Taxi Driver Online

Leamington cabbies rankle at open market

Leamington will be bumper-to-bumper with taxi cabs while ranks in Warwick and Kenilworth will be deserted.

That was the prediction from angry Hackney carriage drivers this week following a decision which will allow them to pick up fares anywhere in the district.

They say a move to amalgamate four strictly-controlled licensing zones - Leamington, Warwick, Kenilworth and 'Rural' - will result in an influx of 'outsider' drivers muscling in on the more lucrative areas and leave other ranks empty at night.

The change was ratified by a Warwick District Council regulatory committee meeting on Monday and will be adopted in January.

Vehicles are currently barred from attempting to gain custom when out of their 'patch', a 34-year-old measure to ensure an even distribution of cars.

On the rank at Hamilton Terrace, Leamington, drivers said they were experiencing hard times.

They said Kenilworth and Warwick counterparts broke existing rules and would soon be flocking towards the town.

And they rebuffed licensing authority claims of an "extensive consultation".

Alan [edited by admin] said: "Yet again nobody has informed us.

"They did the same when they introduced wheelchair legislation.

"I'm a Leamington guy running a Leamington taxi - not a Warwick one. They will all come here at night and Warwick will be left with no taxis."

Jagjit Liddar said: "We are responsible for this town and already have problems with people stealing our trade.

"Business is difficult and if more drivers come here we will suffer.

"Too many licenses have been issued - where are they all going to park?"

As part of any amalgamation, he demanded an end to a "monopoly" at the railway station rank, which is regulated for Chiltern Trains by a private company.

District council licensing manager, David Davies, said amalgamation ended an environmentally-unfriendly situation under which a driver from Leamington could take a passenger to Warwick, but was prohibited from picking up another customer for the journey back.

It was also technically the case that only four cabs were currently licensed to pick up from outside Stoneleigh Park - or from Warwick Parkway station.

He said: "It has benefits in terms of the green effect and it also makes sense to be able to have all of the carriages in one area during a big event.

"We have undertaken an extensive consultation with the councils and drivers and the vast majority think this makes sense."

He said there had been some opposition from Warwick drivers who feared Leamington rivals would deprive them of trade.

Rui Peixoto of B&R Cars had gathered colleagues' views and presented them to the council.

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Yeah I bet that happens quite a lot

ffs

CC

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin