

The row has erupted because council officers want to scrap the £250 subsidy to fit controversial “spy” cameras in ever cab, which it made compulsory back in 2009.

It would mean drivers having to pay the full £700 cost themselves.

They also want to limit the lifespan of cabs to seven years, ten if they are wheelchair adapted.

Councillors on the licensing committee are due to vote on the measures today.

Both would reverse decisions made last September.

Cabbies have reacted furiously saying it comes at a time when finances are tough for many in the trade.

Clive Johnson, from the Southampton Trade Association, said: “There is talk about demonstrations and blockading, because we are angry about the fact that the councillors voted to extend the lifespan, but now they want to overturn it really quickly.

“If drivers demonstrate it could bring the city to a standstill.”

Kevin May, from Radio Taxis, said: “They gave us an extension of two years and if they take that away I will take them to court.

“It was democratically voted on by the councillors and it is the only thing they have given us in the last seven to eight years that will help drivers a little bit financially.

“We aren't asking for that much - in Eastleigh the lifespan is 15 years for renewals. We are just fed up about it - it stinks.”

Council chiefs want to scrap the £250 subsidy due to “parlous” financial situation.

They say that Associated British Ports, the Southampton Hoteliers Association and Destination Southampton had “expressed their concern” on how older vehicles would “affect their organisations and the image of the city to potential investors or visitors” after the original decision was made.

The ultimate decision lay with council leader Simon Letts. He said: “After the original decision we got some correspondence from members of the business community suggesting that they were disturbed and disappointed by the original decision.

“Also, the older the car the more pollutants it will be producing.

“So I asked for the committee to have another look at it. They may decide they are happy with the original decision, that's up to the committee.”


The council has said it will wait until April 2016 to bring back the old policy in fairness to drivers who have put plans in place since the original decision was made in September.

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Saskatoon (dont ask, I dont know.)

Jim Frie bought his first taxi licence back in 1963 for $2,750, car included. Since then, he has watched the market for cab licences skyrocket.

Last month, a taxi licence in Saskatoon sold on the open market for $230,000. Last year, one fetched $240,000.

“The true value is what someone is willing to pay that given day,” Frie, who owns 24 licences, said in an interview Monday.

City officials now want to cash in on the skyrocketing values.

City council is lobbying the provincial government to change the Cities Act and allow the city to sell permanent taxi plates at fair market value. Right now the highest the city could sell a permanent plate for is $375.

“I believe if we were able to issue them at market value the City of Saskatoon and the citizens of Saskatoon would see financial benefit,” Coun. Darren Hill said in an interview Monday.

Hill said there is an “inflated sense” of exactly of what the licences out there are worth because the city has severely restricted the number of licences on the road.

There are currently 160 permanent taxi licences in the city. On top of that the city recently added six new seasonal licences — which allow operators to drive from September to June — bringing the total number of seasonal licences to 18.

The city has no immediate plans to provide more permanent taxi licences. While the market may be inflated, if and when city officials issue more licences they should take advantage of the market costs, Hill said.

Frie said if the city released any more licences and sold them for less money than the current street value, they would have a lot of upset licence owners on their hands.

“I think there would be a riot if the city was going to sell them for less than the going rate ... If they are going to release at half that price, I wouldn’t be happy,” Frie said.


http://www.thestarphoenix.com/news/City+Saskatoon+wants+market+value+taxi+licences/9711639/story.html
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Derby/Gedling.

A TAXI firm boss has hit back at claims that Derby cabbies have been registering elsewhere because they cannot speak English.

To become a driver in Derby, you have to take a tough exam which tests knowledge of places and routes in the city.

It was alleged on Friday that taxi drivers who cannot speak English well enough to pass this exam have been registering with Gedling Borough Council instead – and then working in Derby.

It led to criticism from Mark Keenan, manager of Derby-based Western Cars, who said he was "upset for the drivers of Derby" who "are paying good moneyto go through stringent tests here".

Derby cabbies 'avoiding stiff test in city by passing easier one in Gedling'

But Muddasser Ahmed, manager of PJ Cars, in Derby, hit back at Mr Keenan's comments. While he accepted drivers have been registering in Gedling, Mr Ahmed said it was perfectly legal to do so and insisted it had nothing to do with their ability to speak English.

And Mr Ahmed said all his drivers who had registered in Gedling could speak the language well.

He said: "The reason drivers have been registering in Gedling has nothing to do with their ability to speak English, as has been claimed.

"They go to Gedling because the knowledge test in Derby is too hard. Something like 80% of people fail it.

"In Gedling, there is no knowledge test. They give you a driving test, medical and CRB check.

"I don't see the problem in all of this. They're not doing anything wrong because it's perfectly within the law."

Following Mr Keenan's claims, Derby City Council said there was a public safety issue to Hackney carriage drivers getting their licences outside the city.

This is because it has no powers to do safety checks on the vehicles and drivers, the cabbies do not have to comply with the city council's conditions and the authority has no powers to investigate complaints against them.

And the practice has meant Gedling gets the benefit of the licence fees.

The borough council said it had now changed its system but admitted the previous one attracted drivers from "as far afield as Birmingham or further".

But Mr Ahmed said: "There are more than 100 Gedling drivers in Derby today. I have never had a complaint in six months that our Gedling drivers can't speak English.

"They are all making a living and helping deliver a better service for customers because, by having more drivers, we can get to customers quicker.

"The Government wants people who come to this country to make a living for themselves and that is what these drivers are trying to do. I don't see the problem."

In Derby, drivers of both private hire and Hackney taxis must pass a test asking questions about local knowledge of Derby, vehicle maintenance and licensing conditions and pass a medical examination. Once they have done this, they must pass an NVQ Level 2 certificate in road passenger driving.

Comment; I rehash this story today because the drivers are having a demo later today.