Taxi Driver Online

Dudley taxi chief calls for more protection for "forgotten" drivers during crisis

A DUDLEY taxi chief has said drivers have been the “forgotten trade” during the coronavirus pandemic and has called for more protection from abuse, as well as the virus.

Shaz Saleem, who heads both the Dudley Private Hire and Taxi Association and the West Midlands Drivers Association, spoke out after a driver in Birmingham was subjected to a tirade of racist abuse by a passenger who refused to sit in the back seat as per coronavirus safety guidelines for taxis.

The incident, which was caught on camera, shows the danger drivers are putting themselves in simply by going to work every day, Shaz said.

He told the News: “It feels like taxi drivers are the forgotten trade. The job is risky as it is but Covid has made it worse. Drivers just want to support their families and help key workers get to their jobs.

“It’s all good having CCTV in the taxis but if there’s nobody that’s willing to take it forwards, we’re wasting our time.”

Last week Shaz presented Birmingham taxi driver Abid Mustafa with an ‘Ambassador for the Taxi Trade Award’ on behalf of West Midlands Taxi Association for his professionalism and bravery in dealing with the incident.

West Midlands Police launched an investigation and later confirmed that a 53-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence.

Shaz said: “Abid was absolutely outstanding. I cannot praise Abid Mustafa enough for his professionalism and shedding positive light on the hard-working men and women of our trade, especially those risking their lives ensuring our NHS staff get to work.”

Shaz, who heads Express Taxis in Halesowen, pointed out how taxi drivers have been working throughout the pandemic, often driving key workers to shifts at anti-social hours, while also juggling their own financial worries as many are self-employed.

It comes as statistics released by the Office of National Statistics last month showed that male taxi drivers are amongst those with the highest coronavirus death rates in the country.

A raft of measures have been introduced to keep drivers and customers safe in taxis in Dudley, including getting passengers to sit in the back of the cab, regular use of disinfectant wipes and drivers wearing gloves and masks.

Shaz said he was not aware of drivers in Dudley contracting the virus, but that he knows of several drivers across the West Midlands who have been struck with Covid-19.

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IDFIMH

Sums up my feeling about the way things are at present.

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IDFIMH

Same feelings here,most Councils during this pandemic are hell bent on destroying the oldest form of regulated Public transport "TAXIS" instead of trying to protect it.