Taxi Driver Online

City’s cabbies to go on strike

Commuters arriving at the railway station and shoppers will also face chaos every Friday as the city’s 105 black cab drivers stop work in protest at licence fees and an alleged lack of enforcement against illegal pick-ups by private hire cars.

The first strike begins at midnight on Friday. Others are being planned for varying times in the coming weeks.

The council today admitted there was a problem with private hire cars travelling from outside of Wolverhampton to ply for trade without an office booking, which is against the law.

Colin Matthews, aged 58, who has been a cabbie for 26 years, said: “This has been a problem for years.

“Private hire vehicles are not allowed to rank-up but they are being allowed to get away with it.”

The Taxi Owners Association is being represented by Shiva Mizra, a solicitor for Wolverhampton firm Riley Hayes. He said: “This situation has caused some of the hackney carriage drivers to confront the private hire drivers in order to seek to enforce their own position, even though this is not their particular role as it is in fact the licensing department that is charged with the duty.”

Drivers are also complaining their £582 annual licence fee is significantly higher than fees charged by councils such as Dudley, which charges £187.80.

And they want more taxi rank spaces available than the 36 they have at Wolverhampton railway station and in Victoria Street and Market Street.

Councillor Elias Mattu, neighbourhood and community safety chief, said: “The evidence suggests it is private hire cars from outside of Wolverhampton that are causing the problem.”

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IDFIMH

How can any council justify £582 a year?

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IDFIMH

I'm glad you think that way because you are right, it is scandalous. I hope everyone else thinks like you.

Regards

JD

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

JD Sussex ours has just gone up to £180 per year, but the licence runs for 3 years so we could pay £540 all in 1 go if we want.

At £582 per year the plates must be gold plated, is this the highest licence fee in the UK or the world for that matter

It has to be one of the highest. Edinburgh is the highest initial grant but the annual fee is nowhere near 582 pounds.

I can't see a justification in 582 pounds a year.

Regards

JD

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

I can hear the cogs clicking and the keyboard going into over time JD