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Nov 2022
Taxi licensing changes will cause 'chaos', says Ripon cabbie
A Ripon taxi driver has said plans for a single licensing policy for North Yorkshire will lead to “chaos”.
Under proposals just put forward, the new North Yorkshire Council would create a single licensing policy for hackney carriages and private hire vehicles in the entire county.
It would mean drivers in Harrogate could operate anywhere in North Yorkshire whereas they are currently restricted to the Harrogate district.
Richard Fieldman, who has operated his cab in Ripon for 28 years, said the planned changes would see drivers “swamp” areas during the busiest times of day.
Mr Fieldman said the move would see quieter areas deprived of taxis during the busier times.
He said:
Mr Fieldman added that he feared the council could introduce a single fare rate for the county, which he said would make business “unviable” for drivers.
Read more:
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- Harrogate and Knaresborough trains to Leeds to be reinstated in December
- New council plans single taxi licensing for North Yorkshire
The Stray Ferret has approached North Yorkshire County Council for comment.
County council officials said the planned policy would offer drivers “flexibility to operate across the county”.
The authority has launched a public consultation on the changes, which is set to last for 12 weeks.
A review of fare rates across the county will be carried out at a later date.
The council said in a statement:
A consultation into the policy changes is open until January 19, 2023. You can have your say here.
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