Taxis registered in Wolverhampton.

[Merle Haggard]

Although this was before Covid I frequently got a lift from a friend from Birmingham International and my strong recollection is the the taxis standing at the station rank (which would have to be Hackney) also had non local taxi registration plates - e.g. Amber Valley. I am not absolutely certain, but this was what piqued my curiosity and it was the only rank that I regularly walked past (you had to dodge them twice walking towards the lay-by near the Avanti staff car park). I'll have to divert and re-check next time I'm passing.

 

[m79900]

This is interesting, as I've seen a fair few of Wolverhampton taxis in Derbyshire, and thought it was odd.

 

[NorthernSpirit]

Other councils could make some profit by outsourcing the taxi licencing to Wolverhampton, then they wouldn't have to make up some twaddle of "safety fears" more like we're losing profit. This would be ideal for the already bankrupt councils who no doubt will be looking at ways to save cash.

I've seen Rossendale registered taxis in Calderdale, then again the taxi operator was registered in Haslingden and was picking up a customer from a pub in Brighouse.

 

[sprunt]

If taxis don't need to be licenced locally to where they're operating, what's the point in the licencing being done locally? Wouldn't it be more cost effective to centralise it?

 

[Energy]

If taxis don't need to be licenced locally to where they're operating, what's the point in the licencing being done locally? Wouldn't it be more cost effective to centralise it?

Hackney carriages can do pre-booked journeys anywhere but pick up fares only in their registered area where fares (and meter settings) are set by the authority. The registered area can expand outside the borough they are registered to.

With Uber etc. many are happy enough doing prebooked journeys.

 

[Merle Haggard]

Other councils could make some profit by outsourcing the taxi licencing to Wolverhampton, then they wouldn't have to make up some twaddle of "safety fears" more like we're losing profit. This would be ideal for the already bankrupt councils who no doubt will be looking at ways to save cash.

I've seen Rossendale registered taxis in Calderdale, then again the taxi operator was registered in Haslingden and was picking up a customer from a pub in Brighouse.

My bold,

Rather than outsourcing, in the article I remember in The Times, some time ago, the strong inference was that councils were actually encouraging distant taxi owners to register with them as it was easy money - income with no cost - and one council detailed had lower standards of driver checks and lower annual charges than others, factors which might have influenced operators to register there. I've recently looked on that council's websites and there is the requirement to have a registered office in the council area, but of course this can be in effect circumvented by a post restante address. Maybe the article produced a tightening-up.

 

[sprunt]

it sounds like a system that's ripe for reform. Councils shouldn't be able to abstract revenue from other councils by lowering regulatory standards.

 

[Lewisham2221]

My bold,

Rather than outsourcing, in the article I remember in The Times, some time ago, the strong inference was that councils were actually encouraging distant taxi owners to register with them as it was easy money - income with no cost - and one council detailed had lower standards of driver checks and lower annual charges than others, factors which might have influenced operators to register there. I've recently looked on that council's websites and there is the requirement to have a registered office in the council area, but of course this can be in effect circumvented by a post restante address. Maybe the article produced a tightening-up.

It's perhaps worth noting here that there are (upto) three different licences in play here - driver, vehicle and operator. I rather imagine the "registered office" requirement applies to the operator licence, rather than the driver or vehicle.

 

[GusB]

It's perhaps worth noting here that there are (upto) three different licences in play here - driver, vehicle and operator. I rather imagine the "registered office" requirement applies to the operator licence, rather than the driver or vehicle.

The vehicle needs to be licensed, as do drivers. Where I am, the office license is only required if a certain number of cars is operated. An owner-driver working on a self-employed basis need not worry about it.

 

[sytransport]

I’ve noticed a lot of Wolverhampton registered taxis recently around South Yorkshire and North Derbyshire - no surprise that they’re some of the worst drivers on the road

 

[Jimini]

There are bucket loads of Wolverhampton Ubers in Coventry -- aside from the reasons outlined above, Coventry City Council refused to grant Uber a licence to operate in the area, so they all just register in Wolverhampton instead but work across Coventry. Rarely have to wait more than a minute for a driver at the rank on the left as you exit the station.

 

[sprunt]

There are bucket loads of Wolverhampton Ubers in Coventry -- aside from the reasons outlined above, Coventry City Council refused to grant Uber a licence to operate in the area, so they all just register in Wolverhampton instead but work across Coventry. Rarely have to wait more than a minute for a driver at the rank on the left as you exit the station.

I may be misunderstanding here, but if they're at the rank then they aren't private hire ans as someone mentioned earlier in the thread, they should be licenced in the borough that they're plying for hire in. Or if they're Ubers, are they just waiting near the rank for people to make bookings?

 

[Energy]

I may be misunderstanding here, but if they're at the rank then they aren't private hire ans as someone mentioned earlier in the thread, they should be licenced in the borough that they're plying for hire in. Or if they're Ubers, are they just waiting near the rank for people to make bookings?

They shouldn't use the taxi rank but they can use the drop-off/pick-up private car area, which is better positioned than the taxi rank.

They should be taking only Uber rides as they don't have the meter set for the Coventry area.

 

[GusB]

The cab firm I worked for had a mixed fleet of hackney and private hire cars. If ever a customer called from an empty rank we'd always advise them that we'd put out a broadcast message to let hackney drivers know that there were people waiting; under no circumstances would we book a job to pick up at the rank itself, in case it was one of the private hire drivers who got the booking. It could cause the driver a bit of grief if they were spotted by a police or council licensing officer, and there would be cries of foul play from the yellow-platers (hackneys)!

At the station (Aberdeen) there was a separate area by the old Red Star parcels entrance where pre-booked customers were asked to wait so that there was no confusion. I have no idea what the arrangements are since the redevelopment of the station.