Welcome to Newly formed Manchester Private Hire Association run by drivers for drivers. (issue 1 – Bus Lanes)
 
Let me introduce myself, my name is Derek Brocklehurst I work as a Private Hire Driver at Cresta Cars Manchester.
Myself and seven other elected drivers formed an Association in May resulting from the blatant discrimination by the Manchester city council towards our Disabled/Elderly customers, as you may or may not be aware Private Hire Drivers in Greater Manchester are not allowed to pick up/drop off customers in a Bus Lane.
 
We recently dropped off a 2000 signed petition in a convoy of 40 cabs to the town hall in Manchester (please google my name for full stories) asking them to look in to why Manchester Council do not allow Private Hire to drop off/pick up Disabled/Elderly customers this is blatant discrimination and has to stop, other councils such as Warrington, Sheffield, Glasgow and many more already allow Private Hire to do this already. So the president has already been set, we are still awaiting a response from the Council regarding this issue and we will inform you of that outcome.
 
We cannot and should not allow this blatant discrimination to continue not only are we suffering financially by being fined, but the customer is also suffering, struggling to get to their cab.
 
I will be personally calling to your base to ask you to join this campaign by the way of joining the new Manchester Private Hire Association which we are now pleased to be affiliated to Greater Manchester Private Hire Association, our aim is to deal with Private Hire issues and to form an Association that will not only just benefit your pocket but the livelihood of drivers.
 
Please feel free to contact me at privatehirebuslanes@hotmail.co.uk or derek.brocklehurst@hotmail.com  
 
Shown below is a picture of a Bus Lane in Sheffield where Private Hire drivers are allowed to use the Lane
Picture to follow shortly

Bus Lanes, Manchester | No Comments »

Dear All,

As you know, work is underway to build the new Metrolink line from Manchester Piccadilly to Droylsden (the East Manchester line).  
You may have noticed the work taking place on the Southern side of Manchester Road, around Droylsden Library. This work is to enable the road to be made wider to accommodate the Metrolink.

On Sunday June 28th, a new footbridge will be lifted into place alongside the existing bridge outside Droylsden Library. The work will take place between 7am and 5pm and will involve narrowing Manchester Road to one lane each way in front of the Library.

Please find attached a copy of the letter GMPTE is sending to nearly 100 residents and businesses to advise them of the work as well as a map showing the letter distribution area.

<<Droylsden Update.pdf>> <<sunday works 50.png>>

If you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Kind regards,  

Steve Burns
Metrolink Stakeholder Manager, Metrolink Projects
GMPTE
2 Piccadilly Place, Manchester M1 3BG
Direct line 0161 244 1242 Office fax 0161 244 1316 Mobile 07884 263 407
www.gmpte.com

You should have been receiving information from us about work to replace the tram track and tramway surfaces in the city centre, including notification that the Dantzic Street / Balloon Street junction was due to be closed from 7pm on Friday 19 June to 6am on Monday 22 June. 

This closure will now not take place this weekend as anticipated.  This is because as the project is progressing, we are looking at options for how we can combine work at this junction with other work at the Shudehill stop / Shudehill area to minimise any disruption.

Please find attached a copy of the letter GMPTE has sent to over 200 residents and businesses to advise them of this as well as a map showing the letter distribution area.

If you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Kind regards,

Dear All,

• Mosley Street between Booth Street and Princess Street.  Mosley Street will remain closed to traffic  between Oxford Street and Piccadilly Gardens for the duration of this work.
• Piccadilly Gardens.  The work on the track in this area and will take place throughout the summer as we replace the tram track and tramway surfaces in the city centre. 

The new track and engineering works are expected to lead to smoother, quieter and more reliable tram services.

I attach a copies of the letters to be sent to over 570 businesses and residents in the area where this work will be taking place along with the distribution maps.  We will also be hand delivering letters to businesses directly affected by this closure. 

The Metrolink Liaison Team can be contacted on 0161 244 1555 or by emailing future.metrolink@gmpte.gov.uk.  if residents and businesses have any further queries regarding this work.  For 24 hour assistance or to report any issues regarding the work site contact Stagecoach Metrolink Customer Services on 0161 205 2000.  This telephone will be staffed 24 hours a day.

If you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Kind regards,

Steve Burns
Metrolink Stakeholder Manager, Metrolink Projects
GMPTE
2 Piccadilly Place, Manchester M1 3BG
Direct line 0161 244 1242 Office fax 0161 244 1316 Mobile 07884 263 407
www.gmpte.com
P Please don’t print this e-mail unless you really need to!

Steve Burns
Metrolink Stakeholder Manager, Metrolink Projects

You may be aware that GMPTE is currently planning to close the Metrolink line between Manchester and Altrincham during August.  This is so we can replace the overhead cables and ageing equipment to make sure we can maintain services in the future.

We have recently carried out some Ground Investigations between Altrincham Railway Station and Timperley.  Following these investigations, we need to do some further work before the main work starts in August between these stops.  This will involve overnight working.  Over the next three weeks, this will take place on the following nights: 

• • From 11.00pm Saturday 6 June to 10.30am Sunday 7 June 
  • From 11.00pm Saturday 13 June to10.30am Sunday 14 June 
  • From 11.00pm Saturday 20 June to10.30am Sunday 21 June 

Please find attached a copy of the letter GMPTE sent to over 300 residents along the section of the line where this work will take place as well as a map showing the letter distribution area.

As the details for the main work in August are confirmed, we will implement a full information campaign for passengers and local residents. This will include details of the replacement travel arrangements being made available.  

 If you have any queries at all, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Kind regards,
Steve Burns
Metrolink Stakeholder Manager, Metrolink Projects
GMPTE
2 Piccadilly Place, Manchester M1 3BG
Direct line 0161 244 1242 Office fax 0161 244 1316 Mobile 07884 263 407
www.gmpte.com

Congestion - Metrolink Updates | No Comments »

Salford Black Cabs did a slow parade through Eccles Town Centre to the arranged meeting with Councillor Mann ,  The drivers are against the proposed new legislation Salford Licensing are trying to introduce.

All the black Cabs Drivers want is an independant servey done, they pay there licence fee year in year out, they dont want an in house consultation drawn up by the Licensing department.

Age Restriction or Emmisions of vehicles,  Lifting on the current number of plates given out, with  the current  recession there’s no work out there, Eccles has over 24 Public Houses / Clubs closed down , Engineering works such as Gardeners, Royal Ordinance  and SEI have  all closed down over the years, Places like GUS  and Eccles Market  have also closed.

To me this so called Consultation  of proposed new rules has been done without much thought for the welfare of the drivers. The streets of Salford  at night are bare, no one is going out , 79 divided by x wont be the same as 1000 diveded by x. what is so hard to understand, we dont want more Black cabs on the streets of Salford.

  The Consultation so far as been for the moaners not the customers who are happy with a service that runs 24 hours a day, no other transport service does that in Salford and this service isn’t bankrolled from the goverment .

The bus Companys have money thrown at them to run routes, if they want 1,000 s of Black Cabs and 1200 Private Hire Vehicles in Salford may I suggest the Councillors get funding from our government to pay for the hours we sit in our vehicles waiting for jobs to arrive and get the shops and pubs back on stream.

We are like the Bus Lanes only busy at certain times, and the old saying is you pay for what you get, ask for Limousine and Chauffeur you pay a premium price for that service, we are in Salford pubs closing down all over the place, no one is going out.

Having said all that we must give Councillor Mann the chance to hear our side of what we think as drivers ,

We are the ones who look for work,

We are the ones who sit in our vehicles waiting for the radio to give us work,

We are the ones who pay our Licence fees,

We are the ones who pay our tracks to operators,

We are the ones who are fed up with having no work,

and now

We are the ones who are standing up to what we feel is right,

We  are the self employed Drivers that are working day and night to earn a resonable wage.

 Talk about rights of these people / customers in this consultation ,

We have the knowledge because we have worked the streets , we know whats going on out there ,

You lost the Tiff Bid, you got it wrong , Kindly listen to what we are saying Mr Mann, we dont need more Cabs, we need more work.

Salford | No Comments »

What do drivers think about a camera in every cab? it’s not new, but what about it happening in your area?
See the item below from one other Local Authority.  It was approved, provided it was installed by one of a number of approved companies.

Taxi-Cam Proposals- Gateshead

Members of Gateshead’s Regulatory Committee will be asked to give their permission to proposals to fit CCTV cameras on the inside of Gateshead’s hackney carriage and private hire vehicles.

Taxi on Gateshead Quays

The proposal follows a request from the Gateshead Hackney Drivers Association for permission to install cameras within their vehicles following concerns about assaults on drivers, allegations of drivers assaulting passengers, and problems with customers leaving vehicles without paying.

Although technically feasible, councillors will need to decide whether the protection offered to drivers and passengers by CCTV cameras can be balanced against the potential infringement of passenger’s civil liberties by having their activities recorded whilst in the vehicle – which in effect is a private environment once it has been hired.

Councillors will be asked to approve the proposal providing a strict Code of Practice is adopted to ensure that such systems do not infringe passengers’ human rights, and that the recording device is not capable of being tampered with or its footage accessed by anyone other than a Police officer.

Members will consider the proposal at their Regulatory Committee meeting on Tuesday 6 November 2007.

All | No Comments »

 MP Barbara Keeeley Views  / Proposed Vehicle Taxi Emmisions in Salford,  - 

We have looked into the policy changes proposed by Salford Council with the experts from the House of Commons Library and they have confirmed that the law allows local councils to make local rules and byelaws regarding the standards that drivers and vehicles must meet to be licensed in their area. It is up to the Council to decide on the proposal that all hackney carriages and private hire vehicles must meet Euro 3 emission standards by 1 April 2010 and Euro 4 emission standards by 1 April 2012 in order to be licensed.  Also, Salford is not alone in requiring its vehicles to meet these standards – both London and Manchester have similar conditions.  However, the following paragraph from the Government’s best practice guidance for taxi and private hire vehicle licensing should also be taken into account: “Local licensing authorities, in discussion with those responsible for environmental health issues, will wish to consider how far their vehicle licensing policies can and should support any local environmental policies that the local authority may have adopted, bearing in mind the need to ensure that the benefits of any policies outweigh the costs (in whatever form). Local authorities may, for example, wish to consider setting vehicle emissions standards for taxis and PHVs. However, local authorities would need to carefully and thoroughly assess the impact of introducing such a policy; for example, the effect on the supply of taxis and PHVs in the area would be an important consideration in deciding the standards, if any, to be set.”(http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/regional/taxis/taxiandprivatehirevehiclelic1792)   In view of the problems the proposals might have on your livelihood and that of other taxi drivers, I have also written a strong letter to the council suggesting that they take current economic circumstances into account.  I have asked them to consider delaying the requirements on emissions standards that would require taxi drivers to purchase new vehicles or alternatively only apply them to new vehicles.I have copied my letter to John Merry, Barbara Spicer and Hazel Blears MP.   
On January 13th  2009  Salford Licensing held a public meeting at the Auditorium Turnpike House, Eccles New Road Officers of the Council included  Ron Pennington , Jane Nugent and four other officers. The meeting was arranged  to consult with the Private Hire Trade and Black Cab Drivers although the Black Cabs had there own meeting the following night, the Private Hire Trade were sadly represented by a few, some 14 drivers / operators out of 1200 drivers.  A very poor show!   

I will let you know when I get an answer from the Council.

Best wishes Barbara Keeley MP

                                                 The Proposed Draft Policy

The agenda for the night was-

a, Removing the current restriction on the number of Hackney Carriages Licenences issued by the Council.  / Against b, Increasing the types of vehicles that may be licenced as a  Hackney Carriage.  / Against 

c, Introducing emission standards for all vehicles rather than age restriction.  /Against

d, A  drivers to undertake-additional training to improve the standards of customer care offered to the public and enhance the knowledge, skills and professionalism of drivers. / ?

e,  A requirement for enhanced CRB checks for drivers.   /   For

f,  Publication of the examination and testing requirements for Taxi and Private Hire Vehicles undertaken by Vehicle Management Services.

     The Consultation paper can be found on the Salford Council web site -http://www.salford.gov.uk/business/licensing/licensing-streets/taxis.htm

We were told that we had to move with the times, which personaly I agree with but the agenda brought up some bad ideas, I had my say as did others and i would like to thank Ron Pennington , Jane Nugent and officers of Licensing giving up there time to discuss the way forward.

You out there can still  have a say for or against the proposals but you must get on the Web Site Link before the 30 January after that we cant do a thing.

At the end of the consultation period the final say will come from Councilor Keith Mann, those of you who live in Irlam might want to have a one to one chat with him at his surgery.  I personally being a member of the Labour Party will be lobbying my own Labour Councilors in Barton.

The new emissions are more the less the same as the proposed  4 year rule for new cars being plated for the first time, both were heavily criticised by all the trade including my self.

Increasing the types of vehicles that may be used as hackney Carriages , we have already had problems with similar new vehicles not to mention with the Colour of the Vehicles such as the Silver / Black  Mercedes Mini Bus etc.

Additional Training although it will be free it will cost us all dearly with a course lasting 23 hours although we will be able to do the course at differnt times which suits us. Ive been a private hire driver for 10 years now . Do I really want to do the course the answer has to be No, unless the course gives me S.A.S  training in one arm combat, a good thing to have these days with all these attacks against us. 

It all comes down to – If you want a chauffeur and a limousine you  a premium  price and what a high price you pay. Will Salford people give us it 24 hours a day, I think n0t.

 Manchester private hire drivers have the work, they can get the new cars , they charge more than what we do so they can get there new cars, its the same as the Pubs in Manchester thay charge what they can because of the volume of customers.

See the Pubs closing down in Eccles, Black Cabs standing  10 at a time in the rank, theres no work and its going to get worse with the credit crunch .

    One last thing get on your computer or go to the Library if you don’t have one, ask the Librarian for help if you have problems getting onto the link

 Have a say, these changes if implemented may be the demise of the Private Hire Trade as we know it in Salford! Or perhaps the changes might bring us more Work

                                                             Its up to you!

There’s an old saying Ask and thou shalt receive say Nowt and you get Nowt!

Salford | No Comments »