tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-460062076455326962.post8152133773653983732..comments2023-08-23T10:38:24.775-04:00Comments on London Civic Watch: All hail breaks looseUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-460062076455326962.post-42362156084917968772011-11-30T20:43:09.038-05:002011-11-30T20:43:09.038-05:00The problem is, once a municipality has put a cap ...The problem is, once a municipality has put a cap on cab plates in place and has allowed them to be transferred to the highest bidder for decades, you have many individuals who have paid big bucks for a cab plate ~ often new Canadians who have spent every dime they could lay their hands on to buy a cab plate or plates.<br /><br />At this stage of the game, a municipal regulator's options are limited regarding reforming the licensing by-law due to the likelihood of costly legal action by plate owners and also the matter of ethics of destroying these inflated plate values.<br /><br />While technically the plates remain the property of the municipality, transferability or the ability to sell something s one of the hallmarks of ownership.<br /><br />There's been several court cases in this regard with the courts putting the municipality on the hook for compensation to cab plate holders when the regulator has either taken away the right to transfer plates that were previously transferrable or devalued plates by issuing many new ones.<br /><br />BOTTOM LINE: Not much is expected to change in the cab industry until more drivers wake up and realize that there's no cap on executive-class limo plates locally (they can simply go and get their own and do "taxi work"), so why are they leasing or purchasing taxi-plates for huge sums?Barry Wellshttp://www.altlondon.orgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-460062076455326962.post-45830533023785158822011-11-30T16:19:47.618-05:002011-11-30T16:19:47.618-05:00Regardless of how or who created the mess that'...Regardless of how or who created the mess that's the taxi and limousine industry, it's council's job to get on and clear it up.<br /><br />Every year that they fail to deal with it represents another year where, usually newer Canadians, are brutally exploited economically.<br /><br />It's pretty depressing to think that one guy tossing a banana skin on a hockey rink floor can garner international attention, yet the daily exploitation and abuse of non plate holding black drivers in London, goes unremarked.<br /><br />Where's Harold Usher when you need him? <br /><br />Sipping cocktails talking about banana skins?Oliver Hobsonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-460062076455326962.post-58397698507934774772011-11-30T07:35:06.632-05:002011-11-30T07:35:06.632-05:00In the interest of fairness...the City of London h...In the interest of fairness...the City of London has designated some parking spaces for taxi's only. I got nipped with a ticket once for parking in one in front of the former city hall on Dundas and Wellington. I paid it without complaint and it did serve as a deterent to me committing that offense again.<br /> I think if the public are permitted to hail a taxi then those parking spots should be designated for limo's.<br />There should be designated limo parking near all hospitals, urgent care centers and long-term care facilities. Limo drivers should have a Police Records Check and Vulnerable Position Screening.<br /><br /> Taxi's should be allowed to fill-up their tanks without having to pay the hidden taxes, sort of like farmers, and expected to cruise with their taxi light on if they are available for hailing and not hogging the pickup and drop off roundabouts in front of hospitals, via rail and the greyhound stations.<br /><br /> Isn't that what hailing is, flagging down a moving vehicle. What's the point of regulating hailing if taxi's aren't cruising and how's someone supposed to book a limo if they aren't at home or don't have a phone?<br /><br />Isn't the point of all this political interference into the public transportation idustry supposed to be to ensure the public are receiving safe reliable service?<br /><br /> Employees of City Hall need to get their ducks in a row and their priorities straight. First and formost if you're working at city hall, getting paid from the publics tax dollars you are a public servant. We are your master. You serve us, not the owners and operators of taxis and limo's. <br />This fiasco in the taxi/limo industry has been going on for years and years. It's not a very complicated issue if some practical commonsence is applied. They fact that the debating, discussion and lobbying persists makes me wonder if someones palm isn't getting greased undertable.<br /><br />If cityhall can't resolve this conflict they should bow out and let free enterprise determine the outcome...and focus on your own fleet of city works vehicles, like the snowplow operators who are due any day now, to rip up our lawns, bury our firehydrants and clog our driveways with frozen toxic sludge.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-460062076455326962.post-72271461927948036532011-11-30T06:19:37.436-05:002011-11-30T06:19:37.436-05:00The biggest licensing mistake the City of London e...The biggest licensing mistake the City of London ever made was imposing a "temporary" six-month cap on the number of cab licences in 1970.<br /><br />Former city clerk and city administrator Reg Cooper freely admitted this to me during a conversation in the mid-1990s. I happen to agree with him.<br /><br />He was against the cap at the time but council went that route anyway.<br /><br />You see, there's more effective and more equitable ways to control the number of cabs on the road: More stringent licensing standards can do the trick without the arbitrary licensing cap.<br /><br />The City of London and all cab drivers have been paying the price ever since the City made the fatal mistake 41 years ago.<br /><br />The executive-class limos such as Checker came into being as a result of the feudalistic cab industry. People will always find a way to get around an ill-conceived law.<br /><br />If the City is smart (an onerous proposition) they'll let the limos roll as is.Barry Wellshttp://www.altlondon.orgnoreply@blogger.com