jok
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My Colleagues and I have a constant battle with fly posters within the bus station area of King Street whilst working from the taxi rank there. We had problems with the empty T. E. Roberts store before in was demolished, the vacant, former Betfred bookmakers, the vacant, former Jones The Computer shop, the vacant former Eccleston’s shop and others further beyond. As soon as a poster is attached to the premises window we try to remove it as soon as possible. I have contacted the Council’s Street Scene office in the past and was told that unless the posters are attached to a council owned property they are not interested, that can’t be right can it? I appreciate that the comment from a member of staff may not be council policy, but I feel that comments like that should not be made unless it is actually council policy. Whilst on the telephone I asked the lady if the council would take action if posters were attached to the taxi stand shelter, she asked me if I owned the shelter. As the shelter was supplied and erected by the council I obviously put her right. I don’t know who train these people who answer enquiries such as mine but in this instance I felt her knowledge was inadequate. If people drop litter or cigarette stumps in the street the Civil Enforcement Officers issue fixed penalty notices, so why can’t enforcement be extended to cover fly posting?
[quote quote=93987]Its not April 1st is it. If I was a disreputable unlicensed taxi, I would use a car the same colour as the official ones. Not really been thought through.
We are not talking about cars here but wheelchair accessible vehicles that are licensed as taxis. These vehicles cost in the region of £30000.00 to £40000.00 each. Under the new proposals the same make and model of vehicle would be permitted to be licensed as taxis or private hire vehicles with the exception that Hackney Carriages would need to be wheelchair accessible, that is why Wrexham Hackney Carriages need to be identified by a single colour so that the general public can tell the difference between the two types of licensed vehicles. Of course the real problem lies with the fact that the Wrexham County Borough Council Environmental Licensing Committee have decided to allow the same vehicle make and model to be allowed as either a Hackney Carriage or a Private Hire Vehicle. When you say that this has not really been thought through I suppose you are correct
[quote quote=94017]I agree that we should have a standardized hackney carriage colour. JOK will know better than me the exact regulations and I know they differ per council – however I am a big believer in hackney carriages over mini-cabs. I have lived in a number of places where they work really well and provide safe and convenient travel. In the past I believe pretty much all ‘hackney carriages’ used the ‘London Taxi’ style car but this has now changed in many places and that means it is essential that mini-cabs and hackney carriages can be differentiated. Once the council decide on this I think you will see more mini-cab companies introducing this service.
I don’t have a preference for colour but I wouldn’t be against trying to come up with a unique colour for the town. This can both make it obvious to people that its a hackney carriage but also make a statement (hopefully not the awful council purple though).
It was suggested by one committee member that the corporate colour of purple be chosen, but I poured cold water on that one at the committee meeting. I agree with ddraig that we need a unique colour that is specific to Wrexham, that is why I started this thread, but the problem is which one to choose. I am particularly keen to establish a unique colour for Wrexham as these days Hackney Carriages from outside the area are allowed by law to work in Wrexham as private hire vehicles, they cannot legally pick up in the street and must work for a locally based private hire operator so there is a need to establish our own identity for our town’s Hackney Carriages. There is an argument that it could just be possible that the out of town Hackney Carriages could be the same colour and specification as Wrexham Hackneys, but where do you you stop? Turning this debate on it’s head, some of our Hackney Carriages are working in the licensing area of Cheshire West and Chester in the Farndon, Barton, Carden Park and Broxton areas of that county. I don’t agree with that operation personally but it is happening. Cheshire West and Chester licensing authority insist on their Hackneys being black, so in theory that rules out the colour black for Wrexham Hackneys as it might lead the public in the areas of Farndon, Barton, Carden Park and Broxton areas to believe that Wrexham licensed Hackney Carriages are in fact Cheshire West and Chester licensed Hackney Carriages. I really do need the help of the public on this issue, what colour would set our Hackney Carriages apart from neighbouring counties?
[quote quote=93948]Just out of interest how many Hackney Carriages operate in the Wrexham area?
I can only think of the blue one in town operated by JOK.I believe that there are around 26 Hackney Carriages operating in Wrexham, although most of them work from Private Hire Offices, which is not illegal but a bone of contention with Hackney Carriage Operators that work the streets, as the original intention of Hackney Carriages was to be for the benefit of the the travelling public to be able to hire a vehicle immediately. I am pleased that the TWO Hackney Carriages operated within Wrexham County Borough by JOK have duly been recognised as such. The unique design of the London style taxi are a credit to any town that chooses to licence them.
[quote quote=93938]Is this legal? Do Wrexham Council have the powers to insist on a colour?
I do believe that they do. A local authority can attach any condition that they deem fit to a Hackney Carriage Vehicle that is licensed within that district.
[quote quote=93937]What is the standard elsewhere as it wouldnt just be locals having to identify them – so is there a standard?
Also, what is the issue that has been identified that would be solved with this and is there any data on it?
The standard varies from one licensing authority to another. Wrexham County Borough Council was designated as a First Phase Authority due to it having an existing mandatory policy that all Hackney Carriages had to be wheelchair accessible. Therefore it has a duty to ensure that all Hackney Carriages licensed by them are wheelchair accessible. The Environmental Licensing Committee have at their last meeting, which was on 27 April 2015, decided to licence vehicles as Hackney Carriages that have already been licensed as Private Hire Vehicles. The Private hire vehicles do not have to be wheelchair accessible but from the exterior the two types of licensed vehicles may, to the casual observer, look the same, that is the need for the Hackney Carriage Taxis to differ in colour from Private Hire Vehicles. In time locals and visitors to Wrexham would be able to relate to the fact that a Hackney Carriage Taxi in Wrexham would be a specific colour. travel anywhere in this country and abroad and you will find that different towns, cities and countries have all got something to identify their taxis, I hope this helps.
[quote quote=93937]What is the standard elsewhere as it wouldnt just be locals having to identify them – so is there a standard?
Also, what is the issue that has been identified that would be solved with this and is there any data on it?
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[quote quote=93938]Is this legal? Do Wrexham Council have the powers to insist on a colour?
I do believe that they do. A local authority can attach any condition that they deem fit to a Hackney Carriage Vehicle that is licensed within that district.
[quote quote=93938]Is this legal? Do Wrexham Council have the powers to insist on a colour?
I do believe that they have the power to attach any conditions that they deem fit to be attached to a Hackney Carriage Vehicle Licence.
Well stated Alun. If everybody had to generate their own income, as self employed business people have to do, there would be a lot more poor people about!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@Maureen Gray 19671 wrote:
Good luck to all the participants in The Wrexham Marathon today, but why oh why of why……have WCBC picked the route to maximise the most disruption to traffic by closing Cefn Road?
Its ric-dic & douglas all over again, Coming out of my drive – blocks to the right of me, blocks to the left of me, which way can I go, please Mrs Crewe, Ceris tell me what to do.
Why not hold the race in the sprawling country side of Llay, not Wrexham.
As it happens, I’m not going out today, so I will not be affected, but I think its a good point [Did you know JOKe?] Help!!!!!:mad:Of course, I am on the Council’s mailing list.
