Oldham taxi head slams new council funding schemehttps://www.theoldhamtimes.co.uk/news/1 ... ng-scheme/THE chairman of Oldham Taxi Owners’ Association has called the council’s funding scheme for taxi and hackney carriage drivers, “not a feasible proposition” and will refuse to recommend it to his members.The £450,000 scheme by Oldham Council enables any vehicle owner who fits a safety screen, to receive a grant to cover the cost of their next vehicle licence, or in the case of drivers who do not own a vehicle the cost of their driver licence.
Mr Khayal, who is also a board member of the National Private Hire and Taxi Association (NPHTA), told The Oldham Times that taxi drivers had “a very nasty experience in the past” with safety screens, with one driver even being attacked in Failsworth, Oldham as a result of a screen.
According to the chairman customers broke the taxi’s safety screen and threatened to kill the driver for taking them in a “coffin car”. The driver was forced to return to the taxi rank where marshals stepped in to rescue him.
The aim of the council’s scheme is to ensure the taxi trade plays its part “in reducing the spread of Coronavirus and keeping both drivers and passengers safe.”
Councillor Barbara Brownridge, said: “By giving this funding we are looking to help the drivers out financially and make sure they, and their passengers, are at less risk from Covid.”
The funding comes as the taxi industry faces breaking point after months of successive lockdowns.
Mr Khayal told councillors in a recent meeting that taxi drivers are only getting £20- £25 a day.
“If you want to count the hours, we work it works out as £1.30 per hour, when minimum wage is £8.75. We have difficulty putting food on the table,” he said.
He has also told members that comparable councils have offered funding without conditions.
He said: “I think this is a completely ridiculous situation, either they (the council) don’t want to pay us the hardship money or something else.
“They should look at us sympathetically and logically when it comes to the grant, we are completely on our knees we need the help, we need to survive.
“If they want to give hardship money that would be greatly appreciated but if they put these conditions in, we will not accept it.”
The director of the NPHTA, David Lawrie, however told The Oldham Times that the scheme is “appreciated” but it’s “a very small drop in a very large ocean when considering not only the amount of ongoing expenses, but also the length of time that all of those costs have had to be met by the taxi and private hire drivers.”
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