Taxi Driver Online

Taxi drivers stop work in licences row

Hackney carriage drivers in Bradford stopped work in their second strike to hit the city in four days in a dispute over licences. The drivers stopped working from 7am until 4pm yesterday in what they say was an effort to safeguard their livelihood which they feel is under threat after a court ruling on Friday.

A Crown Court judge's decision to grant the appeal of a woman who had been refused a licence, triggered the row. Bharjis Qayum appealed against Bradford Council's decision to refuse to issue her a hackney carriage licence on the grounds that it had already reached its self-imposed limit of 224.

Despite Bradford Council's efforts to challenge the appeal, the hearing at Bradford Crown Court found in her favour. Drivers in Bradford fear the case will open the floodgate for new applicants for licences which will threaten existing drivers' trade.

Aliasat Ali, who has driven a hackney carriage in Bradford for 17 years, was among more than 200 drivers who joined yesterday's action. "We are already struggling to make a living. At the moment we get an average of one fare per hour, sometimes it's a £5 job and sometimes it is only £2.50. There are 224 hackney cabs in Bradford and it is a small city, 224 are too many really. We have paid a lot of money for these licences. I paid £19,0000 and two weeks ago someone paid £60,000. People take out loans on their homes.

"We are really worried about our future when we have invested so much money. This case could open the floodgates. We are worried we will lose our livelihood. As far as we know from experience, there is no demand for more licences," he said.

On Friday, during one of their busiest shifts, hackney carriage drivers in the city stopped working between 5pm and 7am the next day.

Yesterday, 30 cabs drove through the city in protest before parking in front of Bradford City Hall as the chairman of Bradford Hackney Carriage Drivers' Association, C D Khalid, met Bradford Council's deputy leader, councillor Dale Smith and senior officers.

Coun Smith said the council needs to carefully consider the judgement and take legal advice before taking any further steps. "Whilst we are required to receive licence applications we will not be making any decisions on whether to issue any further licences until we have fully considered our position and taken specialist legal advice with the intention of undertaking a new independent survey," he said.

Coun Smith said Bradford was not the only authority in the country to have faced legal challenges to its licence demand limits and the Office of Fair Trading has submitted a report to the Government recommending that such limits are scrapped. Bradford, and other councils want to keep the limit.

Mr Khalid, said he was pleased with yesterday's meeting with council officials. "We are happy with the council's response but we are angry we were not given the opportunity to speak to the legal team, despite asking, before the hearing." The drivers want to provide the legal team with extended reasoning in the case "but the council refused."

The association wants a judicial review of Friday's ruling.

_________________
IDFIMH

lol I didn't think my observation in respect of striking Asian taxi drivers would be vindicated so soon. However, getting back to the verdict in this case I think it is quite obvious that a council who doesn't have a survey for a period of five years is leaving itself wide open for a legal challenge. This was pointed out in another thread regarding the deal struck in respect of Bradfords WAV provision.

Regards

JD

_________________
Copyright notice © The contents of this post are copyright of JD and are not to be reproduced outside of TDO without written permission.

If thats all they are really making, WTF do they pay £60k for a plate thats worth sweet FA?

_________________

http://wingsoverscotland.com/ http://www.newsnetscotland.com/

Some people need to do their homework before investing in a business.

_________________
Grandad,

Hope the ruling goes restricted.
We are the same down here.

Need some ammo for the LA

the court resfuse to restriced. NOT GOOD!!!
Down here....
There are that many hacks that cant make a living anymore, the PH are flooded and they are bullied buy the manager af the biggest PH firm although he will deny it. They are all scared to confront the PH company and stick together. A few started to back along and they were booted straight out.

I dont care I will stick up for my rights.
One question at one council meeting was..
I am no longer earning a proper living out here. Can I join the LA and share some of your wages because that is what you are doing.
They just smiled!!!!! I am sure every Hackney out there who is not limited will see the point trying to be made on that.

I took out a mortgage 4 years ago. after working as a hack for 3 years previous.

I used to pay it with no problem with stacks spare.
I am now on the verge of going bankcrupt!!!!!
all within 4 years.
The house my car the lot!!!!
The last two have just got worse
And this year. WELL..not a wind up. most tuesday to thursday's 20 a day on average 9am till 7pm

I really do hope that the council involved in this case win.
Restriction of numbers is need to protect our wages at the end of the day.

No one else takes a wage cut every year!!!!

It would help us if we knew where you were.

_________________

http://wingsoverscotland.com/ http://www.newsnetscotland.com/

Sorry.

North Somerset LA
Town of weston super mare

Is your concern too many PH, or too many HC, or both?

_________________
IDFIMH

Pic of the striking cabs in convoy.

http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/m ... ng.php?s=s

Regards

JD

_________________
Copyright notice © The contents of this post are copyright of JD and are not to be reproduced outside of TDO without written permission.

As predicted the case centered around the Survey.

The council argued the survey was still current but the court decided otherwise. I guess we all new they would.
____________________________

However, yesterday's ruling, in the case of Bharjis Qayum, a single mother who had been denied a disabled taxi licence but who won her case against the authority, could open the door for a huge influx of new applicants.

For years the authority has restricted the number of hackney carriages in the district to 224, and would-be cabbies were refused once that limit was hit.

But new rules say if the Council wants to regulate the number of taxis it must be able to prove there is no unmet demand - through an up-to-date independent survey.

Miss Quayum's barrister Emma Downing argued that a survey was last done in March 2003 and guidance suggested they be updated every three years.

The Council argued the survey was still current but the court found in Miss Quayum's favour.

Chairman of the Bradford Hackney Carriage Drivers Association, C D Khalid, pictured, said it could lead to a "free-for-all" and damage existing licence holders' livelihoods.

"This has opened the door for more licences and it will cause problems for the trade and the city.

"The Council can still stop this getting any worse if they take emergency measures and conduct the survey as soon as possible."
_____________________

_________________
Copyright notice © The contents of this post are copyright of JD and are not to be reproduced outside of TDO without written permission.

Well after that our lot or all up for it... Not to gain anything just make the point. We are all applying for jobs in our LA.....
In our cv which I will post once it has been done will read including something alone the line off. Wont gain anything but might bring forth a few home truths.
Reason for applying.... We belive that the numbers cannot be restricted by the LA so wages can not either, so we would all like the opertunity to share yours.
We will work for £1 an hour and resolve all the problems with illegal plying... illegal taxis....bullying PH firms......etc
All resourse to come directly from the LA fund which the LA has always established as being seperate from all other LA issues.

What the hell wind them up You never know. Might even get a result though I doubt it. Chances of winning the lottery??? are???

So that means a the driver is earning about £2 an hour net?

And people are willing to pay £60k for a plate?



I thought Bradford's population was about half a million. 224 cabs doesn't seem that much.

_________________
Taxi Driver Online
www.taxi-driver.co.uk