Trouble In The Taxi Rank
October 16, 2009
A petition and demonstration at the Civic Centre revealed on Tuesday there is trouble in the ranks of Reading’s taxi drivers.
In fact there is a three-way split between the committee of Reading Taxi Association (RTA) and two breakaway groups.
First there was a protest before the full Reading Borough Council meeting by about 20 taxi drivers who have gained their taxi licence plates in the past two years.
They objected to the two-tier system which imposes a number of conditions on them but not on their colleagues who have been in the business for longer.
Second, taxi driver Asif Rashid presented councillors with a petition objecting to a survey being conducted by the council as part of a review of those conditions.
Mr Rashid said in his petition he and the 150 signatories did not recognise the current RTA committee.
The petition went on: “The current RTA committee’s desire to remove Hackney Carriage proprietors’ licence conditions is self-centred and does not reflect the wishes of the drivers.”
He told the council the conditions should stay in place.
After the meeting he said there should be no review of the conditions while an investigation is ongoing into the abuses of the conditions of the licence for drivers who should be working 37 hours but were actually working in other jobs and had friends or relatives driving the cab.
The new conditions – which apply only to taxi drivers gaining the licence plates in the last two years – say drivers must buy a new cab at a cost of between £35,000 and £40,000.
The new taxi drivers have to work a 37-hour week themselves and must employ a second driver to work the second shift each day.
They cannot sell their taxis on because the Hackney Carriage plate is non-transferrable.
These conditions do not apply to longer-established drivers who may buy second-hand vehicles up to five years old.
Mirza Beg – representing the demonstrating new drivers – said outside the meeting the split among drivers was causing “friction on the rank” and added: “We are all doing the same job. We should all have the same conditions.”
RTA chairman Keith Johnson said after the meeting he was seeking a review of just two conditions – the mandatory 37-hour week for licence holders and the mandatory second driver.
He said: “During the credit crunch some drivers are forced to go and take another job and then have to work the 37-hour shift as well.
“We would like them to have the option not to work and not to have to employ a second driver.”
There are currently 215 taxi licences plates issued which with second drivers represents 300 to 400 taxi drivers.
Cllr Paul Gittings, receiving the petition in the council chamber, said the authority would consider all sides of the argument in the review.
The council recently agreed a freeze on issuing any new Hackney Carriage licences until March 30 because of the economic climate.
Source; GetReading.co.uk
Login
Register
FAQ
](./images/smilies/eusa_wall.gif "Brick wall")