Taxi Driver Online

Struggling cabbies plan rush-hour protests

TAXI drivers are planning rush-hour misery for the capital with a week of go-slow demonstrations protesting at a council policy they say is leaving them in poverty. Cabbies claim the authority’s continued refusal to cap the number of licences it issues has left too many taxis fighting over too few customers.

As a result their income has fallen by 60% in five years, leaving them struggling to earn the £5.80 minimum hourly wage, chairman of the Cardiff Hackney Association Mathab Khan told the Echo. He said up to 500 black-and-white cabs could take part in the five planned two-hour long, go-slow protests, planned for between 5pm and 7pm every evening in the city centre next week. Similar protests last March resulted in traffic jams.

“There are around 600 taxis too many in Cardiff,” said Mr Khan. “There is no way we can survive because there are too many of us.” His proposal has won the backing of the man in charge of policing the city centre, Inspector Tony Bishop, who is concerned about the “often chaotic” situations caused by the sheer numbers of taxis competing for limited rank space.

But the council, which has been at loggerheads with the hackney association for months over this issue and others, including the introduction of compulsory driver training, said the planned action would not benefit the drivers.

Councillor Ed Bridges, chairman of the public protection committee, said: “The council’s public protection committee has promised the association that they will once again look into the issue of limiting the number of taxi licences over the coming months.”

Addressing a number of other grievances raised by Mr Khan, including a lack of rank space in the city centre and at Mermaid Quay in Cardiff Bay, fears over the pedestrianisation of High Street and St Mary Street and claims private-hire drivers are stealing trade from hackney drivers by illegally picking up fares on the street, he said: “The council is aware of all the hackney association’s concerns and we continue to work constructively to address each issue.

“Access to taxis forms part of our wider development scheme within the city centre, which is already creating a safer environment for shoppers, increasing footfall and boosting our economy.

“In St Mary Street and High Street, the imminent creation of a more pedestrian-friendly environment will also provide permit-based access for taxis, while the opening of the new St David’s complex produced two new taxi ranks in Tredegar Street and Mill Lane.

“The committee is determined to safeguard taxi users and ensure the highest standards of service. Licensing officers undertake operations to try to identify private-hire drivers who illegally collect fares.”

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IDFIMH

That is the usual bog standard reply from E.Bridges every time rhe Hacks are in the papers. The same guy wants enough Hacks to deal with 74,000 people coming out of the Mill Stadium on the 12/15 times a year that it is used. He is just bent on getting his own way and has no intention of altering his stance.

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if you cannot be yourself, then who can you be.

Cabbies threatening to strike over council row
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales ... -25577573/

Cabbies threatening to strike over council row

TAXI drivers have threatened to go on strike on Friday and Saturday from midnight as their bitter row with the council continues.

The threat of late-night strikes came as drivers started the first of five “go-slow” protests through Cardiff city centre. Drivers are unhappy about the lack of taxi ranks and the high number of licences being given out by the council.

Around 40 drivers gathered in their taxis at the protest starting point outside the National Museum.

Mathab Kahn, chairman of the Cardiff Hackney Association, said Cardiff council had agreed to discuss the issues raised by the taxi drivers at a meeting in March. But he warned that disgruntled taxi drivers were due to discuss the possibility of strike action later this week.

Mr Kahn said: “We are all struggling to make a living but the council will still not commit to doing anything, other than talking about it in a meeting. It is not good enough. Our protest will continue every evening this week as planned and we will then talk about where we go next. Some are talking about striking on Friday and Saturday nights from midnight and this will be discussed between our members.”

Taxi driver Leo Deehan, who has driven in Cardiff for 20 years, added: “The situation is terrible and it is getting worse.

“It takes the threat of protest for the council to agree to meet with us but then still nothing gets done.”

Hackney Association treasurer Nisar Ahmed said: “There are about 500-600 more taxis than Cardiff needs.”

Councillor Ed Bridges, chairman of the public protection committee, said the council had agreed for some time to discuss the drivers’ concerns in March.

He added: “The reason we’ve set it back to March is to give the drivers a chance to make proper representations to us.

“I would rather the drivers went through the right channels rather than bring the city centre to a halt.

“I’m not sure what they expect a go-slow protest to achieve.”

A heavy police presence accompanied last night’s procession of taxis – limited to 10 cars – as it made its way through the city centre.

Traffic officers were drafted in to deal with the protest and officers who normally film football fans were brought in to record the evening’s events.

Inspector Tony Bishop said: “The drivers are clearly frustrated and we are here to ensure their lawful protest is allowed to continue as smoothly as possible.”

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

This no doubt will mean that filming of the protesters is part of the recording. In a nutshell it is intimidation from the Police and the LAs, this is how they will control taxis and taxi associations.

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if you cannot be yourself, then who can you be.

Its standard procedure IMO.......that aside if there's an issue someone local needs to put their heads over the parapet ?

CC

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

So much for the workers united.

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IDFIMH

And the chances that this protest will be succesful?

ABSOLUTLY NO CHANCE!

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Grandad,

If protests aren't going to work then what is? There's no point in saying it will find it's own level cos if drivers aren't making money they'll sell up or stop doing it cos that is not always the case. Some drivers do this to supplement other incomes, some do it as a way to top up pensions or something to do when they've retired early and those that do it seriously for a living just work longer and longer hours.

The only way I can see to stop an influx of people taking up taxi driving would be to make it more difficult to become a taxi driver in the first place. Obviously the only requirement at the moment is that somebody is 'fit & proper' and has held a Uk licence for over a year. Hardly rocket science is it. I'm sure you've worked out where I'm going with this so it'll be no surprise to you when I say they should be trained BEFORE they get their licence. Let the funding for training be means tested so that those that need help get it and those that don't, well obviously, don't.

If you're going to shoot me now please put the silencer on cos I've got a sore head

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

That'll teach you for trying to think

CC

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

The drivers have met in the past 100+ strong. But the police the last time limited the protest to 20 cars/cabs and this time it was 10 cars/cabs. I have not looked it up but I thought 20 cabs was the bottom limit.

What is happening is that they are throwing obstacles in the way of drivers and they do not know which way to turn. It was the same last year, with the Council agreeing to a meeting six weeks away and the same again this year, in effect taking the sting out of the drivers anger.

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if you cannot be yourself, then who can you be.

So, the police know the protest is going to happen?

Next time, organise it quietly, round the ranks, with 40/50/60/400/500/600 cabs. A lightning strike will be more effective than one signalled in advance.

I think that it is a legal requirement to let the police know, for if you do not they can arrest the leader of the association.

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if you cannot be yourself, then who can you be.

I think the name of the game is to not formally have a protest, just arrange a get together of friends.

Or just drive around in circles around the city centre for a few hours.

But this meeting wasn't a protest, it was a meeting, and meetings aren't illegal. But it needs more than 40 to turn up.

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IDFIMH

Amongst ourselves we have said for a long time..........Put your hire light on and drive around (within speed limits,cough ,cough) as a group (100 ish) taking flag downs as you go..............it would do the biz.

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if you cannot be yourself, then who can you be.

Do you really think that this kind of action is going to make the council put the cap back on. You are living in cloud cuckoo land.

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Grandad,