another confusing story because of bad journalism
Taxi drivers planning road blockades during Grand National FestivalDrivers angry about council changes to licensing say they "will bring city to its knees"
The Crabbies 2016 Grand National at Aintree,Liverpool. Horses and riders in the opening race,The Gaskells Waste Management Handicap Hurdle Race.
Liverpool taxi drivers are planning to “bring the city to its knees” by blocking roads in and out of the city centre during the Grand National Festival.
The group say they could have as many as 60 cars involved in the protest between 9am and 1pm on the day of the big race at Aintree on Saturday April 8 - and also Ladies Day,
The demonstration is being organised in anger at the council’s licensing arrangements for private hire and hackney carriage drivers working in the city, which changed last year.
The changes concern criminal records checks, with drivers no longer able to receive a temporary badge in order to work while checks are carried out.
Numerous councils have made changes to the licensing process since high-profile sexual exploitation scandals involving taxi drivers in Rochdale and Rotherham.
But drivers in Liverpool say the changes have caused major problems for them, with reports some have had to leave their homes and sell their cars because of time spent off the road.
The council said the changes should not be a problem as long as drivers are proactive in gathering their documentation - and said they notify drivers 3 months in advance.
Liverpool Taxi drivers held a meeting about the arrival of Delta cabs into the city at Blaze Cafe on Kempston Street .
But private hire driver Ryan Jones from Toxteth, who is leading the protest, said the rule change is impacting hugely on drivers.
The 34-year-old said: “This is a really serious issue, friends of mine have had to leave their homes because they can’t pay the rent or bills while they are off the road waiting for these checks.
“So we need to make a point and show the council how serious this is.
“So on Ladies Day and the Grand National, we will aim to block off as many access points to the city centre as possible.
“We think with drivers and family and friends we could have 60 cars blocking the routes, which should have a major effect.”
Mr Jones, from Toxteth, has also made his plans clear in an email to the council and Mayor Joe Anderson, in which he says: “Now is the time for taxi drivers to take action. We are planning on bringing the city to its knees.
“At the Grand National meeting at Aintree we will be blocking strategic access points to the city.
“We will also be going on strike that weekend. If Joe Anderson thinks he can bully us he can think again.”
Another private hire driver who did not want to be named, said the protest is not what drivers want to do - but feel they have no choice.
He said: “All we want to do is work, but yet I know people who have actually had their car reposessed because they are not working while they are being checked - so we have to do something.”
The Crabbies 2016 Grand National at Aintree,Liverpool. Racegoers cheer on the horses.
A council spokesman said: “Following a detailed consultation with the taxi trade, we introduced a new online system last year for issuing private hire and hackney taxi licences.
“Drivers can no longer simply request a temporary badge if they have not got all of their documentation together by the time it expires. It is their responsibility to ensure they have it in place and, as a matter of public safety, we have to ensure they hold valid, up to date criminal record documentation and medical certificates before they can be granted a licence.
“All drivers are now contacted three months before the expiry of their badge and reminded that they need to start the process of getting an up to date medical certificate, criminal records check and DVLA mandate.
“Once all of this is completed they are issued with an appointment at a One Stop Shop to collect their new badge. It is really important that drivers do not leave it until the last minute to start the process because they risk not being licensed.
He added: “Applicants who start the process in good time will not have a problem. Any driver who fails a medical would not normally be granted a licence irrespective of the new process or timescales.”
source:
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liv ... s-12680918
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