Taxi Driver Online

Evening Gazette

August 31, 2006, Thursday

HEADLINE: Cabbies in drive for action

Cabbies demanding fare play have threatened to take their taxis off the streets to force a freeze on new licences being issued in Middlesbrough.

About 100 hackney cab drivers massed on Clairville Common yesterday claiming the mushrooming number of new licences is depriving them of a decent living. Middlesbrough Hackney Carriage Association chairman Asif Afzal said in the past few years the number of hackney licences issued in Middlesbrough has risen from 188 to more than 350.

He said: "There are a number of further actions planned. Strike action is not ruled out if the council does not reconsider its policy." He added that the policy introduced four years ago, scrapping the limit to the number of licensed taxi drivers, threatens their livelihoods.

"Many long-term drivers are now struggling to make a living," he said. "People have taken mortgages and loans which they cannot now maintain due to the fact that more cars have come in.

"The whole thing has gone pear-shaped for a lot of the lads. "There are drivers who have full-time jobs in the week but work driving taxis on a weekend basis earning extra money.

"The full-time drivers who have taken on commitments feel the cream is being taken off by people who are using it as a second job." He added: "We're serving notice to the council with this demonstration. "Depending on the response we will consider further action which could include slow drives in town."

Mr Afzal said he was impressed with the response he had had from Mayor Ray Mallon who accepted the drivers' invitation to meet them yesterday.

Mr Mallon said: "The taxi fraternity is a very important part of the community and I'm here to listen to their complaints. "It's very difficult situation when there is no limit on the number of licences because if a driver can tick all the boxes the council is obliged to allocate the licence. But where there's a will there's a way - and I've got the will."
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In other words because they were stupid enough to put their houses on the line to buy a plate, everyone else should just f**k off.

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IDFIMH

But they don't mind the cream being taken from them at weekends if those nasty part-timers are driving the full-timers motors.

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IDFIMH