by Northern Correspondent
In 1931, the Road Traffic Act 1930 changed everything. Bus services became regulated. This was because of the concerns about cutthroat on-street competition. And the buses themselves were licensed by regional traffic commissioners, not local councils. This was because those boroughs and (largely) urban districts that had previously licensed buses were small when compared to the distances bus services were then travelling. Some were even prejudiced towards or against particular operators. Rural districts tended not to licence at all. The whole system was seen as cumbersome, unfair and in need of reform.
Recognising that this myriad of regulation is not necessarily in the public interest, the Law Commission is consulting on a national standard for taxis. That seems like a positive step. Taxi drivers are (or should be) themselves subjected to criminal records checks but not every licensing authority tests vehicles to the same standard. That looks set to change.
This blog and commenters have already considered whether taxis are part of the road public transport mix, or not. It isn’t necessarily a straightforward question to answer. If taxis are to play a greater role in this arena, the countless rules & regs need straightening out. This may actually lead to a reduction is standards in some areas, while uplifting others. But at least there would be a one national yardstick and that would lead to public confidence.
The restrictions that apply to booking outside a particular area are also a hindrance, if these vehicle types can act as quasi bus services. But there would also be the added bonus in that limousines could fall under the licensing system. If ever there was a grey area, this is it. Who knows how many people could squeeze into a limousine. Is it a taxi or a minibus? It seems all too easy for them to flaunt both private hire and PSV regulations and the question is, just who’s currently responsible for them?
18 comments:
In Sheffield there are certainly issues of over-supply, cluttering up bus laybys and the like (because taxis can use bus lanes they seem to think this is OK) and poor driving standards - U-turns in front of buses to pick up fares, slow driving in search of fares etc. At a time when btter trainig and more regulation has arguably imporved bus driving standards, those for cabs seem to have gone the other way.
As wheelchair accessible hackney carriages were progressively introduced in this area many drivers tended to bid for school contracts for the regular income. Then people started complaining about the lack of available taxis in the town centre at such times.
During the rest of the 'shopping day' trade has dropped in recent years with many cabs lined up waiting for fares. The busiest period is the night time club culture when there aren't enough of them and with no night buses they do form more of a public transport role. One of them tried to operate a night time minibus service some years ago but could not get it to work.
I look forward to the London Taxi trade howling about any move to lower standards or make it easier for people to enter the market. I don't view taxis or minicabs as public transport anyway but I do recognise the over provision issue mentioned by Clive C.
Taxis aren't proper public transport when hired individually, to me, but perhaps we need some scope for Anruf Sammel Taxi group taxi operations on low-usage evening bus routes?
Bus services became regulated. This was because of the concerns about cutthroat on-street competition. And the buses themselves were licensed by regional traffic commissioners, not local councils.
The fact that local councils were running buses in those days suggests that someone had understood the idea of "conflict of interest"!
Seriously, given the significant lack of similarity between a scheduled service running to a fixed route involving large, cumbersome vehicles (12 metres by 2.5 metres by at least 2.7 metres) and the average taxi, what gives you the idea that the regulatory structure should be the same?
plcd1 said...
"I don't view taxis or minicabs as public transport.."
I must confess I simply don't understand this thinking. The taxi system provides transport that can be used by members of the public. It's not mass transit, to use an Americanism; and it's true that once a taxi has been hired, it cannot (normally) be used by anyone else for that particular journey. However, the system as a whole offers transport to the public, the difference to buses or trains, etc, is that you purchase the use of taxis in units of one whole vehicle, instead of individual seats on a larger vehicle.
Perhaps more debatable are self-drive hire cars, or even bicycles, but even that is a transport facility open to any member of the public who is able to fulfil the necessary conditions.
Taking a pragmatic view, I don't mind taxis using bus lanes, since they are easily recognisable as such. I do, however, object to private hire vehicles that look like private cars, since the public can't necessarily distinguish these and their presence in bus lanes tends to encourage ordinary car drivers into mis-using bus lanes and other types of bus priority.
I believe the question of over provision depends on whether a particular town has decided to de-regulate the number of hackney vehicles, or not, as they can choose either. The taxi trade tends to favour regulation, as its restricts numbers and spreads the available work among fewer drivers. However, it usually favours the public if numbers are de-regulated, as that makes more taxis available
@ RC169 - I don't disagree with your analysis. However the taxi trade would rather die than see itself compared with buses or trains on an equal basis. They want to be treated as a special, separate mode deserving of special treatment. Why the heck do black taxis require a "cabbies cabinet" in London? Can I have a "bus and tube users cabinet" where I can ask Boris why he isn't improving the bus service?
The fares are ridiculously high with hidden surcharges here, there and everywhere. Taxis are outside of common ticketing schemes or even something like PAYG. They show no desire or willingness to be part of those schemes - taxis are delighted when buses disappear from towns during evenings and Sundays. They are given a de facto monopoly to rip off those people who have to or choose to use public transport M-S.
When the taxi trade decides to climb down off its "high horse" and agrees that it is part of the public transport system and wants to actively participate in it then my cynicism might be allayed.
plcd1 said...
"The fares are ridiculously high with hidden surcharges here, there and everywhere. Taxis are outside of common ticketing schemes or even something like PAYG."
I'm not sure to what extent you would (or can) expect taxis to be part of common ticketing schemes. In Germany (at least, the part I am familiar with), Verkehrsverbund tickets can be used in taxis when they are operating as 'Anruf-Sammel-Taxis' - i.e. on demand bus services - and generally subject to a small surcharge. For the more conventional use of taxis, then separate fares apply. I'm not sure to what extent the fares are subject to regulation, but it seems a reasonable compromise. In some areas you can use an InterCityExpress train for a journey wholly within one Verkehrsverbund area, but you have to pay the usual ICE surcharges, and cannot use a Verkehrsverbund ticket - again, a reasonable compromise, as the ICE service is faster and offers a different, higher, level of comfort.
As far as taxi fares in the UK are concerned, I am aware of instances where the fares were subject to approval by the local council, so there was a reasonable degree of transparency. That is perhaps not the case everywhere. I think this is the point that Omnibuses NC is making - that the approach should be consistent throughout the country - and, again, I think that is reasonable. Incidentally, for James (23 June, 17:52), he does not mean that the regulations for taxis and buses have to be the same, just that a consistent regime applies throughout the country.
As far as the lobbying of politicians goes, I fear that it is a case of he who shouts loudest getting heard. I would blame the politicians for allowing themselves to be led in that way. Perhaps the pro-bus, etc, lobby should learn to shout louder; but I also cannot really imagine that taxi owners make up such a significant proportion of the electorate that the politicians cannot afford to occasionally say 'no' to them!
Playing devils advocate here, wouldn't it be fun if the taxi trade had to carry OAP's at the same rate as the bus?
It would to me seem logical to be able to pay for taxis in London with Oyster PAYG. But drivers will not like this, as it will mean no tips.
That to me would be a good thing, though; tips have got out of hand. They are supposed to be to reward unusually good service, not an expectation as they seem to have become.
Neil
When I worked at senior level in a district local authority, I was surprised by the amount of political clout that the taxi trade seemed to have with councillors. It was the same with market traders, too.
Perhaps the politicians view these trades as having alot of contact with the public and thus having a role as opinion formers.
In response to one poster's query, the local authority does authorise fare changes (and also licences the drivers and the vehicles).
It is time for taxi's & Private hire to be merged. There is no logical reason for having the two seperate service. The main reason we apear to have the two is to placate the taxi trade
If you tale London outside of central London and a few other places it is almost impossible to get a black cab
"If you tale London outside of central London and a few other places it is almost impossible to get a black cab"
Or in some places the same vehicles are used for both private hire and Hackney carriage work, depending on whether you book in advance or not.
Agree, it makes sense to me that the two are merged under a combination of the sets of rules (stricter than private hire, less strict than Hackney carriage work).
Neil
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