Stay at home”, taxi driver tells clubbers
A TAXI driver spearheading black cab strikes in Peterborough city centre has warned of Bank Holiday weekend chaos and called for clubbers to stay at home.
His call comes after slow drive protests by Hackney Carriages around the city centre last weekend ended in congestion and police being called. There were also ugly scenes as a pregnant taxi marshal was allegedly assaulted on New Road.
For the past two weekends, Peterborough Hackney Carriage Association drivers have protested – first by striking and, last weekend, by not picking up fares and clogging the streets by driving at 5mph.
The association’s fleet of 200 black cabs will go on a slow drive again from 1am and 5am on Sunday.
Boycott organiser and Peterborough Hackney Carriage Association driver Amran Masood said: “My message to people is not to come out next weekend. If they thought there were problems for the last two weeks it will be much worse because it is a Bank Holiday weekend.
“The protest has been very successful and we plan on doing it for five weeks unless something is resolved.”
There will be a meeting between Hackney Carriages and Peterborough City Council’s Taxi licensing officer tomorrow to try to find a solution and prevent more strikes.
Association members are protesting because they claim marshals for private hire company Betta Cars are “touting” for clients on New Road, while the firm can only legally pick up fares booked in advance.
But Betta Cars said all cars are pre-booked from a booth inside Liquid nightclub and marshals accompany people to the taxis as part of a city council scheme to help clubbers get home safely.
Mr Masood said: “This has been a problem for over a year but we are not being taken seriously.”
Police were called last weekend to try and speed up the black cabs and officers also dealt with an alleged attack on marshal Vera Miah (29), who claimed she was assaulted outside Lakeside Superbowl nightclub in New Road between 3.30am and 4am on Sunday.
Ms Miah, who is three months pregnant, and husband Akil Mrah (34), also a marshal for Betta Cars, claim four men came to the club after it closed to take the notes the marshals had made of slow driving taxis’ registrations.
She said: “I was terrified. One grabbed Akil by the throat and had to be restrained by the other men. My colleagues told him I was pregnant but he grabbed me and pushed me in the chest. I’m supposed to be back at work on Thursday but I’m very scared.”
Fellow marshals Amy Haggerty (19) and Sharon Walton (43) claim they were verbally intimidated.
Mr Masood denied any of the Peterborough Hackney Carriage Association’s drivers were involved. He said: “I don’t know anything about the alleged assault – it wasn’t one of our drivers.”
A police spokesman confirmed they were investigating. He said: “Officers were present during a demonstration in Peterborough in the early hours of Sunday morning. It is illegal to cause an obstruction of the highway that endangers the safety of other road users whether they are drivers or pedestrians.”
Paul Phillipson, the council’s executive director of operations, added: “Anyone that is convicted as a result of a police investigation could be jeopardising their licence. Our team are talking to police, Betta Cars and Liquid about the alleged assault.”
source:
http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/
Login
Register
FAQ
