Council leader tackles community transport claims as Fenland councillor and taxi driver calls for Government probeA COUNCILLOR and spokesman for Fenland’s taxi, private hire and mini bus hire operatives has called for a Government regulatory body to probe community transport operator FACT
Councillor David Patrick has submitted a dossier to the northern intelligence unit of the Government’s Vehicle & Operator Services Agency (VOSA) in which he alleges malpractice.
Cambridgeshire County Council leader Martin Curtis questioned tonight whether Cllr Patrick and his colleagues had “acknowledged that FACT changed their constitution to deal with some of these concerns?”
He also said he has offered to meet Cllr Patrick to discuss his concerns “and I have tried to set up a meeting and have had no response.”
Tonight’s call by Cllr Patrick for an inquiry is the most dramatic move yet in an increasingly bitter war of words with FACT, the fast expanding Fenland Association for Community Transport.
Cllr Patrick and many of his taxi driver colleagues insist the growth is being unfairly funded by grants from Fenland District Council, town and parish councils, Cambridgeshire County Council and a host of local and national charities.
They also question why an audit of FACT by Fenland Council and promised in April following conciliatory all party talks hosted by MP Steve Barclay, has not been published.
Last week this paper submitted Freedom of Information questions also asking for information about the audit.
However tonight a spokesman for Fenland Council said the implication there were to do “a full-scale audit of the whole organisation and the way it operates” was wrong.
The spokesman said: “In fact, the scope is much more limited - it is simply to check whether FACT is complying with the requirements on passengers’ eligibility to use the Dial-a-Ride services. We have been doing sample checks.”
They also denied a claim by Cllr Patrick that they had refused to give him a copy.
“The report is not quite finished,” said a spokesman. “When it is it’ll be shared with him and with all the other parties involved- apparently, it’s likely to be ready in a week or so.”
Fenland Council licensing officer Kim Winterton had, however, hinted at a more comprehensive audit earlier this year. She said the audit at FACT’s Hostmoor offices would be “to ensure there is no cross over into private hire” under the terms of a 1976 Act of Parliament.
Mr Barclay had convened a ‘summit’ with both district and county council representatives present to hear taxi drivers’ concerns.
He later wrote to Ms Winterton noting agreement had been reached for an audit that would check memberships are being strictly adhered to and that ‘dial a ride’ funding is ring fenced and not used to cross subsidise other parts of FACT’s work.
Mr Barclay revealed that FACT had also agreed to cease advertising in the Thomson Directory “or suggest through their branding on vehicles that it offers luxury travel.”
He said that the county council had also agreed to review the validity of FACT being permitted to tender for school transport contracts. Through grants and concessionary fare payments FACT secures considerable additional funding from the county council.
THIS WEEK’S CAMBS TIMES REPORTS ON THE DOSSIER SENT BY TAXI DRIVERS IN FENLAND TO A GOVERNMENT REGULATORY BODY.
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