Taxi Driver Online

Urgent talks over taxi row

URGENT talks have been called for between councillors and taxi firm bosses after a summit meeting of fed-up cabbies.

Taxi industry leaders in Pendle have raised concerns about a number of matters - including a new code of conduct, spot checks on vehicles and operators being moved to make way for the new rail interchange in Nelson.

Officials from the borough's private hire and hackney carriage associations say they have a "good working relationship".

But the trade has clashed repeatedly with licensing committee chairman Coun Allan Buck over how cabs are policed.

Mohammed Akram, chairman of Pendle Taxi Association, is now arranging face-to-face discussions with representatives from each of the borough's three main political parties.

Association president Mohammed Saeed said: "We have had a trade meeting ourselves and we have decided that we are going to a representative of all the political parties, where we will relay our concerns."

The talks emerged as councillors discussed how 14 out of 18 taxis, pulled over during a spot check on a single night in March, had been found to have defects.

Mr Akram said taxi safety had always been a "primary concern" for the trade, but disagreed with checks being conducted on Friday and Saturday nights as it was their busiest time for customers.

But Coun Buck says that the spot check results were "appalling" and insisted that standards needed to be improved.

"Out of 18 vehicles, 14 of them had faults, which I think, and I am sure the rest of the councillors agree, that this is a disgraceful state of affairs and we will not tolerate it," said Coun Buck, who is also Pendle's mayor this year.

"The council's overview and scrutiny committee that there should be three or four of these spot checks every year and I would wish for us to ask for four."

The licensing authority and drivers have been at loggerheads over a new code of conduct for taxi drivers, which included curbs on cabbies sounding their horns to let customers know they had arrived, and town centre redevelopments in Nelson.

Councillors have approved proposals to allow a third taxi testing station to be created in the borough - a move opposed by Coun Buck.

But fellow licensing committee members decided that if a third garage, in addition to existing stations in Norfolk Street, Nelson, and Barnoldswick, could offer value-for-money tests then future applications should be invited.

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IDFIMH

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IDFIMH

Friday and Saturday nights are the best time to catch anyone who does not give a dam about keeping there vehicle up to scratch, as there are normaly more vehicles on the road as its the busiest time.
Drivers should spend just a few Min's to make sure all the lights work and check the tyres, and then a simple break test once they get mobile
If they are put off the road, its there own stupidity and I have no sympathy for them