Taxi Driver Online

Leicester Mercury

November 3, 2006 Friday

HEADLINE: Call for taxi merger

Members of two of the city's taxi unions have voted in favour of a merger.

The Taxi Drivers and Owners Association has now become part of the Association of Hackney Carriage Drivers.

The new union, which represents more than 200 cabbies in the city, debated issues such as vehicle safety and on-the-spot checks by the city council at the meeting at a restaurant on Humberstone Gate.

Vice-chairman Surinder Pal Singh said: "The issue of vehicle safety is a big one for taxi drivers. We want to have co-operation with the council over the random checks, because, at the end of the day, the cabbie is in the vehicle as well, but it's hard when the council inspects on a Friday night. If they find any fault, it means it could be until Tuesday a vehicle is off the road because garages aren't open at weekends."
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