Taxi Driver Online

Bath Chronicle

June 11, 2007 Monday

Taxi drivers are suffering

To answer the question 'what is happening to our taxi service?', drivers with a wealth of local knowledge and experience are retiring or, like me, being manoeuvred into early retirement.

Like Bob Coles, I have also received 'that letter'. Because my car, a British-built Toyota Carina, has over 100,000 miles on the clock and is nearly ten years old, B&NES will not grant it a licence after the end of October.

My car, the most reliable I have ever had in nearly 40 years of motoring, isn't in the same league as Bob Coles' Mercedes. His car could easily win prizes in Concours d' Elegance at classic car shows. His car enhances Bath's image as a premier tourist city - an excellent case, surely, for its licence to continue?

I cannot recall any customer in my 16 years of taxi-driving ever criticising the age and mileage of any of the cars I've owned or driven, so why has B&NES decided those factors are now important?

If I must retire after October 31, my local knowledge of roads and places will retire with me.

I shall not be able to provide wonderful tales of Bath and informative guides to visitors, like how to waste £45m on the Spa, how to destroy our heritage and how to avoid the tramps, pigeons and seagulls.

IAN BLAKESLEY

Marshfield Way, Bath
____________________________