This is related to the recent thread on the Cumberland fare amalgamation thing, and in fact makes the point about Carlisle not getting a rise while the other former council areas do get an increase
But the article is really about a different focus. Although it's all a bit, er, unfocused, and is typical of this kind of stuff these days - I'd guess a lot of this stuff has nothing to do with the amalgamation thing, although that provide a useful scapegoat.
And what's with all these retired and female drivers rolling up, but not many others by the looks of the photos at least?
I wonder what, precisely, their ongoing connection with the trade might be?
One of those comms boilerplate-style responses from the council, though
Carlisle taxi drivers raise concerns over council standards
https://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/2655 ... standards/
TAXI and private hire drivers attended a meeting in Carlisle on Monday (September 14) to raise concerns over how the sector is being run in the Cumberland Council area.
Members of the Carlisle 2022 Taxi and Private Hire Association met at the RAOB Club in the city centre because they claim that standards have slipped compared with what used to be expected.
Chris Bray, the group’s secretary, said that the trade had taken a ‘nosedive’ since the early 2000s and they had been ‘railroaded’ with new licensing conditions without consultation.
“You have got all the prices going up for rental, diesel and tyres. Garage maintenance has gone up 70 per cent in three years. It’s just a mess.”He said that, while it was proposed to raise the tariff cards in Allerdale and Copeland to bring them in line with Carlisle, drivers in the city would not benefit. He added: “We’ve had no increase in fares. And I don’t see why, because we’re way below the minimum wage.”
Mr Bray said there were also fewer wheelchair accessible vehicles compared with previous years and he added: “There’s no disability wheelchair accessible vehicles coming on. And disabled people are entitled to a taxi as well as everybody else.”
He said they would be calling on the council to consult on everything rather than ignoring his members. He added: “Drivers are just beside themselves. Most of them are working for less than minimum wage. Once you’ve got the rental, everything has increased.
“You have got all the prices going up for rental, diesel and tyres. Garage maintenance has gone up 70 per cent in three years. It’s just a mess.”
He said that the expected turn out for the meeting could be around 50 or 60 people and they were unhappy with a lack of response from the council so far. He added: “For two years, we’ve had the same message. ‘Sorry, we’re busy. We haven’t got the staff’. And that’s the only message you get. Whether you are member public or a taxi driver, you will not get an answer.”
Sandra Graves, a retired driver with 25 years’ experience, said she felt that the current situation was ‘awful’ and it should go back to the way it was. She added: “The taxi trade is not the same as what it used to be. It was changing before I left, before I retired. And it’s just horrendous.”
Margaret Milne, who is also a retired driver with 25 years’ experience, agreed and said: “The main issue is that the council do not seem to want to keep the standards up.
“They’re allowing the drivers to use sat navs, which we were never, ever, allowed to use. In fact, I don’t use taxis for that reason now.”
She said that standards of the cars had changed greatly and not for the better. She added: “We should go back to the old standards such as the Knowledge test.”
Council response
A council spokesperson said: "We regularly engage with representatives of the taxi and private hire trade and recognise the important role licensed drivers play in helping residents and visitors travel safely across Cumberland.
"The council keeps its licensing policies and procedures under review to ensure they remain proportionate, robust and focused on public safety. Any changes are considered carefully, taking into account legislative requirements, best practice and feedback from the trade.
"We understand there are a range of economic pressures affecting drivers and operators. A review of the taxi fare tariff is currently being progressed and will be considered by the council's Executive in September 2026 through the appropriate decision-making process.
"We are committed to maintaining constructive dialogue with the trade and encourage drivers and operators to raise any concerns with the Licensing Team.
"We will continue to listen to and consider views raised by drivers and representative groups through the appropriate channels while ensuring our licensing arrangements remain focused on public safety and the needs of the communities we serve."
