Taxi Driver Online

Wolverhampton taxi drivers threaten to strike

Taxi drivers in Wolverhampton have threatened to go on strike if there isn’t a rise in fare prices.

Private hire drivers have been campaigning for 11 months to see the base fare rate rise from £2.80 to £3.50 but have grown frustrated at the lack of progress.

Now, after no change in price, the drivers have given Wolverhampton council two weeks to make the changes or they are going on strike.

The ultimatum was delivered by Raheel Shah, the organiser of the campaign and of the protest outside the Civic Centre and Civic Hall.

He said: “We are protesting for the injustice of the Wolverhampton taxi driver. We have got the petition and we need justice for taxi drivers.

“As well as the fair fare we need to stop more taxi drivers coming in and we need to reduce badge fees.

“Otherwise if we don’t get this in two weeks we will strike.

“We want the base fare raised to £3.50, we already asked about this last year and 60 per cent of people on the Express & Star website said we should get one. £2.80 is less than minimum wage, that’s why we’re protesting."

“We will decide the details after a meeting with the taxi drivers.”

The petition has received around 400 signatures and was presented to Wolverhampton council last Friday.

But Councillor Alan Bolshaw, the chairman of the council’s licensing committee, insisted that two of the changes the drivers wanted were national issues and not the responsibility of the council.

He said: “While we have sympathy with private hire drivers seeking to improve their working conditions, we were surprised and disappointed that a small number of them decided to stage a go-slow protest.

"We were given no advance notice and no attempt was made prior to the protest to engage in meaningful dialogue with us.

“We are happy to sit down and talk with private hire drivers and their recognised trade union representative Unite. A petition was handed in following the protest making three requests. Two of these – namely reducing the amount of private hire licences we grant and controlling the minimum fare – are not issues the council has any power to do anything about. Both of these matters are governed by national legislation."

“In terms of the third request – calling for the annual licence fee to be reduced – our fees have been on a downward cycle for several years now. A licence that cost £608 in 2010 now costs £342. We will continue to seek to reduce fees wherever possible.

“We will be seeking a meeting with private hire representatives at the earliest opportunity to discuss their issues in detail and the petition will be heard by petitions committee.”

source: http://www.expressandstar.com/news/2015 ... to-strike/

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

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

Clearly the drivers haven't got a clue that it is their office that sets the fares for them and clearly the Council haven't a clue that it is the office that sets the fares for them.
Confusion over.

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Grandad,

Councillor Alan Bolshaw is spot on with his statement, isn't he?

The council have no control over ph fares, or ph numbers, and they would appear to have reduced fees too.

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Former taxi driver

He seems to think that the Government do though.

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Grandad,

Taxi drivers in Wolverhampton have threatened to go on strike if there isn’t a rise in fare prices.

Private hire drivers have been campaigning for 11 months to see the base fare rate rise from £2.80 to £3.50 but have grown frustrated at the lack of progress.

The journalist writing this was clearly totally bewildered

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

thank heavens - someone who read through the article!

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

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IDFIMH

Minicab protests in Wolverhampton cause delays


Minicab drivers in Wolverhampton are protesting this morning and are causing congestion around the city.

Private hire drivers are on strike due to a dispute over pay.

It's thought that drivers won't be picking up passengers for three hours this morning and again later on this evening.

source: http://www.itv.com/news/central/update/ ... se-delays/

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

Wolverhampton Council responds to private-hire strike


The City of Wolverhampton Council has said that a private-hire protest which took place was not sanctioned by the drivers' trade union and that they were only notified about it late on Thursday.

Private hire drivers are calling for the council to raise their base fares to more than three pounds from the current £2.80.

However, the council say they have no control over fares.

"The drivers’ dispute is primarily around fares which are set by the operators themselves. We have no powers over the minimum fare the operators charge."


"City of Wolverhampton Council has facilitated discussions between the drivers and the operators, however no agreement has been reached as yet between the two parties. The answer to this dispute lies in getting around the table and talking rather than disrupting the public in this way.”

– Spokesperson, City of Wolverhampton Council

source: http://www.itv.com/news/central/update/ ... xi-strike/

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

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

Why don't they just set up their own base and set their own fees? As CC says, Mongs everywhere.

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Grandad,

Confused dot com.