Taxi Driver Online

The word 'protest' is used here rather than 'strike', but if it's intended that no cars will be available for a couple of hours then it's surely also a 'strike' of some kind.


Bolton taxis to stage protest outside Town Hall against Clean Air Zone plans

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/19 ... one-plans/


Image: The Bolton News

TAXIS will be off the road in Bolton for more than two hours as drivers stage a protest against the Clean Air Zone scheme.

A Greater Manchester Combined Authority meeting is set to take place to rule on whether commercial organisations, including taxi drivers, will have to purchase a car no older than five years to avoid the controversial Clean Air Zone charge.

Bosses of Bolton taxi base Metro, and Bolton’s Private Hire Association (BPHA), fear that taxi businesses will be forced to close if this happens.

Protests are due to take place on Monday from 1.30pm to 4pm at Bolton Town Hall.

During this time, there will be no taxis across Bolton, unless there is an emergency.

Taxi chiefs have said that they are in support of the Clean Air Zone, which comes into force in May, 2022, but the cost of buying new vehicles is a major concern.

Vice chairman of the BPHA, Mahmood Akhtar, said: “We just can’t afford to purchase the new vehicles.

“One thing we don’t understand is that if we have to sell our current cars to the public, they will still be on the road, so why are we being penalised?

“The grants which are being offered are not enough, and we need the rest of the money to help us.

“We also don’t yet have the infrastructure to support the electric vehicles in the area.”

Bosses have also said that fares have been increased recently, and there is also a driver shortage, with others taking on second jobs due to the impact of the pandemic.

And they are concerned that this could affect a lot of their drivers over 50 who cannot afford to get a loan, or a newer vehicle.

Nick Astley, owner of Bolton-based Metro Taxis, said: “We really don’t want the public suffering at all.

“But we need to be listened to, and feel so sorry for our drivers.

“We want to take a stand and these changes should be postponed, with more help given to the drivers.

“Otherwise it will have a big impact on customers who rely on us because we will have to increase fares.”

In a statement issued by Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham and Cllr Andrew Western, the city-region’s Clean Air lead, said: “In March, 2020, the Government instructed all 10 Greater Manchester councils to introduce a charging Clean Air Zone to tackle harmful levels of air pollution and achieve compliance with legal standards by 2024 at the latest.

“We know this is a major challenge for many individuals and businesses which is why we have always been clear with ministers that it must be accompanied by a fair package of financial support.

“While the Government has provided £120m, we are concerned that they have so far failed to agree to our request for additional support for those who will find it hardest to make the change.”

Taxi bosses from across Greater Manchester are also expected to be at the protest.

If the licensing standards are agreed, they would apply to taxi services from May, 2023.


Image: The Bolton News

Suspect some drivers would call it a day due to the (effective) age rule, but also suspect it's slight exaggeration to say businesses would be 'forced to close' because of it


So all PH firms, all HCs, and all individual drivers will join the strike?


Well if fares have increased and there's a driver shortage, then at least working drivers must be earning more?

Assuming, that is, there is a genuine shortage of drivers rather than operators just wanting more drivers paying them their fees

I have less sympathy for saloon licensed vehicles as meeting Euro 6 isn't that onerous in my view.

But the problem remains for WAVs, and new ones of those are not cheap.

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IDFIMH

Two different live updates for this protest, so a shedload of photos, videos, quotes etc:

https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk ... e-22700394

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/19 ... one-plans/

Cannot say I had heard anything about the Manchester CAZ. So just had a look.

It is f***ing massive, It is all of Greater Manchester, even out into the middle of nowhere. So you could probably come into Greater Manchester CAZ on a country road and not pass anything bigger than a village for a dozen miles and still be in the the CAZ.

At least my cars are compliant so free

Like so many things the effects on the taxi/PH trade are only ever looked at when the decisions have been made.

This is just a money-grabbing issue rather than a save the world one, and our trade is the one that suffers the most.

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IDFIMH

Taxi drivers protest Clean Air Zone plans in Bolton for second time

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/19 ... cond-time/


The Bolton News

Bolton town centre was brought to a halt in a second round of protests led by taxi drivers.

Around 100 vehicles and plenty more cabbies demonstrated outside Bolton Town Hall against the Clean Air Zone charges which they are due to incur as of 2023.

There is also concern that, in order to avoid the charges, owners of commercial vehicles can be exempt if they upgrade that vehicle to one under five-years-old. The cost implications of this are large and possibly fatal to businesses, they say.

Feelings were intensified during the second instalment of the protests and if the organisers do not see any significant change, they warn that this will not be the last time it happens.

“This is just a starter. There’s a main course and dessert to come. Unless the council and government sit down and sort this out, we’ll keep coming,” said Mahmood Akhtar, vice-chairman of Bolton Private Hire Association.

“We’ve been going through a bad patch as it is for the past two years. Taxi firms are suffering. The drivers are suffering and the general public is going to suffer as well.

“Unless they come back to the table and scrap this Clean Air Zone we’re going to see a lot of problems in Bolton."

Demonstrators repeatedly pointed out that ultimately it is not just them who are going to suffer the financial burden.

Sammy Patel, owner of Orbit Taxis, added: “At the end of the day it’s going down to the customers.

"It’s them that are going to pay for it, because if we’re getting charged then it’s going to follow on.

“Drivers aren’t going to be out of pocket eventually, it’s the customers.”

Siraj Patel has driven a taxi in Bolton for 25 years and the Metro Cars driver echoed Sammy’s comments

He said: “I want to send this message directly to the public - if you think that Clean Air Zone charges are for the trade and not for you – no. It’s for you, not for us.

“Tomorrow if we change our vehicle, it doesn’t affect us because when we buy the new vehicle obviously the weight goes to the public. Today you’re paying £5, tomorrow you could be paying £10.”

It was not just taxi drivers that came to voice their displeasure.

Neil Radleigh will be charged £60 a day to drive his van in Greater Manchester as of May 30.

He is currently unemployed but uses his van as a memorial for people who have died and raise awareness for issues such as knife crime.

Mr Radleigh said: “It’ll be the end of this. That’s me off the road. I cannot afford another van or car."

Nonsense, obviously, but does he really believe that, and will the public believe that?

It is a money grabbing issue with other agendas behind it too. And nothing to do with saving the world like you point out.

I can tell you what else will happen. When the majority of vehicles on the road are electric/hybrid (ie "clean") and therefore the revenue declines they will change the rules.

The "Clean Air Zone" will become the "Congestion zone" or some other poor excuse for interfering with the populations daily travels.

I can see the propaganda now. "The noise pollution will be reduced". "It will force people to use public transportation and make our planet greener".

You get the gist.

All these zones or areas need to be suspended for two years.

Let the trade, let small businesses, get their businesses/trades back into some kind of financial well-being.

For many that will take more than two years, but FFS give us a chance.

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IDFIMH

Bury trade joining the protest movement against CAZ.

https://www.burytimes.co.uk/news/198710 ... wn-centre/

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IDFIMH

No. They should be removed permanently.

All they are is an indirect tax on motorists.

Plain and simple.

It will ruin small businesses that reside in the city centres. People will just travel there less and less.

They will just go online more for shopping or will go to places to eat and drink at establishments not based in the charging zones in rural areas etc.