Taxi Driver Online

Came across this in the Inverness Courier. Apart from the usual photo of the driver who looks like a councillor, there's a couple of odd things about this piece.


Inverness taxi firm owners back call for taxi and private hire drivers to be classed as key workers and get the coronavirus vaccine as a high priority

https://www.inverness-courier.co.uk/new ... ne-225676/


Andrew MacDonald (Image: Inverness Courier)

Inverness taxi firm owners have given their backing to a call that private hire drivers should be treated as key workers and be vaccinated as a high priority.

Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic they were on call to provide transport to health care staff and other key workers as well as delivering supplies to vulnerable people.

Last week taxi and private hire vehicle trade bodies issued a joint call to ministers in the UK government to treat driver vaccination as a top priority.

Gavin Johnston, the managing director of Inverness Taxis, said he felt it was a fantastic idea.

“We are transporting essential workers, people to medical appointments and food deliveries – it’s a must as far as I am concerned,” he said. “We are frontline workers and we have been since March. I totally agree with that because it is essential.”

Andrew MacDonald, who runs Caley Taxi and Black Mercedes, said drivers had to take risks as part of providing a service.

“You can’t social distance at two metres in a saloon car,” he said. “Taxi drivers should certainly be close behind NHS workers and key workers as a priority.”

The joint letter was sent to the parliamentary under secretary of state at the Department of Transport, Baroness Vere, as well as health secretary Matt Hancock and education secretary Gavin Williamson.

It stated: “You will be aware that taxi and private hire vehicle (PHV) drivers are in the very high-risk category group and that sadly the associated mortality rate as borne out by Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures is extremely high.

“Not only is there extreme risk for drivers but, of course, the same applies to passengers due to close proximity which, in turn, adds to the risk of onward transmission/super spreading.

“Our industry has been asked to support the NHS, nursing establishments, other modes of transport, the elderly, the vulnerable, special educational needs and disability, key worker and educational support transportation.”

Eh? What's this got to do with Westminster. Health is devolved to the Scottish Parliament.


Another slight hint that something's not quite all it seems - PHV is the term in the English legislation - it's PHC up here

Mystery easily solved, though. Turns out it's a letter originating I think from the London-based LHPCA, and co-signed by the NPHTA, the LTDA (the biggest London black cabbie group), Unite, the GMB and a few other organisations and random local associations.

Letter below. No sign of the NTA (and not sure if that's significant) but I suppose it's an achievement in a way to get all these disparate bodies together to sign the letter, although it's not something I would particularly support personally.

Dear Ministers,

I write to government on behalf of all the Trade Bodies set out below to strongly advocate that Taxi & Private Hire Vehicle (PHV) drivers are given a high-priority vaccination status.

You will be aware that Taxi & PHV drivers are in the very high-risk category group and that sadly the associated mortality rate as borne out by Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures is extremely high.

Not only is there extreme risk for drivers but, of course, the same applies to passengers due to close proximity, which in turn, adds to the risk of onward transmission/super spreading.

Our industry has been asked to support the NHS, nursing establishments, other modes of transport, the elderly, the vulnerable, Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND), key worker and educational support transportation.

We do, of course, respect the absolute priority set out in the Independent report by the Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, which identifies the priority groups for COVID-19 vaccination (updated 6 January 2021) but wish to add that Taxi and PHV drivers need to be included/added.

Yours sincerely,

Steve Wright MBE on behalf of:

Greg Mendoza - Chauffeur & Executive Committee
Thomas Rook - City of Salford Private Hire Association
Peter Jamieson - Driver Guides Association
Mike Anderson - Durham Licensed Taxi Association
Steve Garelick - GMB Professional Drivers Branch
Waqas Ali - Greater Manchester Drivers Federation
Grant Davis - London Cab Drivers Club (LCDC)
Steve Wright - Licensed Private Hire Car Association (LPHCA)
Steve McNamara - Licensed Taxi Drivers Association (LTDA)
Dave Lawrie - National Private Hire & Taxi Association (NPHTA)
Eddie Townson - Private Hire Board
Steve Lumsden - Scottish Licensed Private Hire Car Association
Ian Hall - Southampton Hackney and Private Hire Association (SHPHA)
Steve Russell - South Cambridge Executive Operators
Peter Bond - Unite the Union (Cab Section)
Trevor Merralls - United Cabbies Group
Geth Thomas - Welsh Licensed Private Hire Car Association
Wendy Loveday - York Private Hire Association

As I said, not something I would particularly support personally. Will just take my place in the queue and trust the judgement of the clinicians.

That said, I'm not working at the moment (pretty pointless me going out - even in a normal January I can easily wait a couple of hours for a £4 run), so there are drivers at a lot more risk than me.

So I'll just let them get on with any campaign they want to conduct, and I don't feel particularly strongly one way or the other. Not that anyone will be asking for my opinion on it anyway

A friend of mine called his doctors up and asked to be put on the standby list for last minute vaccinations. He received a call at 4pm for both him and his wife to attend the vaccination centre at 6pm to receive the vaccine. Apparently there are usually quite a few jabs left at the end of the day that are otherwise disposed of.

You and me both.

Everyone needs to wait their turn, lets get those that are vulnerable sorted first. Of which many of them are in the trade anyway.

_________________
IDFIMH

My 93 year old mother in law is still waiting to hear when she will get her first jab.

_________________
Grandad,
To support my charity text MAYORWALK to 70085 to donate £5

Every group or body reckon they deserve it first, my take is it's oldest and at Risk to youngest, the NHS, the Fire service, the Police and then those other essential workers which inludes Hacks and PH drivers, then the general public based on oldest first.

That's just not right, a lady of that age should be amongst the first on the list.

Fella from Blackburn also wants the trade to move up the queue.

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/n ... rity-jabs/

Doesn't say who we should replace in that queue though?

_________________
IDFIMH

I’m now working at Timpsons. Am I now a key worker?

_________________
Former taxi driver

hooray, she got her letter today and her jab is on Friday.

_________________
Grandad,
To support my charity text MAYORWALK to 70085 to donate £5