In article ,
JNugent wrote:
On 18/06/2014 08:11, tim..... wrote:


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.

Eh? Why? There AREN'T any locations that would pay a taxi to rank
at - for example, all of the railway stations are tiny.

The problem should be addressed by the district council appointing some
taxi-ranks.

Why? I can't think of anything more futile. They wouldn't be used.

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"?

A cabriolet that is a private hire vehicle? :-)

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).

You are being unreasonably pedantic - I could compete, but won't.

So does the area which contains this railway station have any cabs
licensed (and "licensed" means "licensed under the Town Police Clauses
Act 1847")?

Probably not. Certainly not many. There's no good reason it should
have.

if the answer is "no", then the council needs to licence some cabs.

A completely insane idea, because this location would be virtually
the ONLY place that it was economic to do so! Unless they were
licensed to ply within the city.

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.

There is a simple one: Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire get
together and arrange a licensing deal. No, it doesn't have to be
a joint licensing authority - a simple arrangement would be enough.
That Act gives ample room to do that.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.