Taxi Driver Online

(New article posted over on page 1)



That's probably why there's zero police on the streets - they're no deterrent, and just roll up to clean up the mess


And there's a classic example of something the police and council will do nothing about unless and until something serious happens


Yes, a PH office next to a HC rank will help Peterborough become a 'progressive' city. You couldn't make this stuff up

Question for sub-editors - isn't the strapline supposed to expand on the headline and/or provide new information, and not just restate what's in the headline?


Over 100 Peterborough taxi drivers set to strike after city centre minicab office plans approved

https://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/new ... ed-3549542

Over 100 Peterborough taxi drivers are set to go on strike next week after plans for a new minicab office in the city centre were approved.

The decision has been made by around 100 members of the Peterborough Hackney Federation in response by the decision of the city council’s Planning and Environmental Committee to grant approval to a new minicab office in the former Maplin unit on Westgate.

A similar application submitted in June was rejected on the grounds that it would increase the likelihood of anti-social behaviour and crime in the area. At the time, over 100 hackney carriage drivers gathered outside Sandmartin House to protest the plans as the council were making the decision.

The plans have since been resubmitted though with a plan for marshals and CCTV to ‘police’ the area and keep late-night, alcohol-fuelled ASB to a minimum now included.

Several councillors still objected to the plans but they were approved by a majority of six for to four against last Tuesday (January 25). The premises still need to be granted a licence before it can become operational.

Hackney carriage drivers in the city have been left enraged by this decision though and have now threatened strike action. Among their concerns are the threats to their livelihoods with the loss of another rank.

An initial demonstration, which will start from Lincoln Road, and head into the city centre, will take place on Thursday (February 3).

The federation has said that it will continue to honour school contracts as the students do not deserve to suffer but further strikes are expected to take place in the days after the demonstration.

Mahmood Khan from the Peterborough Hackney Federation, and has been a hackney carriage driver for the last 32 years, said: “Our members are absolutely furious about this. This is not good for our trade and it feels as if the council aren’t listening to anybody about this.

“We have been struggling for the last two years with people not travelling and no one has given us any assistance. The council has encouraged us to pay as much as £60k for these new electrical vehicles, which we are on board with, but where are we supposed to park and earn a living?

“The rank near the bus station is gone, outside of Asda is private, the train station is much quieter since the pandemic and the ranks on Broadway have been completely shattered by the road closure. There wasn’t even any thought given to setting up a temporary base and we have had to start using the bus stops along that road. The council really have to sort this out. Where are our self-employed members supposed to go?

“The development is even against the council’s own by-laws. Where are the people that have pre-booked taxis going to be picked up from? We were told when other minicab firms opened offices in the area that was only permitted because they had their own arrangements for parking.

“Residents who rely on our services, who may be disabled or have heavy shopping bags, will now have to walk much further, this will be really bad for them.

“We are told that the office has not been granted a licence yet and we intend to show that is should not be.”

Do the council have any option other than to approve?

If planning regs are met, it gets approved. If not the appeals process could cost the council serious money.

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IDFIMH

Perhaps not the planning but have the right to refuse an operators license and could put such conditions on any license if granted make it hard to operate, parking of vehicles is one area any Council can make it very awkward or near impossible to operate.

I think you are missing a major point and that is the CLOSE PROXIMITY of the offices of another PH firm Without knowing too much detail of who the applicants are but i suspect the new office might be a non muslim owned business and all the hackney drivers are related to the owners and drivers of the existing PH firm

That bus station rank is only able to hold 4 or 5 cars and i have never seen a driver pick up from there although it is close to the end of the bus station where national Express buses arrive and depart

many of the Peterborough black cabs work the railway station 50 feet from another older established PH office although the main rank near the Hereward centre is only a few hundred yards from this new office

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

There's 15/16 photos in total on the website, so they've obviously gone to town on the photoshoot


Over 150 taxis descend on Peterborough council offices in protest over approval for new minicab office

https://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/new ... ce-3555343

Over 150 taxis descended on council offices in Peterborough last night (February 3) in protest over the decision to grant a planning application for a new minicab office in the city centre.


Image: Peterborough Telegraph

There was widespread outrage from hackney carriage, and other private hire vehicle drivers, after Peterborough City Council’s Planning and Environmental Committee approved an application for a new minicab office in Westgate, in the former Maplin unit on Westgate.

Hackney carriage drivers claim that they had previously been told by senior planning officials that no more taxi offices would be granted permission to operate in the city centre.

The granting of the planning permission to the office has been seen as the latest step towards pushing hackney carriage drivers out of business.

Drivers have also complained about the lack of enforcement for residents parking on ranks, the lack of ranks in the city, the fact no provision has been made for a temporary rank with the closing of Broadway for gasworks and the fact that on top of all of these issues, they are being asked to potentially pay thousands of pounds to replace vehicles to meet new byelaws that aim to make Peterborough carbon neutral by 2030.

The protest, however, was primarily to ask the council not to grant a licence to the new premises, which it would still need before legally being allowed to open.

The drivers gathered at 4pm at the Passport Office on Northminster before travelling down to Sandmartin House to confront council officials at around 4:30pm.


Image: Peterborough Telegraph

Well over 150 vehicles arrived in what was described by drivers as a peaceful protest. There was some frustration from residents and staff trying to leave but the drivers did agree to let them out.

After the taxis arrived, a member of the council’s licencing team came out to address the crowds in what was a passionate but well-mannered debate about the issues faced by the drivers and how they feel they had been let down by the council.

The crowds were then told that there were no senior officials, responsible for decision-making, that could come out and address them, but they agreed to disperse, after around an hour, on the promise that a meeting would be facilitated in the next seven days in order for their concerns to be addressed in full.

Drivers seemed largely satisfied with the outcome but have promised further action should the subsequent meeting not take place.


Image: Peterborough Telegraph

One of the drivers said: “All of our members (Peterborough Hackney Federation) are absolutely furious about this. They were all ready to go out and block the streets in protest but we said no, we will come out peacefully, give everybody plenty of notice, the police and the council included, and we will come and make our point.

“We came here to speak to the decision makers who we feel have not followed through on previous promises and we expect this to take place within a week now.

“If not, this will be just the start. We have already discussed plans for all driving into the city centre on a Saturday night to protest and there would be no taxis to take people home.”


Image: Peterborough Telegraph

Another driver added: “We would like to apologise to the people of Peterborough that it has come to this. We know that we have let ourselves down tonight, but we feel we had no choice because of what feels like a council that is only interested in making money.”

“A further driver said: “There are so many issues at the moment. Some of the members have had to pay as much as £60,000 for new vehicles but are struggling to find work because of all these issues.

“There are so few ranks now and even the ones there are often being parked on by other vehicles. We always take pictures but nothing seems to be done. The officer tonight said how there were only around eight parking enforcement officers for the whole city, so perhaps it is not surprising.”

Peterborough City Council has been contacted for comment on the matter.


Image: Peterborough Telegraph

Who'd have expected that?

But quite possibly working from home with a laptop

corrected to the more likely scenario for a council worker these days

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

Indeed.

But 10 out of 10 for the licensing officer coming out to the drivers.

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IDFIMH