Taxi Driver Online

Black cabs to protest over ‘no limit’ to number of taxi licences


Black cabs are to mount an Ashton town-centre protest over the Tameside council plan to set no limit on the number of hackney carriage licences

More than 100 black cabs are set to descend on Ashton town centre in a protest over a council proposal to set no limit on the number of hackney carriage licences it issues.

Traffic is set to come to a standstill as a cavalcade of cabs is set to move off from the office where the licences are issued on Manor Road, Droylsden at 2pm this Friday.

It will then go down Manchester Road heading for the council offices on Wellington Road and perform two or three circuits of the town centre.

Tameside council currently limits the number of licences to a maximum of 149 but is considering whether to ‘delimit’ this number of black cabs and is consulting as part of its Big Conversation.

John Vickerstaff, 24, of the Tameside Owners and Drivers Association, who lives in Dukinfield and has been a cabbie for five years, said black cab drivers already struggle for work.

He said: “We have counted up to 25 cabs queueing regularly just to get on the ‘feeder’ rank at times on Cork Street in Ashton town centre. Things are bad for the trade as it is. Delimitation will just mean even more taxis looking for work that just isn’t there. It will mean longer queues, more congestion, more pollution and higher fares for the public so drivers can maintain a suitable income.”

Taqasar Nawaz, 33, from Ashton, who’s held his licence for four years, wants the council to carry out an ‘unmet demand survey’ to find out the need for more cabs.

A Tameside council spokesman said: “The council is inviting comments on this important issue which forms part of our transport strategy for the future. No decisions have been made. We want to hear taxi-drivers’ opinions every bit as much as those of the general public. We are fully aware of the important role taxis have in getting people around the borough.

“The consultation, which forms part of the Big Conversation, continues until the end of February. We will then carefully consider all the responses.”

He added that more information is available at www.tameside.gov.uk/tbc/hackneynumbers and the consultation ends on Wednesday, February 27.

source: http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/

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

How are they legally going to charge more?

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Grandad,

Brilliant cabbies find the BOTTLE FOR SOME AGG TT SALUTES YOU

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All posts by this contributor are made in a strictly personal capacity

I AM PROUD TO BE A CITIZEN NOBODY'S SUBJECT http://www.republic.org.u

F88K EM ALL WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND

BOOZE BOOZE BOOZE

Now wasn't there a much bigger one recently down the road in sunny madchester and did it get a result ???

At least they are making an effort but for maximum effect they should make sure the timing coincides with a major council meeting so that the local Councillors are left in no doubt as to the strength of the opposition

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

hang on a minute, isn't free for all supposed to be the best for everyone? i hope the LC are taking note, free for all, quality control, what ever they want to call it doesnt work.

Do they have any quality control?

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http://wingsoverscotland.com/ http://www.newsnetscotland.com/

As long as they have quotas the barons don't care about such things as quality.

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IDFIMH