Taxi Driver Online

Blackburn taxi drivers set for showdown talks with town hall bosses

BLACKBURN taxi drivers are set for showdown talks with town hall bosses this week over plans to implement a new penalty points system they fear could force them off the road.

The proposals, which cover both black cab and private hire operators, will go before Blackburn with Darwen Council’s licensing committee on Monday, September 21.

But the details will be thrashed out before then, on Thursday at the Taxi Forum, along with the rising cost of the annual driver’s badge.

The points scheme aims to formalise the system of dealing with license breaches, rather than the current method of written or verbal warnings.

It is proposed that if a driver reaches 20 points in a year they would be refereed to authorities for possible sanctions. Offences would include things such as failure to display plates (10 points), illegal tyres (10 points) and smoking inside the cab (5 points).

Council documents state: “It is felt that the current system is not totally effective in dealing with drivers who repeatedly flout responsibilities on items which may in isolation be considered minor. By dealing with cumulative breaches on a more formal footing it may re-enforce the need for drivers and vehicle owners to take their responsibilities seriously.”

But drivers are wary of the changes and worry the points could be accrued ‘cheaply’, forcing them off the road.

Blackburn Taxi Association chairman Mohammed Younis said: “This would be the first time a points system is introduced in Blackburn. The drivers are concerned as we think the one put forward by the council is too high and the 20-point mark could be reached too easily.

“That means they could be forced off the road and as a lot of drivers are in their 50s and 60s it’s a concern.”

Last month, council taxi boss Jim Smith said: “This new points scheme does not penalise the drivers financially, it is just a more formal way of making sure the taxis in the borough are in the best condition for customers.”

source: http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/ne ... ll_bosses/

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