Striking cabbies bring rush-hour Coventry ring road to standstill
STRIKING cabbies blockaded Coventry city centre yesterday causing a rush-hour headache for other motorists.
A “go-slow” line of black cabs clogged city centre streets and the ring road from 4pm to 6pm.
About 40 taxis were led by a police escort from Coventry railway station, past the Council House and onto the ring road.
From there, they crawled along at a snail’s pace, causing delays for people heading home from work.
Some of the worst-hit areas were near Swanswell Pool and the ring road exit for Holyhead Road.
As the strike entered day two yesterday, taxi drivers’ leaders claimed the stoppage had been a success with 98 per cent of drivers refusing to work.
Earlier there was frustration at taxi ranks blockaded by stationary cabs, where only disabled people had a chance of getting a taxi.
As the deadlock continued with council chiefs refusing to bow to the drivers’ demands, many furious cabbies sought public backing, claiming their livelihoods were being ruined.
They said they had reached breaking point after years of demands for the council to limit the number of taxi licences and provide more ranks.
That view was partly backed, with Labour’s council leaders, who came to power last May, blaming the previous Conservative administration.
Labour councillor Lindsley Harvard, cabinet member for city services, said his planned three-month independent review into cabbies’ concerns would be the first examination since 1997 – if cabbies pay the £40,000 fee. His own party was in control until 2004.
About 100 cabbies protesting outside the Council House on Monday voted unanimously to renew last month’s strike, after council leaders ruled out an immediate temporary cap on licences.
Cabbies claim there could be up to 300 more taxis on the roads while the review takes place.
All 950 black cab and private licence drivers have been ordered not to pick up passengers, including for school runs contracted with the council, for as long as it takes until the council gives in.
Imran Zaman, of Coventry Taxi Association, said other councils, including Leicester, had issued emergency caps without reviews, a claim disputed by Coventry council leaders.
Coun Harvard said lawyers had advised that a temporary cap would leave the council open to potentially costly legal challenges from taxi-maker LTI or new taxi drivers who had ordered or bought vehicles.
Cabbies contested that claim, saying they had support from LTI.
Taxi drivers, all self-employed, say the council is breaching government guidelines that cabs should be limited to two per 1,000 people, and there are only 130 rank spaces.
Source:
http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/
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