John Mason to Consider Licensed Application Limit....By Thomas the Taxi.

Announced on the front page of the LTDA's Taxi paper, John Mason is to consider putting a temporary hold on applications for Yellow badges. 

In the light of the recent unsubstantiated assault on yellow badges by the LCDC and the prospect of every licensed Taxi driver YB/GB soon to be forced to display ID stickers, should this statement be taken as a threat or a promise?
If a promise, should it then be taken in the same vein as the "One strike and your out" promise?


The Anderson Shelters own Wongo writes:


We need to go back a bit here.

1. The Yellow Badge exists because Green Badge Drivers did not service the work in the suburbs.
2. There used to be active small radio circuits that ComCab (LTDA) bought out and deliberately lost all the cash work so the Taxicard could be serviced  (and in the process sold the suburban radio premisses to unlicensed mini cab company).
3. The shortage of work in the suburbs will NOT be solved by this move, what the YB Trade need to do is WIN back the work lost to PHV. It could destroy even more if not carefully managed.
4. Once someone uses a minicab and gets a reasonable service, THEY (PH) will come in to central and take them back to wherever. So that's another loss to the GB and YB trade. That's why we need to keep all the work!
5. I would say that any TfL action would not stand a challenge as it's a legal right to apply.
6. Usual desperate tosh from Woodfield Road, defeat dressed as victory! Have they not endorsed the minicab rank at Kingston, with the minicab's being marshaled by an ex LTDA exec. member just like O2.

All that said, it's a difficult issue to resolve, my own view is:

The YB should be 'wound down' and only the GB offered. Existing YB's can go onto 28's if they want to do the GB, if they put in a poor appearance then back to 56. If they do not want to do the GB then they should get no mercy if caught 'offside;' out of sector.

The licensing authority should promote taxi use as part of integrated public transport!


Editorial Comment:
It is our belief that the problems in London, central and suburban, have been caused by the over-issuing of Private Hire licenses, in a bid to raise revenue by TfL. £140m for bikes, £56m for cable car.
The answer (IMHO) would be;

1. Stop issuing PH licenses
2. Enforce the one strike and your out program, as promised. 
3. Scrap satellite operating centres. 
4. Stop PH vehicles ranking (illegally) outside venues.
5. Scrap marshaled PH ranks in the suburbs.
6. Stop PH parking on Licensed Taxi ranks
7. Stop putting lives at risk by giving the accounts for venerable passenger to unchecked minicab firms.Give the Taxicard account back to Wheelchair accessible Licensed Taxis
8. Enforce the law properly, not just when it suits TfL.

#TfLshame
Private hire in London is awash with sexual predators and terrorist activists. The CRB checks system if flawed and licensing administration is in a complete mess.

TfL are not fit to be a Licensing authority, they are staffed mainly by officers who have come from a bus company background. They have no idea of how our trade works and have proved time and time again incapable of understanding our problems.