National Taxi Association

TAXI firms have welcomed new rules which they say will add to the comfort and safety of passsengers as well as cutting out unnecessary red tape.

Members of the Conwy Taxi Operators Group (CTOG) had asked for some of the regulations governing the way they provide the service to be changed.

And on Monday the county council’s licensing commitee agreed to their requests.

CTOG secretary Maria Jones of Menyn’s Taxis in Llanrwst said it had raised several issues with licensing officers Roly Schwarz and Kim Evans, and members were pleased the committee had acted on them.

“CTOG received empathy from the officers and they immediately began to review their policies, hence the new terms and conditions agreed by the licencing committee on Monday,” she said.

The amendments include the taking away of the need for vehicles over five years old being pre-inspected by council enforcement officers before having a stringent council MOT by an approved garage which can fail any vehicle that doesn’t meet the required standards.

They also remove certain vehicle design specifications which were found to be confusing to the trade as well as the authorities.

“Now the vehicle specifications are clear and simple to follow,” explained Maria.

And also approved was the replacement of the current Hackney carriage driver licence with a combined Hackney and private hire licence.

“Due to some companies running both operations, it became tedious and costly having to apply for both.

“Our group has only been in action for eight months, and to have received such amazing results with the cooperation of the licensing department proves that the future working relationship between CTOG and Conwy County Council can be successful,” added Maria.

CTOG can be contacted at: admin@ctog.org.uk

source: http://www.northwalesweeklynews.co.uk/

Lower Mainland deserves a metro taxi system

It's hard to find a taxi that's prepared to leave the downtown core on a Friday or Saturday night.

One of the great things about London, especially after a hard night out, is  being able to jump in a cab with a highly knowledgeable driver and not having to  fret about how you’re going to get home.

The same can’t be said about tourism-dependent Vancouver, where it’s often  hard to flag a taxi and sometimes near impossible to find one that’ll take you  out to the ‘burbs.

That’s why I believe virtually any move to increase the number of Vancouver  taxis, especially at weekends – and especially now we have some of North  America’s toughest drinking-driving laws – is a step in the right direction.

As Vancouver Coun. Geoff Meggs points out, taxi customers constantly report  “serious problems” finding cabs pre-pared to take them out of the downtown core  on Friday and Saturday nights.

“It’s a constant refrain from people,” Meggs told me Tues-day. “It’s a  constant concern of taxi customers that they may be turned down.”

Meggs said it was legitimate for cabbies to turn someone down who’s drunk or  who, they think, may soil their taxi or beat them up. So there is a grey area  there. “But it is a problem,” he stressed, “it’s one that drives customers  crazy.”

It’s why I welcome the news that Vancouver’s big four taxi firms are seeking  approval for 99 extra cabs to operate in Vancouver on weekend and special-event  nights.

This application, of course, doesn’t mean Vancouver is suddenly going to be  flooded with cabs. After all, permits for an additional 65 weekend taxis were  approved last year on a trial basis by Victoria’s Passenger Transportation  Board. So, we’re only talking about a further 34 cabs here.

In the meantime, though, 16 taxi companies from Surrey and the other metro  suburbs are still waiting for transportation board permission to operate 15 per  cent of their cab fleet in Vancouver’s downtown entertainment district on  Fri-day and Saturday nights and at other busy times.

These cab companies, too, believe that the downtown is seriously  under-serviced.

“Most of the entertainment business has shifted to down-town, even from  suburban places, and they [the major Vancouver city companies] are unable to  provide the taxi service in a normal, accepted manner,” explained Mohan Kang,  president of the B.C. Taxi Association, representing the suburban firms.

So, progress, albeit slow, is being made. However, the uncomfortable truth is  that the Lower Main-land taxi industry is set up for the benefit of monopoly  business interests, not the consumer. And cabs licensed in one municipality are  still barred from picking up customers in another.

A notable exception to this rule occurred during the 2010 Winter Olympics  when Vancouver-area cabbies were allowed to pick up fares all over the  region.

In fact, I believe a metro-wide system would give the whole taxi business a  turbo boost, attracting scores of potential customers currently put off by poor  ser-vice, long wait times and empty cabs who pass them by.

A metro taxi system would also help the region’s hospitality industry; the  more people can get around, the more they’ll spend.

Why can’t Vancouver’s cabs be more like those in London? Well, they can be.  We just need to get past our small-town mentality.

Read more: http://www.theprovince.com/sports/burbs+from+here/6047947/story.html#ixzz1kSt9NUXU

A bit wuff

A TAXI driver refused to pick up a blind pensioner because his car was “too good” to have dog hairs in it.

Alan Dyte, 69, had been to inspect Bristol City Council’s Phoenix House in Bond Street South to assess the customer services office’s suitability for use by the disabled.

After the visit on September 6 last year Mr Dyte, of Westbury Park, waited for a taxi with the office manager.

But when taxi driver Dara Singh arrived Mr Dyte was shocked when he refused to take him.

At Bristol Magistrates’ Court Singh, 36, of Hathway Walk, Easton, pleaded guilty to breaching the Equalities Act 2010.

The court heard that Singh did feel bad and guilty about the situation but that he did refuse to take Mr Dyte. He said he was sorry and that he didn’t mean to cause offence.

Magistrates heard that Singh had taken guide dogs before but usually had a blanket to cover the seat.

Singh was fined £100 and ordered to pay £100 towards costs and a £15 victim surcharge.

Mr Dyte, a former radio producer, told the Evening Post: “I was with the manager and we phoned for a taxi but he just came in the door and said he would not take me.

“He was threatened by his employer he would be suspended for the day if he refused but he still would not take me.

“He just told me his car was too good to have dog hairs in it. It was outrageous.

“I didn’t need to report it because I had the manager of Phoenix House stood right next to me.

“Sadly this sort of thing is very common for blind people in the city. Often you can be stood at the front of a taxi queue and a driver will refuse to take you and another cab who will comes and takes your fare.

“Taxi drivers should be aware of the needs of disabled people because we provide a large part of their custom. This case shows the law says that we have to be considered so it is important they do consider us.”

Following a complaint, a full investigation was carried out by Bristol City Council Licensing Enforcement team, who brought the case against Singh.

Councillor David Morris, chairman of the Public Safety and Protection Committee at the council, said: “The case strongly upholds the right of passengers with a disability to have access to public transport and we will do all in our power to protect these rights and urge anyone who is treated unfairly to make a complaint.

“The fact we had to bring the case is disappointing. We are doing all we can to educate Hackney carriage drivers and private hire drivers to ensure they understand the legal rights and needs of their passengers, particularly if they have a disability.

“The passenger involved, Mr Alan Dyte, was in fact on the committee which helped draw up a special Gold Standards training course we have brought in for drivers.

“This includes a section on meeting the needs of disabled passengers to give them the same opportunities as others to use a taxi.”

source: http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/

some taxi drivers

TAXI drivers are celebrating after council chiefs performed a U-turn over rules which would have meant cabbies having to change their cars every five years.

Renfrewshire Council had planned to force private hire drivers to change their vehicles every five years in a bid to ensure that cabs were in good shape as they toured the streets.

However, following an outcry from fuming drivers, the age limit for cabs has now been extended to seven years.

John McIntyre, 56, who has been a cabbie in Renfrewshire for 23 years, has welcomed the council’s change of heart.

“I had to buy a brand new car on finance and interest rates are going up. Most guys take out a loan over a five-year period and the council’s plan would have meant that, as soon as your car was paid off, you would need to buy a new one.

“At least we’ll now have another two years to try to save some money.”

Council chiefs had wanted to close a loophole where drivers with a four-year-old car could get their taxi plates renewed for two years – taking them over the five-year limit.

They had wanted the cars to cease operating as taxis immediately when they became five years old – but there were 23 letters of objection to that plan.

Now there will be a seven-year age limit for cabs instead, which drivers have welcomed.

David McCulloch, managing director of Renfrewshire Cab Company, said: “The changes would have been detrimental to the industry and service levels may have dropped to the public throughout Renfrewshire.

“During a difficult economic downturn, Renfrewshire Cab Co has lost more than 50 drivers and, only recently, had a fare review after a freeze of more than three years. Further restrictions on the industry would have resulted in more job losses.

“We appreciate that the council took time to meet and listen to local operators and drivers when making a final decision.”

Paisley North West councillor Mike Dillon said several cabbies had contacted him to express their concerns.

He added: “I was pleased there was a consultation. It was a good piece of work between the council and the trade and I think the outcome is the right one.”

A council spokesman told the Express: “In August, the Regulatory Functions Board agreed the details of a consultation over its plans to change the age limits for private-hire vehicles.

“The board considered all the responses received to the consultation and took into account the views expressed by the industry.

“At a subsequent meeting of the board, it was agreed that all private-hire vehicles – excluding those which are wheelchair accessible – should be allowed to remain in service for seven years from the date of their first registration, as opposed to five years, which had originally been proposed.

“The age limit for all wheelchair-accessible vehicles remains at eight years from the date of first registration.

“All vehicles will be subject to inspection every six months after they become five years old from the date of first registration.”

source: http://www.paisleydailyexpress.co.uk/renfrewshire-news/2012/01/23/taxi-drivers-thank-council-bosses-for-listening-to-their-concerns-87085-30166068/