A Level Playing Field.... Or Deregulation To A One Tiered Service?

News broke over the weekend that the DVSA were going to scrap the Taxi driver test as from December 2016.

Yes, you heard it right, after many years of calls for a mor level playing field the DVSA, instead of calling for all private hire drivers to undertake the same requirement, have decided to scrap the Taxi driver test.

The decision came out of the blue and Local Authorities were only officially informed this Tuesday.

On the face of it, the decision is unbelievable! 

Over 200 Local Authorities have mandated the DVSA test as a requirement for Taxi drivers Licence.

The DVSA have a captive market for this.

The only reason I can see to relinquish this Money spinner is the Government intend to deregulate further and see this test as a barrier to new entrants (refugees) seeking to enter the trade.

I think the situation requires close scrutiny.

Meanwhile in London, it is widely believed that the Government/TfL are on course for a full scale Private Hire deregulation to break the back of the Taxi trade. 

On Tuesday, TfLTPH put out a notice that the Licensed Taxi rank at the Tate Modern, installed at a cost met from the licence fee of Licensed Taxi drivers.....would be suspended to assist the dropping off of passengers arriving for he GQ magazine awards, an event attended by Mayor Sadiq  Khan. 

A notice was also attached to the rank post. 

What happened next was absolutely disgraceful. Far from being a place where attendees could be dropped off, the rank itself was taken over by a aggressive marshals and was used by private hire as a private hire rank. 

While minicabs took control of the rank directly outside the main exit point if the venue, Taxis had to queue in Great Guilford Street. 

The whole situation became a shambles as pre booked PH vehicles were blocked in by packs of touts assured by the marshals.

Later into the evening, although no compliance officers were sent to the location to stop the illegal plying for hire and in a bid to save face, TfLTPH put out this series of tweets

We would stress at this point that although previously informed by TfL, not one representative from a Licensed Taxi org connected to the Joint Ranks Committee bothered to turn up and check out the proceedings. The unfolding saga was documented quite clearly on Twitter throughout the evening, into the early morning. 

A colleague of Taxi Leaks phoned LTDA's Richard Massett Wednesday afternoon, for clarification on what had happened the previous night at the Tate Modern. 

Executive committee member Massett, also chair of the Joint Ranks Committee, said he had been informed of the notice to suspend the rank, but had no idea what had happened. 

Is this the best we can expect to get, after paying money to this org, to represent our best interests?

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