Taxi Driver Online

Coventry drivers say, "their safety problems are the fault of councillors for continuing to issue new licenses". Personally I think their safety problems are no different than any other area and are down to the upbringing of the local hooligans.
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Coventry Evening Telegraph

November 9, 2007 Friday

Pledge over taxi drivers' dossier;

City council promises to look into catalogue of concerns

COVENTRY taxi drivers say councillors have responded positively to their call for action over claims they face a catalogue of violence every day.

Coventry Taxi Drivers' Association compiled a 50-page report detailing incidents such as being threatened at gunpoint, kicked and punched and their cabs damaged.

Leading members of the association yesterday met Ken Charley, chairman of the city council's licensing committee, deputy chairman Jack Harrison, taxi licensing boss Frank Barlow and the council's solicitor Mark Smith.

They handed over the dossier which they hope will persuade the council to suspend issuing more hackney carriage licences.

They say some of the problems they face occur because there are too many cabs on the road and too few parking spaces at recognised ranks.

They want the council to carry out a survey to establish whether there is a need to licence any more hackney cabs in Coventry.

Association chairman Alias Yousef said: "The meeting went positively. We are quite pleased.

"They have asked us for more time. In that time they are going to read it the report, digest it and come back to us in an open meeting." He thought this would be in January.

The report comes as the council announced plans for 11 extra rank spaces for hackney carriages near the railway station.

Five rank spaces are planned in Park Road to operate 24 hours, four spaces in Manor Road to operate between 8am and noon and a further two spaces for queuing on the Station Square feeder lane.

But Mr Yousef said: "That doesn't change the situation, adding 11 spaces is a temporary solution in parts - every day they are licensing another cab. These spaces they are providing would be used in seconds. They have only offered five for 24 hours, so it doesn't solve the problem at all. The plans might not even get approved."

A council spokesperson said the meeting had been useful and promised that the cab drivers' concerns would be looked into.

FACTFILE

The city council has 645 hackney cabs (traditional taxis) registered and 191 private hire taxis.

Hackney cabs can be hailed in the street and wait at public ranks. Private hire vehicles have to be pre-booked.

The Licensing and Regulatory Committee is responsible for determining policy. In 1997 it decided to remove the limit on how many were licensed.

The Licensing and Regulatory Committee delegates responsibility for checking vehicles to council officers.
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A little bit rich blaming the ending of quotas for violence towards cabbies.

If that had any basis then no cab in a restricted area would get any grief, as any trouble would be aimed at the un-restricted PH trade.

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IDFIMH