|
The Northern Echo
February 6, 2007
HEADLINE: TOWN CABBIES WILL VOTE ON WHETHER TO TAKE STRIKE ACTION
BYLINE: By David Roberts
CABBIES in Darlington are threatening to strike in protest over licence charges.
It is the second time in recent years the town's taxi drivers have refused to work and is the latest in a series of runins with Darlington Borough Council.
The drivers are to ballot next week to see if they will stage another "stay home" night. In the past, the drivers have staged protests over increases in licensing fees and the imposition of a new driving standards test. George Jenkinson, an outgoing committee member of the Darlington Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Association, said there were a number of reasons why the industrial action was being considered this time.
He said one reason was the requirement for cars to have new plates when they reach six-years-old. If the taxi licence ran out only a couple of months before this time, drivers had to pay for a six-month licence and then another one when the car was six-years-old.
He said: "These cars have to have tests every six months by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency, so I don't know why they need to have it again." Another grievance, he said, was the way in which taxi drivers were treated if a complaint was made against them.
It was felt the borough council officers were officious in the way they conducted interviews. He said: "It doesn't matter if you're guilty or not guilty, they have a tape recorder and you're in a little room. All they need is a cell in there and it would be like a police station.
"People are being made to feel like convicts." There are also ongoing issues over the charges for taxi plates and the number of taxi ranks in the town.
A council spokesman said:
"The six-month fee was introduced as a concession and is not something that the council was obliged to provide. "The age policy for vehicles has been in place since May 2000 and everyone in the trade is aware of the situation. We do not offer pro-rata licences."
He added: "If it is possible that a complaint may result in court proceedings, there is a taped interview under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act, at which taxi drivers can have legal representation. For other matters, the process is less formal."
The taxi drivers last staged a strike in November 2005 on a Friday night. The association will meet next Tuesday, at 7pm, in the Darlington Junior Union Club, in Gladstone Street.
________________________
|
Login
Register
FAQ
