Lancashire Rossendale taxis working in W Yorkshire
Discussion
http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/1380293...
http://www.rossendalefreepress.co.uk/news/local-ne...
"...Last month, an enforcement officer from Rossendale Council agreed to join Bradford staff on a spot-checking exercise.
Four Rossendale-licensed cars were pulled over, with officers finding problems with all four.
Two were deemed so serious, the cars were taken off the roads immediately.
Cllr Slater said many councils across the north of England were having the same problem with an influx of Rossendale-licensed vehicles..."
It seems strange that taxi drivers who wish to operate in major W Yorkshire cities such as Leeds and Bradford would register their vehicles in Lancashire.
Maybe it's insurance, or lower standards as intimated by various people.
Quite a few people believe the it's because the local council has no authority to inspect a Rossendale registered taxi.
http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/1162115...
Certainly a fair few out-of-area drivers are refused licenses, but why would they apply there?
http://www.rossendale.gov.uk/press/article/80/taxi...
I know Bradford taxis have a pretty poor reputation, but add in an extra factor of virtually being uninspectable, and would you really want to go in one?
http://www.rossendalefreepress.co.uk/news/local-ne...
"...Last month, an enforcement officer from Rossendale Council agreed to join Bradford staff on a spot-checking exercise.
Four Rossendale-licensed cars were pulled over, with officers finding problems with all four.
Two were deemed so serious, the cars were taken off the roads immediately.
Cllr Slater said many councils across the north of England were having the same problem with an influx of Rossendale-licensed vehicles..."
It seems strange that taxi drivers who wish to operate in major W Yorkshire cities such as Leeds and Bradford would register their vehicles in Lancashire.
Maybe it's insurance, or lower standards as intimated by various people.
Quite a few people believe the it's because the local council has no authority to inspect a Rossendale registered taxi.
http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/1162115...
Certainly a fair few out-of-area drivers are refused licenses, but why would they apply there?
http://www.rossendale.gov.uk/press/article/80/taxi...
I know Bradford taxis have a pretty poor reputation, but add in an extra factor of virtually being uninspectable, and would you really want to go in one?
This has been going on for the last 3 years.
In the UK we have a two-tier system - hackney carriages and private hire vehicles. Hackney carriages can be hailed and picked up from a rank, whereas private hire vehicles have to be booked through an operator.
However, hackney carriages can also work as private hire vehicles in other boroughs.
Each local authority sets its own standards for vehicles, drivers and operators and they differ significantly from borough to borough. Some require drivers to pass a driving test, English language test and a local knowledge test and charge applicants for the tests. Others seemingly require applicants to be able to walk into the licensing office and pay a fee.
Vehicle standards are also locally set and differ dramatically from borough to borough. Some local authorities set a limit on the number of hackney vehicles, require purpose-built taxis, have a vehicle age limit and high maintenance standards. Others simply require some of the wheels to be attached.
So, if you lived in a borough which has high standards, but you couldn't pass one or more of the driver tests, or you could only afford a £500 Toyota Avensis rather than a £20,000 Peugeot E7, where would you choose to get your licences?
My borough is a medium-sized metropolitan borough with 9 towns and we license about 450 private hire vehicles and around 1000 drivers. We have a limit on hackney vehicles of 150, so about 600 vehicles in total. There are three smallish towns in Rossendale - Rawtenstall, Haslingden and Bacup plus some rural areas. Enough demand for around 150-200 vehicles and maybe 300 drivers.
If you check Rossendale Council's public register, they currently license over 2300 hackney vehicles and over 2500 drivers. These vehicles and drivers are working in places as far afield as Birmingham, Milton Keynes and even Bristol.
I understand that Rossendale Council are introducing a new policy which will restrict their drivers from working out-of-town and many local boroughs, including mine, have seen an increase in applications from ex-Rossendale drivers as a result.
The bulk of the blame can be laid at the door of successive governments who have failed to update legislation for private hire vehicles which was adopted in 1976, and legislation for hackney carriages which was adopted in 1847!
In the UK we have a two-tier system - hackney carriages and private hire vehicles. Hackney carriages can be hailed and picked up from a rank, whereas private hire vehicles have to be booked through an operator.
However, hackney carriages can also work as private hire vehicles in other boroughs.
Each local authority sets its own standards for vehicles, drivers and operators and they differ significantly from borough to borough. Some require drivers to pass a driving test, English language test and a local knowledge test and charge applicants for the tests. Others seemingly require applicants to be able to walk into the licensing office and pay a fee.
Vehicle standards are also locally set and differ dramatically from borough to borough. Some local authorities set a limit on the number of hackney vehicles, require purpose-built taxis, have a vehicle age limit and high maintenance standards. Others simply require some of the wheels to be attached.
So, if you lived in a borough which has high standards, but you couldn't pass one or more of the driver tests, or you could only afford a £500 Toyota Avensis rather than a £20,000 Peugeot E7, where would you choose to get your licences?
My borough is a medium-sized metropolitan borough with 9 towns and we license about 450 private hire vehicles and around 1000 drivers. We have a limit on hackney vehicles of 150, so about 600 vehicles in total. There are three smallish towns in Rossendale - Rawtenstall, Haslingden and Bacup plus some rural areas. Enough demand for around 150-200 vehicles and maybe 300 drivers.
If you check Rossendale Council's public register, they currently license over 2300 hackney vehicles and over 2500 drivers. These vehicles and drivers are working in places as far afield as Birmingham, Milton Keynes and even Bristol.
I understand that Rossendale Council are introducing a new policy which will restrict their drivers from working out-of-town and many local boroughs, including mine, have seen an increase in applications from ex-Rossendale drivers as a result.
The bulk of the blame can be laid at the door of successive governments who have failed to update legislation for private hire vehicles which was adopted in 1976, and legislation for hackney carriages which was adopted in 1847!
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