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Cross-border curbs on cabs comes under fire
Reporter: by marina berry
Date online: 06 March 2013
PIONEERING moves by Oldham Council to bring in strict rules to discourage black cabs operating in neighbouring boroughs have been slated by taxi owners.
Next Tuesday’s Licensing Committee will hear officers propose the changes following a number of High Court cases involving the issue.
High Court rulings state that a hackney carriage vehicle licensed by one local authority may be used for pre-booked hirings on behalf of a private hire operator licensed by another local authority.
Licensed
This is currently taking place in Oldham, with black cabs licensed by Rossendale Council undertaking private hire work for operators licensed by Oldham Council.
But the High Court also says that a local authority may refuse to grant a hackney carriage vehicle licence where the applicant “intends” to use the vehicle entirely or predominantly in another borough.
Oldham licensing officers currently have no information as to where a licensed vehicle will be used.
They want to add a clause asking about the “intended use” of a hackney carriage vehicle, with a presumption to refuse an application where it is the intention of the applicant to ply for hire to a “material extent” outside the borough.
Oldham Metropolitan Borough Taxi Owners’ Association says there are more than 50 black cabs licensed in neighbouring boroughs but operating in Oldham. It says if stricter rules are enforced in Oldham but not in neighbouring boroughs, then it only stops Oldham vehicles working outside the borough without eliminating the root cause of the problem.
It said it would support the move only if and when it is introduced nationwide, and it questions why Oldham council is so keen to trailblaze the idea in the North-West.
Comments
hackneys exploiting the Rossendale plate have been operating in Oldham without Oldham licences for some time. Oldham does try to maintain a high standard for drivers and vehicles and these outside plates drive a coach and horses through those controls. Interesting that the objection comes from the Taxi Owners' Association( i.e. Private Hires) What is the opinion of the Oldham Hackney Drivers' Association?
There are more than 85 cabs that are operating under the Rossendale Council badge, I've counted them even the ones that have moved private hire ranks. Could it be that Oldham Council are losing money from licence and badge receipt, I have often wondered how these cars can be seen most of the day and night and where do they obtain there insurance.
I have 2 ways to stop it make it that in the Taxi firm licence not the cab licence that they can`t use non oldham plate cars unless they pay a higher fee and the fee makes it not worth them taking on non local cabs. the owner of the cab is not stopped form working Oldham but they will find getting cab firms to give them a radio a lot harder if they had to pay more for there licence to run a cab office. The other would be to make it cost less to get a Oldham badge.
@JMTS ISn't Oldham Taxi Owners Association by it's very name the body representing hackney carriage owners?
The OTOA doesn't want the rights os it's members to use their cars in other licensed areas removed.
Can't Oldham Council bring in a rule that any non Oldham licensed hackney carriage operating in OMBC must undergo a test at Moorhey St?
Find it hard to believe that the Rossendale licensed vehicles are 'black cabs' per se. HCs, presumably, but saloons and not black, London-style cabs.
Also, an HC can't legally 'ply for hire' outside its licensing borough (as opposed to doing pre-booked work), so the third last paragraph is misleading.
The claim is also that it would be Oldham inserting the restrictive clause, whereas the issue in question ssems to be Rossendale vehicles working in Oldham, thus it's Rossendale action required?
@ProDriver. As I still understand it to be, the Taxi Owners Association refers to the owners of the Private Hire companies. The Hackney Drivers Association refers to the individual owners of hackney plates. Their interests are often different. When I had elected responsibilities in this area, I met with both associations from time to time. There is as far as I am aware no association for individual private hire drivers.
Have Your Say
It would appear that Rossendale Boriugh hackney carriages are undertaking cross border work in Lancashire & Yorkshire. I have a colleague who works for a private hire firm in Bradford who tells me there are several there also.
Maybe Oldham TOA needs to make their service so superb that it does not matter that outside hackney carriages are bloating private hire numbers?
By ProDriver @ 06/03/2013 12:57:06