County Colours?

[Belker]

Is this year 2026 the absolute end fer all taxi license extensions ?

[Rat Catcher]

No. They do whatever they want whenever they want... there's no rhyme or reason to any of it.

However, I think most would agree that the time has come to move from the carrot to the stick as far as upgrading the fleet to EVs goes. Making EVs compulsory for taxis from next year with no grant aid is where they should be at, I guess.

[Belker]

..... However, I think most would agree that the time has come to move from the carrot to the stick as far as upgrading the fleet to EVs goes. Making EVs compulsory for taxis from next year with no grant aid is where they should be at, I guess.

So sez the fella sitting snugly on his Nua Grant Aided 261 BLUE EV !  

As someone else posted earlier; "I'm allright Jack, pull up the ladder !".

[markmiwurdz]

Jumping into the net at this stage...

[Rat Catcher]

Not at all, Ken. If you look at how quicky the grant aid was snapped up this year it's clear that taximen are sold on the idea of EVs - personally I'm not really, I wouldn't be interested in one at full price - so there's not really any need for further subsidies but the stick might be required for those (like me) who wouldn't be keen on a full price EV. Once it's done in conjunction with lifting the current temporary moratorium on the issue of saloon hackney plates with no age/fuel limits for hackney vehicles those who don't want to invest in their business would still have an option to keep themselves ticking over. They could also change the current maximum taximeter fare to a minimum taximeter fare to ensure those who are prepared to invest in providing a premium service are adequately rewarded.

[silverbullet]

Not at all, Ken. If you look at how quicky the grant aid was snapped up this year it's clear that taximen are sold on the idea of EVs - personally I'm not really, I wouldn't be interested in one at full price - so there's not really any need for further subsidies but the stick might be required for those (like me) who wouldn't be keen on a full price EV. Once it's done in conjunction with lifting the current temporary moratorium on the issue of saloon hackney plates with no age/fuel limits for hackney vehicles those who don't want to invest in their business would still have an option to keep themselves ticking over. They could also change the current maximum taximeter fare to a minimum taximeter fare to ensure those who are prepared to invest in providing a premium service are adequately rewarded.

lifting the current temporary moratorium on the issue of saloon hackney plates with no age/fuel limits for hackney vehicles

You nearly manage to shoehorn this sentence into most posts, have you had a stroke?

[Rat Catcher]

They could do it at the stroke of a biro... and they could then introduce a minimum taximeter fare without destroying trade outside of the big cities.

[Belker]

They could do it at the stroke of a biro... and they could then introduce a minimum taximeter fare without destroying trade outside of the big cities.

You could be on to something there, changing the word Maximum Taxifare to Minimum Taxi fare just might do away with Uber fixed fares and FN's SAVER shite ??

[Rat Catcher]

It'd cost too much work outside of the big cities. I find rural folk like to know the cost of a taxi/hackney up front. Of course taking work away from rural towns will force drivers into cities, for the most part drivers who have happily served their clients with fixed fares as hackneymen both before and since entry liberalisation. It's all great fun while there's loads of money around and the multinationals are heavily subsidising fares but come the next recession men need the ability to set their own fares appropriate to their own work hence the national maximum fare only works as a maximum. If it were a minimum it will only work in the long term in the big cities so that's where the rural men would have to go for work.