Taxi Driver Online

There's a news report on the Express & Star's website about the protest, but it's just basically embedding the Twitter feed of the journo who's covering the go slow.

So a few of the photos below, but the reporter has a shedload of photos and videos available on his Twitter feed here:

https://twitter.com/jamesvukmirovic/media

But nothing really about the issues, so it's more of local interest only in terms of traffic disruption etc


















Images: James Vukmirovic

A similar thing is happening down here.

Some in the trade are asking the council to make the knowledge test easier, as they say not enough new blood are entering the B&H trade.

Basically the operators and non-driving plate owners.

What they haven't grasped is that those coming into the trade are happy to work for Uber, and aren't enticed by working unsociable hours and having to give half their takings away.

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IDFIMH

So no change there, then

Same old, same old

They're still not happy.

https://www.expressandstar.com/news/loc ... r-justice/

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IDFIMH

As usual, not sure why 100 PHDs would be protesting about how long it takes to issue *new* plates.

Of course, if it was an operator's association then the motivation would be obvious, but presumably all those protesting don't fit in that boat.

On the other hand, these associations can represent several competing interests that may seem to be in conflict, but they can at least all regard the council as the problem with whatever particular gripe they have, so to that extent there's a common purpose.

And they can all regard the high fees as problematic. And I suspect there are other issues that aren't really being reported, but which maybe the average Express & Star reader wouldn't appreciate, hence the reportage brushes over them.

Possibly because 1 can't fill his fleet of cars, and the other 99 just follow like sheep.

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IDFIMH

Still not happy.

https://www.expressandstar.com/news/loc ... -tomorrow/

However.

Leader of the council Kerrie Carmichael complained representatives of the taxi drivers did not turn up to an arranged meeting about the dispute before the last protest.

She said: "I was surprised to see the protest outside the Council house just an hour after representatives failed to attend an arranged meeting inside the Council House about the dispute at 11am."

Mohammad Niwaz of SPHDA, said they did not attend the meeting with the council because the email inviting them went into their junk box, so they were not aware of the meeting until two days after it was due to happen.

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IDFIMH

This one will run and run.

Or perhaps a better sporting analogy would be that it's not going swimmingly

Link only to the photo. Not sure if the kind of thing portrayed does any good, but at least they've got some professional banners


Havoc threat as taxi drivers vow to blockade Sandwell Aquatics Centre during Games

https://www.expressandstar.com/news/loc ... ing-games/

Taxi drivers are threatening to blockade the Aquatics Centre during the Commonwealth Games as part of their year-long dispute with Sandwell Council.

https://www.expressandstar.com/resizer/ ... DRM62U.jpg

More than 100 drivers protested outside Oldbury Council House today ahead of the full Sandwell Council meeting.

The Sandwell Private Hire Drivers Association (SPHDA) promised to cause havoc during the Games after meeting with Sandwell Council officials last week.

The drivers are demanding Sandwell Council reduces licence fees and cuts the number of car safety checks, improves health provision for drivers and allows MOT checks to be carried out by local mechanics instead of being forced to use the authority’s one garage, which they claim is unfit for purpose.

SPHDA spokesman Mohammed Niwaz said: “We were told the council would look at our complaints and they would sort out what they could by March next year.

"Well, that would be just before the elections so then the new administration could change everything, basically they have offered us lollipops and we will not accept them."

He said: "We will be parking all around the Aquatics Centre during every day of the Commonwealth Games and creating a blockade, perhaps Sandwell Council will listen then."

The threat from taxi driver is all the more real because as they are all self employed they do not need to ballot like rail workers and refuse workers who also threatened strike action during the games.

The Sandwell Aquatics Centre, which was delivered on time at a cost of £78 million, is the only purpose built venue for the Commonwealth Games and will be transformed into a giant leisure centre after the games.

During the games swimmers, water polo teams and divers will battle it out for glory in front of thousands of spectators.

Explaining the taxi driver's grievances, Mr Niwaz said: “We have to pay the highest licence fee around, nearly £400. We can’t just go to a doctors for a health check but through the council’s occupational health service which can take months, where in Birmingham and Wolverhampton they get seen by doctors straight away.

"Sandwell Council is killing the taxi industry in the borough. Our costs have rocketed recently. I have been a taxi driver for 40 years and have never known it so bad. It used to cost me £45 to fill my tank but now it is £70, so knowing we are paying out hundreds of pounds out more because we are in Sandwell than drivers in Dudley, Wolverhampton and Birmingham is disgusting."

Previously, on more than one occasion, traffic was brought to a standstill in Sandwell as protesting taxi drivers marched from West Bromwich to Oldbury Council House.

Sandwell Council has been contacted for a comment.

The council has responded, and while a lot of it is just PR flannel, if the substantive stuff is to be believed then they've made significant progress towards meeting the trade's concerns.


Sandwell Council implores taxi drivers to create custom not chaos during the Commonwealth Games

https://www.expressandstar.com/news/loc ... lth-games/

Sandwell Council has implored local taxi drivers to work throughout the Commonwealth Games instead of blockading the Aquatics Centre.

The council and Sandwell taxi drivers have been in a year long dispute with The Sandwell Private Hire Drivers Association about the rules and charges private hire drivers have to pay.

After weekly protests the taxi drivers threatened to cause chaos around the Sandwell Aquatics Centre in Smethwick during the Commonwealth Games.

Councillor Laura Rollins, cabinet member for leisure and tourism, told the Express and Star they working through the drivers demands.

She said: "Our borough will be welcoming visitors from across the country and all corners of the world over the next couple of weeks, and we hope our valued taxi and private hire drivers will make the most of the opportunity to be a vital part of transporting visitors around Sandwell."

"Taxi and private hire drivers provide a vital service for those who need to travel throughout Sandwell, including for some of our most vulnerable residents.

“In response to issues raised by the taxi trade we agreed a comprehensive plan to make a number of improvements to our taxi licensing service in December 2021. Since then we have implemented changes that address sixteen of the twenty-four issues identified."

She said "We have been considering the eight outstanding requests and balancing these with the need to ensure the safety of passengers. Recommendations that would address these eight issues, including proposals to increase the number of garages approved to carry out safety checks and changes to medical checks, will be considered by the council’s licensing committee on August 16.

"We are committed to continued improvement of our taxi licensing service whilst also ensuring consistent safety standards for taxi and private hire passengers. There are alternative options open to taxi and private hire drivers by which they can obtain a licence."

The drivers are demanding Sandwell Council reduces licence fees and cuts the number of car safety checks, improves health provision for drivers and allows MOT checks to be carried out by local mechanics instead of being forced to use the authority’s one garage, which they claim is unfit for purpose.

The Sandwell Private Hire Drivers Association spokesman Mohammed Niwaz said: "This dispute has been ongoing for a year now. The council need to move faster if they want to stop our protests."

The council do seem to be wanting to sort out this kerfuffle, but I'm not really sure if the trade want it sorted out.

The trade's leadership needs to start reading the room and accept you can't get everything you want in life.

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IDFIMH