Taxi Driver Online

Taxi drivers from as far as Nottingham descended on Watford this week to lend their support to the ongoing dispute outside Watford Junction.
In a demonstration which brought the roads outside the junction to a halt during rush hour Monday, more than 50 Hackney Carriage drivers from across the country joined forces with drivers from Watford.
For 45 minutes, roads were blocked as the driverss continued protests over a dispute with Silverlink, which saw them removed from the station's forecourt four weeks ago.
Mr Nigel Marchant, from Mansfield near Nottingham, set off at 4am to make it in time for the protest.
He said: "The lads down here are getting a rough deal and we will do this every week until we get a result.
"I'm losing money as I sit here, but I don't mind, not if it helps them."
The Hackney Carriage drivers were thrown off the forecourt after they refused to pay Silverlink a small rent to rank up outside the station.
But they are hoping that the Public Health Act 1925 will help them win their battle to be reinstated.
This law means that any vehicle plying for hire on railway premises can be procecuted as if they were plying for hire in a street or public place.
The Hackney Carriages claim some drivers from the private hire firm employes at the station are plying for hire and the council should enforce this law to stop them.
But Watford Mayor Dorothy Thornhill said: "While the council could use the law to crack down on individual drivers who are behaving illegally, it was not going to be used to remove the whole of the current company, AA United, from the forecourt.
The council said it had been monitoring the firm closely and was happy it was operating legally.
She said "They seem to think we have got the power to change this - but we don't
"Silverlink's lawyers are happy, my laywers are happy and if they feel we are failing in our duty, they will have to take action against us."
She also criticised the drivers over thier protests and warned the public was likely to lose sympathy if they continued.
But Mr Shujait Sardar, chairman for the Watford Cab branch, said: "My driversare facing a lot of difficulties and hardships.
"We will carry on fighting until the council enforces the law."
A spokesman for Hertfordshire Constabulary said on Monday: "The arrival of drivers from outside of the area marks a step change in the dispute and one which will be dealt with rigorously by police enforement of several sections of legislation, given the dsiruption to lawful business that this has caused today."

Other than bringing attention to the cause, so to speak, I'm not really sure what the protest has gained.

Clearly it's p***ed off the plod, but that doesn't take much, but what the councillor says is right, all the lawyers are happy.

If the T&G want to fight, then it's to the courts they must go. Not stiff letters, not flag-waving, not scare-mongering, but by sticking their hands in their pockets and getting a Judicial Review.

However if that happens, or if it doesn't, I can well see a future head-line in the Watford Observer, that says 'Watford Council de-limit the taxi trade'.

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IDFIMH

unbelievable
captain cab

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

The paper was published before the letter went in to the Council.

I think this is quite a valid point.

No matter how many of the drivers affiliated to AA United, contravene the law, the company is not held responsible, unless it can be shown that they instructed the drivers to break the law.

As no-doubt there will be a continual supply of PHs wishing to join this company, I can't see how the council could get rid of them, even if they wished to.

Which, when you take into account the councilor's views, seems unlikely.

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IDFIMH

Never been one for this type of protest.........but one wonders about the police attitude, nothing wrong with peaceful protests, but wonder if the same police force would be willing to rigorously enforce the laws the PH may be breaking? eyes being open when it suits to see?

Captain Cab

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

nige
have you kept your word? been there this week?

Well, the Watford dispute continues. After being at a meeting with a couple of the Watford T&G drivers it is true that you cannot always believe what you read in the press!!

The police were fine with the demonstrations, as it was peaceful and within the law.

The T&G will if needed "dip into their pockets" and head to the High Court. I know this because I have been involved in a Judicial review, led by the T&G.

It seems that there is some resentment for drivers standing up for their livlihoods. When have businesses, such as Silverlink, ever bothered about the individual working woman/man? Not often that's for sure.

On the day of the Demo the Cheif Inspector of Watford got held up in the Demo, he was due to attend a urgent meeting that day When I called down there on Friday the drivers are still picketing the Station overlooked by 2 heavies employed by AA United. AA United have disregarded their phone operation to concetrate on the station. What will happen when they get kicked off the station?

I believe that drivers should stand up for themselves, but they should also fight a battle that can be won.

It's no good saying that they will not pay, when others will.

It's no good a certain union saying they shouldn't pay, when their members elsewhere do.

The lads at Watford have been used as guinea pigs to see if the rules can be bent, without changing the law.

They can't, all the time a law permits a company to charge, that company will charge.

Sticking your heads in the sand, and two fingers up at the train companies, will get you what the lads at Watford have.

F*** all.

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IDFIMH