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The forum for taxi drivers in the UK!

It would appear to me that de-regulation of the trade in their entirety would be lunacy, throwing all standards out of the window and with the ph, certainly in London this free for all has led to chaos in some areas with the two bob crooks and pile it high sell it cheap merchants obtaining and their rents (sorry drivers) by the most unscrupulous methods.

However the type of regulation that has been talked about on here as far as I can see is limited to the limitation of plates which has the effect over time of making the industry a gangsters playground with plates being sold on the black market for anything up to £70.000

Perhaps the self regulatory effects of the knowledge is they key to the future of ph in London and elsewhere with a least a basic ability to be able to calculate and communicate being an essential pre requisite of the job. Having some idea of where you are going and how to get there might also help

Unfortunately the whole set up at the moment which panders to the vested self interests of the crooks means that in some areas drivers are getting through their tests and getting their badges when in reality they shouldn't be on the road never mind driving passengers.

If it were limited by numbers it wouldn't solve it because you would still get a situation where drivers capable of doing the job effectively would be kept out and those who shouldn't be driving are still doing it because they are lining the pockets of a crook who has learned to work the system

If however a pre entry standard was required in relation to communication skills, numeracy and topographical knowledge and even perhaps some health and safety awareness we could be on the right tracks for a self regulatory system. But that would mean taking the testing out of the hands or the terminally incompetent and those who are bunging drivers through because it is another rent. An independent testing centre with training provided by an independent body would seem to me to be a possible way forward. Of course there would have to be protection for existing licence holders with some sort of system that ensures that we are tested and at a required level within a number of years from the date of the introduction of a pre entry system.

A city with 40,000 ph drivers would in all probability have to approach things slightly differently than a town with 40 drivers but I think the fundamental principles could be applied everywhere. Pre entry testing with independent traning and testing perhaps at two levels with higher standards required at Taxi level. Could we end up with a career structure for drivers, I don't know what you think

Right Hopper - I wasn't referring to you when I implied there were those hiding behind their avatars on here. Those scouting around on here so as they can punt their idiotic free market philosophy of complete deregulation everywhere know who they are and mark my words there will be openness and honesty whether they like it not if they continue to act against the interests of the drivers and other honest working people in this trade.

No I don't think you are a moron which makes it the more bloody frustrating when you use the piffle about the poxy monarchy and our views on it as an excuse not to join up and get stuck in with us on the real issues of driver safety and education, licensing and regulation and/or deregulation.

.No I am not homophobic. There are two types of people in the world those who work for a living and those who live off of other people working. What rock you were born on, what colour your skin is and what you've got between your legs and where you like sticking it is all of supreme irrelevance. For flower sake (that is how you pronounce it isn't it) I was only having a laugh about the one eyed one perched on top of a huge phallic symbol in Trafalgar Square. (I do however honestly believe that Thomas Paine was one of the greatest men ever born in this country)

Disingenuity isn't good enough, false assumptions get us nowhere, and false precedents setting hares running just avoid the real issues.

The GMB is building an organisation that will really represent the drivers and other workers in this industry so as control can be wrested from the gangsters, the bent politicians and the burocratic halfwits. It isn't easy. On our own we won't be able to achieve this together we might have a chance.

How about putting all the silly bits to one side joining up and working together, perhaps to start with on the driver safety campaign.

Who is this philosopher Goldwyn Anyway?

Not a bad couple of posts there SLC........keep it up son, might do your self and your org some good.

Don't you ever watch films?

Samuel Goldwyn

Oh, and taking of avatar's how do you like my new one!

It's a picture of me with my cab, Tony and Pete said it looks great!!!

ROFL 

i think beef was refering to Terrys point which read....Because the drivers dont want it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i dont think beef realised he meant members or drivers on the whole...?