Taxi wars as drivers protest over threats and intimidation and call on Cambridge council to crack down on rogue cabbiesTaxi drivers say they are being threatened and intimidated by rogue private hire motorists and claim council officers will not come out at night in Cambridge to crack down on the “danger” to residents.
Cambridge Hackney Carriage Association, which represents about 200 drivers, says its members have been met with threats and intimidation from private hire drivers fighting for trade and called on the city council to brave the night.
A spokesman said: “You need an enforcement officer from each team to be able to combat this but to our dismay no enforcement is out when this problem is at its worse from about 1.30am-4am.
“We keep asking the council to come and actively enforce the rules but they say they don’t get paid to come out at that time.”
He added: “This has been going on for years under the noses of police and CCTV and is our biggest problem in the trade as these cars are easily mistaken for taxis as they have company logos on them and they line the streets especially Regent Street and St Andrew’s Street of a night time and some have even taken to taking hails in front of taxis.
“When other taxi drivers confront them they are met with threats and aggression.”
The cars are licensed by district and the city council, and the group wants them to crack down on the trade.
The spokesman said not dealing with the rogue drivers is “risking public health but in the scheme of things this is in a very small area and can be very easily policed”.
A council spokesman said: “Over the past 18 months we have taken approximately 20 prosecutions for drivers plying for hire illegally and not having the correct car insurance. Licensing officers will continue to carry out regular visits within the city to carry out enforcement and work closely with the police and officers from other councils.
“We remind drivers of their responsibilities and the taxi guide clearly states this. If any member of public has any concerns we ask them to look at the following web page
www.cambridge.gov.uk/hackney-carriage-and-private-hire which states the difference between a hackney carriage and a private hire vehicle.”
Read more:
http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Cambrid ... z35aF9BYXr
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