Sussex wrote:
Hundreds stranded as Cumbria cabbies go on strike
Hundreds of revellers were left stranded in the town in the early hours of Sunday as the taxi drivers launched their first action. Drivers’ spokesman Stephen Robinson said they could not rule out further action.
He claimed drivers were being handed penalty notices and threatened with court action over the way they parked on Washington Street and Ramsey Brow during weekends. It came to a head on Sunday morning, he said, when several drivers were asked to move on by police, who said they were causing an obstruction.
All but a few taxis left Workington town centre at 1.45am and parked at the town’s Tesco store. They did not return to work until more than an hour later, leaving many people without transport home as pubs and clubs closed.
Mr Robinson said: “We don’t feel like we have any other choice but to strike. We’re sorry that it has come to this. It’s not the public’s fault but what else can we do? “I can’t say when we will strike again, so I can’t say that drinkers in town this weekend will have a taxi waiting for them.
“Striking is the only way that we can make our point because we don’t feel like our views are being considered. “It’s not ideal and we don’t want to mess the public around but we’ve got to stand up for ourselves. “We have had enough. The police and the council are playing Russian roulette with our livelihood.”
Mr Robinson said that about 90 taxi drivers were vying for six spaces on Washington Street and wanted to see a bigger town centre taxi rank to cater for the town’s bustling night economy.
But police said they had to consider pedestrian safety and the taxis were causing unnecessary obstructions. Inspector Mark Wear said: “We have been receiving an increasing number of complaints about taxis blocking the traffic lights at the junction between Ramsey Brow and Washington Street.
“These complaints are from the public and from taxi drivers themselves. When they are blocking the traffic lights they are in effect blocking the carriageway. “We are also looking at this from the point of view of pedestrian safety, especially at night time, when people might not be as aware as they are during the day.”
Meanwhile, Cumbria County Council, which is responsible for road markings, said it was looking for permission from the Department for Transport to make the bus stop area into a taxi rank between 12.30am and 7am to ease congestion on Friday and Saturday nights.
Mr Robinson said taxi drivers were already forced to use the bus stop because of the shortage of available space. He also wants to arrange a meeting with police and council officials.
Nowhere near militant enough!!!
The last withdrawal (love that word) of labour from cabbies in Brum was about 4 years ago, when they all, and I mean all, went home at 10.00pm on a Saturday night and stayed at home for the night. The thousands on Broad Street ended up in multiple mass brawls. I was just about to come out for the night shift, had a phone call and stayed at home.
The police havn't f*cked with the cab trade since!!
Login
Register
FAQ
