Dundee Taxi Association says drivers treated 'like third-class citizens'
Taxi drivers are being treated "like third-class citizens" by Dundee City Council, a leading figure in the trade has claimed.
Tony Waters, secretary of the Dundee Taxi Association, said it appeared that a liaison group — meant to provide a forum for the trade and the council to discuss issues of interest — might not meet again.
Mr Waters said, "The DTA and Unite have been calling for a liaison meeting to discuss a cap on taxi numbers. It once again shows the council have no intention of entering into a dialogue or to have a meeting to discuss our concerns.
"The taxi trade is at a saturation point and the price of fuel is rocketing and still the council will not listen to our pleas of help. There is no space on the ranks so drivers are using more fuel to drive around until they can get on a rank.
"We are getting treated like third-class citizens and we are at breaking point. The council's taxi policy is ruining marriages and is becoming a severe safety risk to the public by drivers having to work longer hours."
The latest figures suggest there are more than 560 taxis operating in the city. The DTA, which represents some of the taxi trade, has been calling for an official limit, arguing that this would improve standards and enable drivers to make a decent living without working excessive hours.
Mr Waters said an email received by trade union Unite from council assistant chief executive Patricia McIlquham explained meetings of the liaison group were under review.
He added, "The council are now saying that liaison meetings are not to be held again, and because drivers have been lobbying their councillors none of them will be able to vote. So how are we supposed to get some fair treatment?"
In her email, Ms McIlquham said, "The licensing committee is a quasi-judicial body which deals with applications and other matters which come before it on their own merits. Members have to make a judgment based upon the material before them at the meeting, supplemented by their local knowledge of the issues involved.
"They cannot enter into any discussions with interested parties, or express any opinion for or against any issue in advance of the meeting. Any member who does so would almost certainly be ineligible to take part in discussing or voting on any such item at the actual meeting where it is to be considered.
"The committee has called for a report on the issue of a limit on the number of taxis in the city and this will be submitted to it at the meeting on March 31. All members of the taxi liaison group will receive a copy of the report in advance of that meeting and will then have the opportunity to apply to the committee to be heard as part of the discussions."
As the council's monitoring officer, it was her responsibility to ensure councillors were given appropriate advice to enable them to meet the standards of conduct required.
"I am concerned that the taxi liaison group in particular is a forum which could place the licensing committee members in a difficult position in this regard where they are effectively being subject to face-to-face lobbying on major policy issues.
"In this regard, I will be having discussions with the committee members as to whether the taxi liaison group can continue in its current form," she said.
Source:
Dundee Courier
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