Taxi Driver Online

Wakefield taxi drivers ask for financial support after weeks without trade

Anxious taxi drivers in Wakefield say they want more financial help after weeks without trade. Cabbies want a discount or a partial refund on their licence fees to reflect the fact they had barely any custom following the start of lockdown.

The cost of a licence, which normally runs for three years, is hundreds of pounds and varies depending on the vehicle type and other factors. Wakefield Council has said any driver needing to renew their licence can defer payment for three months.

But drivers will still have to pay the fee in full, which some argue does not reflect the fact they’ve been unable to trade for much of the last 10 weeks. Driver Wajid Ali said a number of cabbies were facing financial difficulty.

One of his colleagues is still unable to work even as lockdown eases because his wife has underlying health conditions and his daughter is heavily pregnant.

Mr Ali said: “The deferral period is welcome and we are grateful to (council leader) Denise Jeffery for this. “What we’re still asking for, and we remain optimistic, is that the council do the right thing and refund all licensees three months’ (worth of) fees, as the economy was stopped three months.

“Leeds, Bradford, Manchester and many other councils have either refunded or given an extension. “We want Wakefield Council to offer the same help to its paying licensees.”

Mr Ali compared the situation to having to pay the TV licence fee in full while broadcasts were switched off for a quarter of the year.

In response, the council’s service director for environment, Glynn Humphries said: “We sympathise with the financial challenges brought about by the pandemic, and we urge licensed drivers to consider the government schemes currently in place which address financial hardship.

“We are also offering licensed drivers a deferred payment scheme, which allows renewal payments of a licence to be deferred for an initial period of three months.

“This would allow a renewal to be processed without payment at the time of application. “We are continuing to closely monitor and regularly review all processes introduced.”

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IDFIMH

we have no deferrals and no reductions

Council says their costs the same so no reductions; if we can't afford it jack it in and join the dole queue which today was predicted to reach 5 million by one consultancy group

personally I think 3 to 3.5 million

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