Back in June, we wrote about how Southampton City Council Licensing were meeting to consider a document entitled: Safe and Suitable - guidance on determining the suitability of applicants and licensees in the hackney and private hire trades. Please see the earlier blog post below:
Guidance on Suitability Document to be considered by SCC
This document was unfortunately approved by Southampton City Council Licensing committee on the 24th July 2019.
There are paragraphs in this document that paint a very bad picture of hackney carriage and private hire drivers, we urge anybody to read this document in its entirety before their local council approves it.
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With the 2 month extension of Uber's licence in London which is under review - what can be done about Uber vehicles licensed elsewhere that operate in our city?
Can we use a section of the 1976 Miscellaneous Provision Act, which would stop them?
The SHPHA would like to know your thoughts on this?
Email info@southamptontaxis.org
Southampton Taxi, Hackney Carriage and Private Hire drivers wanted to join the GMB Southern Region!
GMB is a trade union that has been supporting workers for 130 years! With over 620,000 members, from a whole range of occupation, GMB describe their job as; "to get the best deal possible for you." They aim to do this by, "...being on your side if there is a problem, and always fighting for better when it comes to pay, terms and conditions, a decent work life where workers are safe and treated with dignity, better work/life balance and fairness - making sure working people have their rights at work and are treated fairly and legally when there's a problem."
GMB can be there to support a range of issues in the workplace including disciplinary action, bullying, maternity/paternity rights and ensuring your workplace is safe. 'Reps' or 'Workplace Organisers,' are trained in employment law, health and safely and can even represent people in disciplinary processes. Another membership benefit is access to the GMB's own law firm - Unionline - who offer a completely free service if you need to claim compensation or get legal advice.
The GMB Southern region is one of the 6 regions across the UK which covers Hampshire along with South London, Kent, Dorset, Surrey, Sussex, Berkshire, Wiltshire, South Oxfordshire, the Isle of Wight, Brussels and the Channel Islands.
Find out more about GMB, what they are doing for their members and how to join on their website here: https://www.gmb.org.uk/
August 2020 will be a very special occasion in the calendar for Southampton and America as it marks the 400th Year Celebration of The Pilgrim Fathers who set sail from Southampton to the USA.
At the bottom of the city, you will find a monument proudly standing opposite Southampton's Royal Pier. Built in 1913, it commemorates the sailing of the two ships, The Mayflower and The Speedwell.
There's so much interesting history to explore in Southampton! Why not take a taxi and visit some of our great local attractions such as The Old Walls, Tudor House in Bugle Street and the SeaCity Museum opposite the BBC studios?
If you fancy venturing further afield, there are many lovely places to visit just a taxi trip away! Winchester, Salisbury and Stonehenge are all within an hour's drive.
This month, Southampton Hackney and Private Hire Association welcome two new friends to the 'Our Partners' page of the website: Private Hire & Taxi Monthly (PHTM) and Paragon Taxis.
PHTM is the UK's leading trade newspaper for the private hire and Hackney Carriage industry. The publication features editorials on all aspects of the taxi industry. They hold a yearly private hire and taxi exhibition in Milton Keynes which is the only Expo of its type in the UK! Find out more about PHTM here.
Southampton based, Paragon Taxis, offer a range of transfers and tours. Transfers offered include travel between Southampton Cruise Terminal and London airports, Eurostar and other city destinations. Guided or unguided tours for groups both large and small are also available for a range of attractions including Stonehenge and Windsor Castle. Read more here.
Why not come and take a browse at the rest of our partners?
We welcome Electric Blue to Our Partners page of the website!
Southampton City Council is committed to improving your environment and making it a cleaner place to work and live. Electric Blue are hoping that with their interaction with the hackney carriage and private hire trade they can achieve what Southampton council are looking for.
As a licensed Southampton hackney carriage or private hire driver, you are invited to take part in a FREE vehicle assessment in Southampton which Electric Blue are hoping to start shortly. This assessment would identify how much you could save on your running costs which includes fuel and servicing by switching to electric.
For anyone who wishes to take part in this FREE trial please contact us on info@southamptontaxis.org
Find out more about Electric Blue on their website here.
United Trade Action Group (UTAG) describe themselves as: 'A united Taxi Driver and Stakeholder group with the common aim of securing the future of our trade through legal action.' The group, run by two London black cab drivers - Trevor Merralls and Angela Clarkson, have enlisted the help of fellow London cab drivers on certain important issues including Uber, Transport for London (TfL) and other aspects of the London cab trade.
Although a relatively new movement, UTAG are gaining support day by day from other areas in the UK. As chair of the SHPHA I would support them wholeheartedly and would ask drivers to look at their website and perhaps donate, as little as £5 per week, to their cause, bearing in mind that what happens in London usually affects the rest of the country.
Find out more about UTAG by visiting their website here.
On 24th July 2019, there will be a meeting at Southampton City Council Licensing to approve a document entitled: Safe and Suitable - guidance on determining the suitability of applicants and licensees in the hackney and private hire trades. This guidance has been produced by the Institute of Licensing in partnership with the Local Government Association (LGA), Lawyers in Local Government (LLG) and the National Association of Licensing and Enforcement Officers (NALEO).
You can read the full document here:
Institute of Licensing - Guidance on Suitability
Page 24, paragraph 4.42, under the title 'Other Motoring Offences' states 'Where an applicant has 7 or more points on their DVLA licence for minor traffic or similar offences, a licence will not be granted until at least 5 years have elapsed since the completion of any sentence imposed.'
SHPHA are interested to know if any other councils have approved this document? Apart from St. Albans council in Hertfordshire who have already accepted this document in its entirety. If so, we would like to hear from you - please email info@southamptontaxis.org
Although not directly related to the taxi or private hire trade, we know a number of ex-heavy haulage drivers work in our industry as well as those with a personal interest in these fascinating vehicles. Popular magazine, Heavy Torque, is a quarterly magazine which features news and in-depth articles about abnormal transport and heavy lifting.
The magazine contains some really interesting articles showing the way some huge and unusual loads are transported around the country and beyond along with fantastic photographs. Heavy Torque even host their own awards for innovators and high performers in their industry called 'The Heavies.' You can see a selection of articles on the website and subscribe or buy individual issues online.
Why not go and have a browse? https://www.heavytorque.co.uk/
Members from the Southampton Hackney and Private Hire Association are looking forward to attending the Private Hire and Taxi Monthly Exhibition in Milton Keynes next month.
PHTM is the UK's leading trade newspaper for the private hire and Hackney Carriage industry. The publication features editorials on all aspects of the taxi industry. Their yearly exhibition, which started in 1999, is the only national private hire and taxi exhibition in the UK.
This year's event will feature 65 exhibitors, 35 trade vehicles, driver and operator workshops along with Q&A forums on topics concerning the trade. Attending the expo is a great way to keep up to date with our evolving trade.
