11 Mar 2008
Council rejects taxi review plea for Coventry streets
CALLS for a review of the number of black cabs on the streets of Coventry
have been rejected by city councillors.
Taxi drivers, who claim there are too many cabs in the city, called on the
council to carry out a survey into the taxi service.
The Coventry Taxi Association claims the council is simply issuing too many
black cab licences resulting in too many drivers chasing too few customers.
They say this has resulted in drivers working long hours in an effort to
make a living.
At a council licensing meeting yesterday, association representatives told
how a decade ago only 99 black cab drivers operated in Coventry
compared to 667 today.
Cabbies claim that because of increased competition drivers have no
choice but to break the law by parking on double yellow lines because
there are so many cabs.
But councillors voted against the proposal that the council commissions a
survey into the demand for hackney carriages.
Frank Barlow, council licensing officer, said more than 70 per cent of local
authorities have no limit on the issue of hackney carriage licences in the
"interests of the travelling public".
He also said the high cost of a survey may not be justified.
The impact of increased taxi traffic has been felt in residential areas on
the outskirts of the city, such as Earlsdon.
Cllr Catherine Harper (Con, Earlsdon) told how the number of black cabs
were a nuisance to the people she represents.
She said: "The conduct of taxi drivers is absurd. People in Earlsdon suffer,
not just from the noise of running engines, but from car radios and drivers
calling to each other across the road."
Councillors did vote in favour of a review of taxi rank provision and to
make sure Nuneaton and Bedworth taxi drivers are not allowed to ply for
trade in Coventry.
They also voted to request officers to work with the association on the
issue of taxi driver safety.
Alias Jousef, association chairman, said: "We feel the councillors are blind
to what is going on and fail to see the problem."
The taxi association plans to appeal against the decision.
Source: ic Coventry
Related TDO Topic: Coventry Hackney Threaten To Strike
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