Taxi Driver Online

Coventry Evening Telegraph (England)

August 22, 2007 Wednesday

Cabbies back on the road as strike ends;

Drivers end protest and will prepare case for council on all their concerns

COVENTRY taxi drivers were back in the driving seat yesterday as their impromptu strike came to an end.

Hundreds of drivers were back behind the wheel by 2pm as members of the Coventry Taxi Drivers' Association said talks with the police, council and association bosses had been a success.

Their return to work came on the back of an impromptu rally by scores of drivers signalling the end of the strike.

Hundreds of drivers came out of work in the early hours of Saturday as news spread of one driver, father-of-four Balwinder Mattu, reportedly being attacked with a metal bar by a passenger he had picked up.

Trouble flared between the drivers and police, the council's licensing committee and the city's licensing office as a whole range of issues were brought to a head.

Leading members of the Coventry Taxi Drivers' Association met with chief superintendent Max Sahota on Monday to discuss their safety fears.

Yesterday they met with taxi licensing office boss Frank Barlow and Ken Charley, chairman of the city council's licensing committee.

Alias Yousef, secretary of the association, said: "Our talks with the city council were positive.

"We have been given time to gather our thoughts and put our case together. We feel it went well, as did the police.

"Ch Supt Sahota has taken a personal interest in what has happened and he told us he was not aware how bad things were between ourselves and the police.

"And the council have said, depending on whether we present enough of a case, they will consider suspension of issuing licensing plates so there will be no more new taxis on the roads.

"This is an issue with us at the moment as there are far too many - 650 for a population of 350,000, compared with Leicester which has 350 for a population of 280,000."

Mr Yousef said he expected drivers would meet with the council again in the next few days.

A joint statement from the city council and the Coventry Taxi Drivers' Association, said: "The officers of the Coventry Taxi Drivers' Association, under their chair Jeff Williams, met with Cllr Ken Charley, chair of the licensing and regulatory committee, and Cllr Jack Harrison, vice chair, for 2 1/2 hours.

"A full discussion took place on all matters.

"It was concluded that the association would now prepare a full case for each of the points of concern and a meeting would be held as soon as possible to progress all matters."
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I understand the frustration that can build up in this trade, but do strikes ever work?

Unless you can get a 100% turn-out from all sides of the trade then punters will still find a way home. Chances of 100% turn-out as likely as a coherant definintion of the schedule 6 scam.

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IDFIMH

Are they having a laugh. We have nearly a thousand and a population of just over 200,000

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