Taxi driver in sticker situation over flag display
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Image: Stratford Herald
A POLISH taxi driver who has lived and worked in Stratford-upon-Avon for 15 years says he feels “discriminated against” for being told by Stratford District Council to remove his joint Union and Polish flag sticker from his cab window which he says is a sign of solidarity and friendship.
Greg Rojewski said the council’s licensing officer told him to remove the sticker from the rear window of his taxi after the council received a complaint two weeks ago. Furthermore, Greg then had to drive his vehicle to council headquarters – yesterday, Wednesday – at Elizabeth House, Stratford, to prove to the licensing officer the British-Polish sticker had been removed from his cab.
He was surprised to receive the following email from the district council’s licensing team after initial contact was a made a fortnight ago; it reads: “Further to myself and my colleague’s conversation with you regarding the removal of the flags on your vehicle, please could you present your vehicle to us on Wednesday between 0900 and 1030, at our offices at Elizabeth House, so that we may confirm that they have been removed. If you are unable to make this appointment, then please let us know as soon as possible.”
At first Greg thought the whole thing was a joke but it turned out to be no laughing matter when he realised he had to comply with the council’s instruction.
“There are a lot of Polish people in Stratford and some of them don’t always speak much English. The sticker was meant to let them know that I am Polish too and can help them because I speak both languages, this is useful if they have hospital appointments. The sticker is also meant to show our lifelong friendship and unity with this country. Polish pilots fought in the Battle of Britain and all over the world to help everyone’s freedom,” Greg said.
Two weeks ago Greg emerged from a pharmacy having collected his medication. When he got back to his taxi there were two council officers standing behind the vehicle inspecting his flags sticker. They explained someone had complained about his sticker and asked him to remove it, he later received the email inviting him to go Elizabeth House so the same officers could see he had removed the item.
“I felt discriminated against,” Greg told the Herald. “If the council do the same with someone who displays a St George flag on their taxi window – which they say they would do – then I don’t have a problem with their decision but I can’t believe one little sticker has caused so much fuss. Even my business card is a combination of the Union flag and Polish flag. If I painted my cab red and white in the national colours of Poland – this I understand – but it’s not nice to be treated this way.”
It’s Greg’s belief that the recent request by the council’s licensing department doesn’t help the mood of a nation still locked in a struggle over the ongoing Brexit debate.
“I did not expect much abuse after Brexit but some of my Polish friends have left this country to work in Germany and elsewhere because they have been abused. I come from a town called Parczew but I’ve now worked in this country longer than I did in Poland and I’m staying here because I it’s my home,” Greg said.
Stratford District Council denied the order to remove the sticker was discriminatory. It issued the following statement on Wednesday 23rd May: “A complaint from another driver was raised against this driver for displaying the Polish flag on the rear of his vehicle. The Stratford-on-Avon District Council taxi policy prevents the display of any livery on licensed vehicles unless written approval has been obtained from the District Council. The driver has not sought approval for his chosen livery and so has been asked to remove it. Any request for a display of symbols, written words, pictures or similar on a licensed vehicle is carefully considered with a view to ensuring that the display of such an items is appropriate, and that the taxi fleet remain welcoming in appearance to all passengers whom may wish to use their services, regardless of nationality. On this occasion the District Council has received no request for consideration so can only enforce the licence conditions which require any livery to be authorised in writing.”
