Taxi Driver Online

Illegal poaching pushing us out of town, say taxi drivers

READING private hire drivers say they are being put out of business by poaching out-of-town rivals. And they accuse Reading Borough Council of being soft on operators licensed by South Oxfordshire and Wokingham councils who have been working illegally in the town for years.

Manzoor Hussain, 49, who owns Yellow Cars in London Road said: "Our drivers are being pushed out of town with the recent influx of out-of-borough drivers.We are losing our livelihood."

And Bashir Ahmed, 48, chairman of the Reading Private Hire Association, said: "Our private hire drivers and black cab drivers feel they are losing business because of other drivers touting in the area. "This is unfair and we would like our local authority to look into this issue."

A Hackney carriage can ply for hire in the street or at a rank but private hire vehicles must always be pre-booked. Reading borough said it is working on the problem with licensing teams from neighbouring authorities.

Spokesman Oscar Mortali said: "Reading regularly carries out sting operations whereby out-of-borough drivers are flagged down and, if they are found to be touting for business, enforcement action is taken.

"That can result in drivers being reported to neighbouring authorities, or indeed prosecution by the council in the courts. "We have in the past successfully prosecuted such drivers and would have no hesitation in doing so again."

South Oxfordshire District Council spokeswoman Victoria Bucket said: "Reading drivers also tout in Henley and vice-versa. Once they are prosecuted we then review their licence."

And for Wokingham borough, Georgina Hayward said: "The council's licensing officers are aware of some reports of Wokingham drivers operating in the Reading borough, and earlier this month accompanied Reading officers on an enforcement exercise.

"On this occasion the Wokingham borough taxi drivers seen within the borough were dropping fares off,which is perfectly legal."

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