On 18/06/2014 08:11, tim..... wrote:
"JNugent" wrote in message
...
On 17/06/2014 21:08, wrote:
In article ,
(JNugent) wrote:
On 17/06/2014 11:22, Basil Jet wrote:
Surely if there was no demand for hackney carriages in South Cambs
previously, and this new science park creates such a demand, one thing
to do would be to allow a small number of South Cambs private hires to
become South Cambs hackney carriages.
There is no recognised system for that.
It would be just as easy - and probably more expedient - to simply
allow some or all of the hackney-carriage owners to apply for an
extra vehicle licence (or licences).
I don't think the same vehicle can be licensed as both a hackney
carriage
and hire car.
What need would there be for it?
so they can "pick up" from a rank at the new science park station
Why would the vehicle need to be licensed for private hire for that?
Hackney carriages can lawfully be used hirings, whether within their
licensed area or outside it.
There are no circumstances in which a taxi being additionally licensed
for (so-called) private hire conveys advantage to anyone.
You seem to have missed the problem here.
Because (it appears that) there are currently no ranks in South Cambs
and nowhere that driving around looking for a hire is worthwhile, there
are no licensed hackney cabs in SC. They all content themselves with
operating as mini cabs offering their pre-booked (5 minutes before by
phone) service both in SC and Cambridge City.
I can see that that is a problem *if true* - but a whole district
without a single taxi-rank - not even outside a railway station - seems
unlikely.
The problem should be addressed by the district council appointing some
taxi-ranks.
But Roland (and others), not unreasonably, think that there will be
business customers arriving at the new SP station thinking that the
20-25 minute walk to the company that they are visiting is too far,
expecting to jump in a un-booked cab.
One would think so.
But SC cabs won't be able to pick up there because none of them are
licensed to ply for hire and City cabs won't be able to pick up there
because (by a few 100 yards) the station is in SC.
What (when it's at home) is (the chimera) a "cab not licensed to ply for
hire"?
If a vehicle isn't licensed to ply for hire, it isn't a cab (or taxi, or
hackney carriage, or any other synonym you prefer).
So does the area which contains this railway station have any cabs
licensed (and "licensed" means "licensed under the Town Police Clauses
Act 1847")?
If the answer is "yes" - then they can ply at the station (if there's a
rank).
if the answer is "no", then the council needs to licence some cabs.
So people are suggesting solutions to this problem.
Be sure that there is one first. And be sure that the answer ("licence
some cabs under the 1847 Act" isn't quite so obvious.