Taxi Driver Online

Bradford MP David Ward criticises cost of car insurance

22 August 2011

A Bradford MP claims car insurance premiums are so high in some parts of the city that people can no longer afford to drive.

David Ward, Liberal Democrat MP for Bradford East, said some of his constituents had been quoted over £20,000 for basic car insurance.

Mr Ward is to hold a summit in Bradford on Tuesday to examine the problem.

Mr Ward said: "In this part of Bradford, it's a more serious issue than elsewhere. It can't go on."

An online petition set up by Mr Ward which calls for more affordable insurance, tougher policing of uninsured drivers and tighter regulation of claims companies has so far attracted more than 560 supporters.

Mr Ward said: "There isn't one cause and there isn't going to be one solution, but the cost of each claim is going up and up."

'Bradford blacklisted'

Bradford woman Leah Greaves, 20, who has just passed her driving test, said she was finding it difficult to get an affordable quote for her Vauxhall Corsa and was being offered quotes of £7,000 to £8,000.

Ms Greaves said the Gocompare website had even come up with a quote of £53,000.

However, in a statement, the firm said: "Gocompare do not display prices above £12,000 on their website as they feel that showing such high premiums would not be helpful to customers.

"It is possible that an insurance company could provide a quote in this region but it would not be displayed at Gocompare.com."

Members of the Bradford Hackney Carriage Owners and Drivers Association said they supported Mr Ward's campaign and would be attending the MP's summit.

Association member Shabir Munir said some drivers had found it "impossible" to continue running a cab and had handed back their licences.

He said: "The first thing the insurers say is that Bradford is blacklisted.

"They claim to have raised insurance by 20% to 30% when, in fact, it's more than 100%."

Malcolm Tarling, from the Association of British Insurers, said high premiums were an issue throughout the country, not just in Bradford.

However, Mr Tarling said the insurance industry was changing.

"If we can regulate, as we're trying to, legal costs and continue to cut fraud and reduce the number of uninsured drivers then premiums will start to fall."

Source; http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-14615956

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Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

Type a message, post your news,
Disagree with other members' views;
But please, do have some decorum,
When debating on the TDO Forum.

IMO if they continue to put the cost of insurance up they will only increase the number of drivers prepared to take a chance without cover.

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

Isn't Bradford a hot spot for car crime and no Insurance??

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Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.

Believe me, don't get Mercury X2

if i can pay £1300 and my lad (18 ) can pay £2300 (1st year) then theres no excuse, folk just whinge, they wouldnt wanna pay it no matter how cheap it was

nick em, sieze the vehicles, it makes great "road c0ps" TV shows!

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

Buy a cheap banger, say £250. don't drive in citys or towns, don't drive on motorways, just use country lanes and don't tax or insure the motor. Well that is what the country youngsters do around here.

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Grandad,

Don't you ever wonder what it was that made you into such a tit?

Is Bradford derestricted now?

the problem here is that the £53000 is NOT the cost of providing the insurance but a method of refusing higher risk policies perhaps there ought to be a new type of car insurance in which you could buy liability cover and pay into a savings scheme to cover other costs the liability insurance would cover only major claims i.e. over and above the monies allowed for in the savings scheme so if you could afford to pay say £1000 into the savings scheme then you would only need liability cover for bigger claims after all the largest percentage of accidents are fender bender type accidents and if you cut out the insurance company repair schemes etc, repairs can be obtained at much more cost effective rates

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector