Minority groups hold 64% of Telford and Wrekin taxi licences
Tuesday 26th June 2012
Sixty-four per cent of taxi licences in Telford and Wrekin are held by people from minority backgrounds, mainly Asian, a report says today.
And a hike in taxi licence fees could have a negative impact on those licence holders who may quit the profession.
The comments were made in a report to Telford & Wrekin Council’s licensing committee, which has examined any negative impacts of increasing the fee.
Private hire and hackney carriage drivers have already hit out at the proposed increase which would see driver’s pay an extra £15 for a six-month licence, from £90 to £105, or an extra £22 for a 12-month licence, rising from £148 to £170.
Private hire drivers say they will call in auditors to look through the authority’s accounts as part of a legal challenge.
The report will be considered before tomorrow’s meeting. It says: “There is a variety of ethnicities across the numbers of licence holders who will be paying an increase in licence fees.
“The numbers of licence holders from minority backgrounds, predominantly Asian, is around 64 per cent of the total number of licence holders.
“The policy could have a negative impact on this group of people if the increase sees a reduction in the numbers of drivers continuing with employment.”
The report went on to say the rise could lead to a hike in taxi fares for disabled passengers and said any increase in fares will have a ‘negative impact’ on users.
Ali Alyas, owner of County Cars who is against the rise, said: “As a council can only charge for the costs of granting a driver licence, I cannot understand why the duration of a licence should affect the fee charged.”
If the increase is passed, it will come into force on August 1.
Source; http://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2012 ... -licences/
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