Taxi Driver Online

Victory for city's taxi drivers over mobile phone ban

TAXI drivers were protesting outside council offices in Derby last night over plans to stop them making hands-free phone calls with passengers in the car.

But councillors at the taxi licensing appeals committee threw out the recommendation on the grounds that it was not illegal to make hands-free calls.

Conservative councillor for Oakwood and vice-chair of the committee Mick Barker said: "This was brought to us as an issue of public safety but taxi drivers across Derby are professional drivers and they know that the law says they are not allowed to use hand-held devices while driving.

"If they are in the car talking via a bluetooth headset and the passenger requests that they end the conversation because they are uncomfortable, then it should be terminated. If a request is ignored, then a complaint would be welcomed but common sense must be used here.

"Drivers know the rules."

Source: Derby Telegraph


Labour accused of 'cowardice' after missing heated taxi licensing meeting

TORIES in Derby have condemned Labour as cowardly after the party failed to send representatives to a heated taxi licensing committee meeting.

Labour had tabled a move that, if agreed, would have seen the city's taxi drivers banned from making hands-free phone calls.

But none of the party's representatives showed up to the meeting, which was preceded by large-scale protests by drivers and their supporters outside Saxon House.

It left Tories and Liberal Democrat representatives to make the decision and they threw out the calls for a complete ban on any phones, even hands-free.

The chairman, Tory councillor Sean Marshall, said that as the law currently stands, taxi drivers are allowed to make and receive calls on hands-free sets and it is accepted that is does not put passenger safety at risk.

Mr Marshall said: "Taxi drivers saw this proposal as declaring war on them at a time when they need our support and the Conservatives stand shoulder to shoulder with them on this issue. It was quite rightly thrown out, but this whole situation was brought about by Labour's who ran away to hide when they realised how strong the opposition was."

Labour opposition group leader Paul Bayliss said: "The committee agenda is controlled by the Conservative chair and the Conservative/Lib Dem vice-chairs, so items on the agenda have to be agreed in advance by those people in conjunction with officers. To suggest in anyway that the Labour Party controls this committees agenda is wrong.

"Labour members were not at the meeting as they were out campaigning."

Source: Derby Telegraph