Trade accuses Stratford council of withholding fare rise in latest salvo.

The Stratford Taxi Trade Association has accused councillors of holding back an agreed fare rise in its ongoing fight against Stratford District Council.  STTA president Brian Emeney told the Stratford Journal that the rise had been agreed in February and accused the council of exerting 'subtle and not so subtle' pressures on the trade.

Mr Emeney claimed:  "We are being walked over and financially being taken to the cleaners. The distress that they are causing is beyond measure or calculation and this latest brainwave of withholding our increase is driving the trade to its knees."  He added that the trade had received no fare increases for two years despite licensing fee costs rising by over 50 per cent.

But council team leader Geoff Turton said that the trade group had merely requested a review following the February meeting and this has since been carried out.  He suggested that the confusion might be due to 'misinformation' and added that the fare rise would be advertised soon.

The war of words started in April when the council's licensing committee voted unanimously to lift the restriction on the number of taxis operating in Stratford-upon-Avon to improve the availability of wheelchair-friendly vehicles in the town, with the taxi trade warning of an 'black cab invasion'.  A six-year age rule was also introduced, leading to claims that operators could go out of business.

Earlier this month the STTA said that it would appoint a 'war cabinet' to fight the moves.  It also banned part-time taxi driver and licensing committee member Councillor Clive Thomas for life.  Mr Emeney said that Mr Thomas, who is also a former mayor, had always insisted that he would help the trade.

Mr Emeney said: "The association believes that it should be a safety issue and based on the condition of the car and not its age. They believe that [committee members] are wrong and that they should consult properly before making such rash and controversial decisions.

"If nothing is done, the trade is finished. There is no-long term future. [Committee members] and their colleagues are to blame for the state of despair that the trade now finds itself in."

But committee chairman Councillor Richard Adams said that he was saddened by the association's 'inflammatory and unhelpful' comments.  He said that at meetings Mr Thomas had always declared an interest as a taxi driver and association member, but had always acted with probity, while making the case for the trade.  Mr Adams added that the association expected Mr Thomas to be a 'stool pigeon'  and described references to another committee member as 'disparaging' and 'most unpleasant', and called for the association to reinstate Mr Thomas and retract its comments.

However, Mr Thomas said that he was happy to resign and that he was 'nobody's lackey'.

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