Taxi Driver Online

Rank bad feeling over city crackdown on taxi drivers

TAXI drivers have hit back at a police and council clampdown, claiming they are being unfairly treated.

The Herald has reported how police and Plymouth City Council's taxi licensing team were to target cabbies who were flouting bylaws, such as creating illegal ranks or having vehicles in an unsafe state.

However, some drivers feel the operation, which will run on Friday and Saturday evenings at "hotspots" like Mutley Plain, Union Street and the Barbican, does not address the underlying issues.

Michael Boys, a 63-year Hackney carriage driver from Plymstock, said he felt obliged to meet the council's licensing officers following news of the crackdown.

He said: "They were very helpful, but the problem remains the same. We're not against the safety checks, but I've been driving for 12 years and we don't have enough rank spaces.

"Where you park is where the public want us and the time they want us. The police want the drinkers removed as soon as possible and if you don't have taxis available you have trouble.

"Ticketing us is not a cure. There are drivers really upset about it. Last week I was out Monday and Tuesday and I made £29 and £39. If we're driving around and around, trying to find a rank space, you're burning expensive petrol.

"We're being victimised and we feel there are places that could be put in for us to solve a lot of the problems. I met a very helpful licensing officer and he agreed there was a need to be constructive and that we needed to work together to find a solution."

Michael's words were backed by Roy Hamilton, secretary of the Plymouth Licensed Taxi Association.

He said: "The reason is the policies of central and local government.

"They've issued 367 taxi licences in Plymouth and every survey says there's too many taxis in Plymouth.

"They caused this by giving out more licences than can be handled by the ranks.

"The other problem is there's two types of police officer and you're caught between them. There's the one who says 'get these drunks off the street' to us and the one who says 'you're causing an obstruction – move or I'll book you'.

"I've great sympathy with the council because everyone wants their bit of road – the parking permits, the lorry parking, the bus parking. We know there's no legal obligation to provide taxi ranks.

"There were more taxi ranks in Plymouth in 1860 than there are now. Working together is the solution, not strict clampdown.

A Plymouth City Council spokesperson said: "We currently have space for 262 vehicles at our taxi ranks across the city which accommodates over 70 per cent of licensed Hackney carriage taxis; this compares favourably with other cities.

"We are in regular contact with the PLTA (Plymouth Licensing Taxi Association) and regularly review the taxi rank provision within the city. Following a recent review of the Barbican there will be a new rank outside the Mayflower Tourist Centre, providing four more spaces for the evenings.

"We are currently reviewing the rank provision in other areas in the city centre. Reviews of rank space at Union Street, Mutley Plain and other high use areas will be ongoing.

"Like most cities there is competing demand for road space and safety issues that restricts the number and position of ranks that can be provided."

source: Plymouth Herald

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