Blueline Taxis forced to lose 90 jobs in Newcastle A TAXI company claims a row over its telephone number has forced them to scrap expansion plans.
Blueline minicabs has been operating from its office in Wallsend since 1958 and is licensed by North Tyneside Council.
But owners, Ian and Paul Shanks and Jane Bell, have been locked in a row with Newcastle Council since setting up Blueline Taxis (Newcastle) Ltd in 2010 and opening in Walker.
The row focuses on Blueline’s desire to use its 0191 262 6666 telephone number at both the Wallsend and Newcastle offices.
In January last year, council chiefs revoked Blueline Newcastle’s operators licence, claiming it failed to abide by the condition the Newcastle office had to have a separate telephone number from Wallsend.
Now Ian Shanks said he is handing back his operator’s licence and claimed the dispute had forced them to close down their Newcastle office with the loss of 90 jobs.
Mr Shanks said: “I am absolutely devastated that due to council red tape I have had to shut down the expanding arm of a flourishing business and worst of all tell 90 people they no longer have a job. It is absolute madness and unnecessary.”
In January, a district judge overturned the council’s decision to revoke their licence and allowed the company to continue trading.
But Blueline Newcastle was banned from using the 6666 number and that triggered an appeal to the High Court.
The company argued the city council’s insistence the two offices use separate phone numbers was undermining its business and amounted to an “improper interference with its commercial freedom and its ability to expand taking its brand with it”.
But Mr Justice Hickinbottom dismissed that and Blueline Newcastle was prohibited from taking bookings on the 6666 number.
Stephen Savage, Newcastle’s director of regulatory services and public protection, said: “We’re delighted to have had our judgement upheld in the High Court that taxi firms set up in Newcastle and North Tyneside should have different phone numbers.
“Blueline Taxis continues to be licensed as a private hire operator by Newcastle City Council and we have not revoked their licence or closed their office. If the company wishes to continue to operate under the licence it may do so.
“It is simply untrue to say that the council is putting Blueline drivers out of work and if this is the information that has been given to Blueline staff then we are very disappointed by that. Drivers are self-employed and therefore eligible to work for any Newcastle licensed Private Hire Operator in the city.”
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