Taxi Driver Online

Cabbies treated as slaves claim lack of new Hackney cab licences pushing up cost of renting black taxis



TAXI drivers say they are being treated like “slaves” due to the lack of new vehicle licences being granted by the council.

The campaigning ex-drivers say Reading Borough Council should immediately supply licences to those in need as existing licence holders are taking advantage of them.

Syed Abbas and Masud Mazhar also claim to have evidence that people hiring out their vehicles to those who cannot get one of the sought after Hackney Carriage Vehicle (HCV) licences are removing their right to complain about working conditions. In a recording shared with The Chronicle Mr Mazhar, 43, is being told by another man – believed to be taxi owner Martin Harris – that drivers must agree to “shut their mouths” if they want a job.

The last HCV licence in the borough was granted in 2009, which the council say is due to lack of demand. Without a vehicle licence a registered taxi driver must pay to rent an authorised vehicle to legally pick up fares.

In a recorded conversation the voice believed to be Mr Harris is heard to say to Mr Mazhar: “I would have had to make you probably sign a document, a legal document, to say that you ain’t going to be a member of that f***ing gang of people that you are talking about. “You would have had to have left that and probably signed a document to say that you ain’t going to talk to no MPs and no council and you are not going to do none of that.” Martin Harris was contacted about the alleged remarks but said he did not recall the conversation and knew nothing about the specific claim.

Mr Abbas, chairman of the Reading Taxi Drivers Association, believes the lack of new licences being granted is pushing up the cost of renting a black cab.

The 43-year-old claims the weekly rate of around £250 has gone up to £300 in the last few years and some are charging as much as £220 to rent a licensed vehicle for a single night shift. He said: “Renting a cab is organised slavery. I realised how they treat the rental drivers but I did not have any proof at the time.

Nobody believed us but in that tape recording I thought this was crystal clear that they tried to black list us and get us out of the trade. “We want justice and we need job security. We have been out of the trade for the last year and a half.

The drivers who have been treated unfairly deserve to be issued Hackney Vehicle Licences, that will be a lesson for other owners not to treat their drivers like this.”

Council spokesman Anna Fowler said: “The Council undertakes a survey – that is required by law – every three years to determine whether there is any unmet demand for Hackney Carriage Vehicle (HCV) licenses. “From April 2007 to March 2009, the number of hackney carriages licensed by the Council increased by 40% from 153 to 216 vehicles.

However, as a result of the increase in the numbers of vehicles during the economic downturn, a survey reviewed in February 2010 showed that no more licenses were needed. A subsequent survey in 2012 resulted in no change; a new review is scheduled for autumn 2015.

“A HCV license holder can decide to rent out shifts to other licensed drivers. This is a private, commercial arrangement between the license holder and those working the shifts.

“Any appeal against the Council’s allocation of HCVs licences would have to be through the Magistrates Court, which has not happened in this case." -

See more at: http://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news/ ... LlnzX.dpuf

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

slaves - ffs

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Strange - I cannot see a single mention of the working conditions

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Surely it should be illegal for a License holder to hire out his licensed vehicle ...........nothing but exploitation in my book

Treated as slaves ........it would appear so if their being denied membership of certain organisations and their right to free speech

But of course they allow it dont they the usual story no organised militant resistance to the MILITANT exploiters ..............yes i know their Cab Driving morons .............oh well suffer on MUGS

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All posts by this contributor are made in a strictly personal capacity

I AM PROUD TO BE A CITIZEN NOBODY'S SUBJECT http://www.republic.org.u

F88K EM ALL WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND

BOOZE BOOZE BOOZE

oh god wheres if only we had a hero who wasn't too busy walking dogs to step in




read this and my first thought was cab******

Where is Skull..not seen or heard from him in weeks?

Drive a phv solve the problem, more people ring for cabs anyway

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

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All posts by this contributor are made in a strictly personal capacity

I AM PROUD TO BE A CITIZEN NOBODY'S SUBJECT http://www.republic.org.u

F88K EM ALL WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND

BOOZE BOOZE BOOZE

Strange - my first thought was a couple of people who want free plates off the council to sell on for their own greed

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

I thought that they wanted them so that they could rent them out at £300 per week.

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Grandad,

He informed me after our ruck on the forum, that he had requested that his account was to be deleted along with all of his posts, apparently his request was refused. According to him.........he will not be back

He tried to keep in touch by sending me taunting/abusive PMs, and then childlishly deleted his PM account to stop me replying. He then sent me another which remains unopened - in effect it wastes his time to send anymore.



Perhaps the mods might like to enlighten us to this piece of garbage.

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Common sense........is just not that Common.