On 19 July, at a Cabinet meeting, Southampton City Council cabinet members voted to support GO! Southampton's (the Business Improvement District - the BID) tenure for a further five-years from 2022 to 2027. Businesses in the BID area will be invited to vote on the plan in October to November and determine whether the BID should continue to operate.

A Business Improvement District (BID) is a defined area in which a levy is charged on eligible business rate payers. This levy is used to develop projects that bring direct benefits to those businesses.

The BID came into being on 1 April 2017 after a successful ballot the previous November. It was set up with the aim of maintaining and building on Southampton’s position, ensuring that businesses continue to thrive, and capitalising on the many new opportunities arising in this dynamic city. The BID plans to invest £6.45 million into the city over the next five years. Read the full story here. 

The Southampton Hackney Private Hire Association were pleased to read from the Clean Air Policy Newsletter that......

Portsmouth City Council are now live on the vehicle check services.

You can check www.gov.uk/clean-air-zones if you will need to pay a daily charge to drive in Portsmouth’s Clean Air Zone.

Who will be affected?

Portsmouth’s Clean Air Zone is a Class B. This means that if you are driving a non-compliant bus, coach, taxi, private hire vehicle or a heavy goods vehicle you will need to pay a daily charge to drive in the zone.

When will I need to pay?

Charging will begin in Portsmouth in late 2021

Further Information

You can find local information and updates on Portsmouth’s Clean Air Zone here. Details on exemptions available here and financial support to upgrade your vehicle can be found here.

Bath and Birmingham

To check and pay a charge for driving in either Bath or Birmingham’s Clean Air Zone please visit www.gov.uk/clean-air-zones.

Greater Manchester

Greater Manchester published their Clean Air Plan on 21 June, the announcement can be read here. Further local updates can be found here. 

Slowly but surely Southampton is getting back on its feet. Our lovely historical City with the biggest cruise terminal in Northern Europe.  Support the taxi and private hire trade. 

We are looking forward to a return of the Summer Cruise Ships into our fantastic Port and hope local businesses benefit from this including the Southampton white taxis.

London cabbie found dead in his cab as desperate drivers live in their taxis at deserted Heathrow.

The Daily Mirror reports that the 56-year-old man living in his cab was believed to have been dead for three days before he was found in a feeder park near Heathrow Airport.

Read the article here:

https://www.facebook.com/PHTM.Newspaper/posts/3965410503535000

Did you know that..........?

All our drivers are licensed, regulated and CRB checked by Southampton City Council, with the majority also holding NVQ and BTEC qualifications in transporting passengers by taxi.

For your security, nearly all Southampton Hackney Carriages have CCTV cameras installed. All vehicles are MOT checked every year (compliance test) to ensure they are roadworthy. If a vehicle is more than 2 years old it also has to have an additional roadworthy test.  To ensure passenger safety Taxis are retired after 9 to 12 years depending on the vehicle type.

With many retailers, reatuarants, hairdressers and beauty salons now being open, a number of initiatives have been implemented to ensure Southampton city centre is a safe, comfortable place to visit. The city might look a little different but it's still the same at heart...

Read More Here

Southampton Hackney and Private Hire drivers have been asked to complete a questionnaire which centres around the July 2020 Department for Transport document titled, Statutory Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Standards.  

You can complete it here

Southampton taxi and private hire drivers are now entering a three month consultation process with Southampton City Council (SCC) on approving the July 2020 document Department for Transport (DfT) Statutory Taxi and Private Hire Vehicles Standards.  Members are concerned that under the title, Motoring Convictions, the word 'multiple' is used when referring to drivers penalty points. Included within the councils' consultation but nothing to do with DfT.

View it here

On another subject but to do with the consultation - licensing has brought up the topic of drivers working hours.  This is nothing to do with the Uber Supreme Court Hearing, as you might remember, that was referenced by drivers working for Uber through the smart phone app?  The drivers hours that SCC are talking about will effect hackney carriage and private hire drivers who do not work for any taxi company or on an app.  These are individual drivers who source their own jobs.