Taxi Driver Online

August 21, 2007

'We can't rule out any more strikes'

TAXI drivers in Blackpool say they are prepared to go on strike again unless they get a fair deal on random checks.

Their warning comes after more than 100 cabbies took part in an impromptu strike on the streets of the resort over the weekend.

The drivers are angry at police and council chiefs taking their cars off the road for random checks on weekend nights - prime earning time for cabbies.

But council chiefs today hit back at the taxi drivers' claims, saying the checks were necessary to protect of the public.

Dozens of late night revellers were left waiting more than an hour for taxis after a convoy of vehicles took part in the strike between 1 and 2am along Blackpool Prom.

Bill Lewtas, spokesman for the Blackpool Licensed Taxi Operators Association (BLTOA), said: "These checks have been going on for 12 months, usually on a weekend night, and some drivers are missing important fares.

"We have told the council about this and have had some feedback but still they carry on.

"We are very sorry to those people who had to wait but the feeling amongst some drivers came to a head this weekend. We cannot rule out any more of these strikes in the future."

Police and the council say they will continue the random checks during the night to catch out the "minority" of drivers who continue to flout the strict maintenance laws.

Tim Coglan, head of quality standards for Blackpool Council, said: "The issue is that the taxi drivers maintain they would like to organise pre-arranged checks but this is not going to happen.

Protect

"By carrying out these random checks we can target a minority of drivers who are known to have problems with their vehicles. It is of paramount importance that we protect the public, this is the reason we carry out these checks."

Police said over the weekend 14 taxis were taken to the Layton depot for examination. Of those, 11 were ordered off the road, with five receiving immediate prohibitions.

PC Iain Begg, from the division's road policing department, said: "People who operate taxis have a responsibility to themselves, their passengers and other road users to ensure that their vehicles are roadworthy and safe.

"We have close links with many of the taxi companies and work together on a number of partnership initiatives to ensure Blackpool is a safe place for our visitors.

"If vehicles are roadworthy and safe for people to travel in then taxi operators have nothing to worry about. Fare paying passengers have a right to be taken to their destination secure in the knowledge that the vehicle they are travelling in is roadworthy."
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Loads of checks, but still many fail. What does that say?


F*** me a council that does know best.

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IDFIMH

Aye so all the dodgy motors can stay at home. Yeah, right.

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