Taxi Driver Online

Commuters in limbo outside Temple Meads as protesting taxi drivers refuse to pick people up


Hackney cab drivers drove around in circles to protest against a supposed lack of spaces to pick people up

Commuters at Bristol Temple Meads were left in limbo on Monday morning as more than one hundred taxi drivers protested against a lack of space to pick up passengers.

Hackney drivers are frustrated about an alleged reduction in the number of spaces available to pick people up outside the station, despite an increase in the number of permits available to drivers who want to work at Temple Meads.

They protested on Monday morning by refusing to pick up passengers for three hours, and instead drove in circles around the front of the station.

British Transport Police were also at the station trying to ease problems caused by the protest, which included congestion on Temple Gate.

Cabbies say a lack of space to pick people up outside Temple Meads is stifling their earnings

Cab driver Abdul Halim Djahlat, who was handing out flyers with information about the protest, said hackney drivers must spend around £500 on a permit which allows them to use the designated taxi zones outside the station.

He said there are only 30 spaces for the blue hackney cabs, but some 300 permits have been made available by Network Rail, which is in charge of permits.

“They are selling 300 permits for 30 drivers. How are we supposed to be in the taxi rank if there are only 30 spaces?” said Mr Djahlat, who has been a driver for 15 years.

He said cabbies are forced to exit the station and return if no spaces are available – or face losing their permit if they wait in an unauthorised area.
The leaflet handed out at the protest said: “Considerably more than 30 cabs are needed when trains arrive and constant bullying of drivers into continuously driving in and out of the station will do nothing to ease the congestion.

“It will simply mean that passengers will have to wait while taxis struggle with the traffic in order to re-enter the station.”

Temple Meads staff said passengers were being advised to use buses or private hire cabs, adding that the protest did not appear to cause huge problems.

The protest lasted from 8am until 11am.

A Network Rail spokesman said: “Network Rail is aware of action taken this morning by taxi drivers at Bristol Temple Meads station and are working with them to find a solution.

“In the meantime, we are working with the British Transport Police to ensure that safe access to the station is maintained for all station users.”

source: http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/brist ... eads-20693

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

It's all about the money treacle.

there was an article floating about on twitter claiming the were NTA members - they aren't - they haven't paid for a few years now - so they can go fooey so far as I'm concerned.

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

https://www.bristol247.com/news-and-fea ... ple-meads/





Not according to the member list he isn't

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

Not sure that upsetting your own customers is the best way to go about it.

Is an email on the way to him?

No, but I'll bring it to the directors attention that a local hackney association is calling itself the NTA

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

Pay up, or shut up.

Or maybe even f*** off.

_________________
IDFIMH

Agree that they should pay up or shut up,it was raised at the National Taxi Association Conference in the past about these calling themselves the NTA also another mob was trying to bamboozle people by calling themselves the NTA(horsey area) .