'Dynamite' letter sent to Exeter city councillor over taxi changes
Labour councillor Gill Tippins had been served 'legal notice' over the council's decision to de-restrict hackney taxis
A city councillor has been threatened with legal action following a contentious decision to remove restrictions on the number of hackney taxis.
Members of the licensing committee voted to de-restrict the number of cabbies allowed to collect passengers from city taxi ranks and be hailed in the street.
The verdict was met with anger and consternation by drivers who accused the council of killing their livelihoods.
Since the meeting Labour councillor Gill Tippins has been sent a “dynamite” letter by hackney driver Graham Woollacott in which he claims to serve ‘legal notice’ on her.
The letter, dated March 25, reads: “If de-restriction goes ahead, I will hold you ‘totally responsible’ for any loss in my income, loss of my job, hardship in my home, hardship to my three-year-old son and his education.”
The decision was made without the commission of a survey into unmet demand.
The letter reads: “To de-restrict without carrying out a survey into unmet demand was wreckless and gross negligent (sic) by you, committee members and Exeter City Council.”
It warns unless a survey is undertaken by a ‘reputable independent survey company’ he will also hold her “totally responsible’ for various perceived negative impacts on the taxi industry, drivers and the public.
Mr Woollacott also criticised Cllr Tippins for saying that the “priority” of the committee was the public interest.
The letter goes on to request a variety of documentation from the city council under the Freedom of Information Act related to the taxi trade in Exeter, including paper copies of ‘all’ taxi surveys into unmet demand over the last 20 years.
Conservative councillor Percy Prowse said: “This letter has got dynamite contents. It infers the writer knows something which is why it is phrased in such a way.
“It appears to be the pre-cursor for legal processes, trying to establish a few facts about what the city council did and didn’t know.”
Exeter St David’s Taxi Association has promised to seek a judicial review over the ruling to remove the limit of 66 licensed hackneys.
Hassan Al-Seaidy, 58, who owns two hackney license plates, said: “This decision will affect children whose parents are being punished.
“The taxi drivers worked very hard, but now their plates will be taken away from them.
“The council does not seem to be worried about us and our livelihoods. There are so many questions for them to answer.”
At the meeting on March 16 councillors also decided to enhance quality controls for city taxis, including a distinctive colour scheme.
The new policies will come into effect on June 17.
Cllr Gill Tippins and the city council declined to comment on the letter.
Speaking after the meeting Cllr Keith Owen, lead councillor for environment, health and wellbeing, said the committee had “considered carefully” the arguments for and against de-restriction. He said several members had found it a “difficult” decision to make.
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