PROTEST PLIGHT
CABBIES BRING LEWES TO STANDSTILL CALLING FOR TOUGHER LAWS ON UBER
More than 100 taxis staged a protest calling for Lewes Council to impose stricter regulations against Uber drivers applying for private hire licences. According to The Argus, the demon- stration took place on Monday 5 March starting at 12.30pm where cabbies from various Brighton taxi companies par- ticipated in slow convoy protest. Taxi drivers drove around from Lewes High Street, to the council, the train
station, and back to the High Street. George Beresford, the representative for Independent Taxi Drivers in Brighton, organised the dem- onstration and de- manded that Lewes Council limit the amount of private hire licences being given out. He said drivers from outside Sussex have been applying for these licences to enable them to operate their busi- ness in Brighton. Mr Beresford, who has worked as a
cabbie for 18 years, argued the influx of applications from drivers outside the county contributes to the congestion problems in the city. He said: “The protest was a raging success, we had more than 100 taxi
drivers turning up to the demonstration and we had a lot of support from resi- dents. “We have many drivers in other counties working here. They come from places such as Suffolk, York and
Leeds applying for licences to work in Brighton. “We are not talking about the competi- tion it poses for us, but the more drivers we have in Brighton the more conges- tion it it brings to our roads. “I’ve worked as a taxi driver for 18 years and I know Brighton Council imposes heavy reg- ulations on drivers when they apply for private hire licences. We have to undergo DBS testing, medi-
cal tests, driving tests, customer ser- vice and a disability awareness course. “However, Lewes Council doesn’t have many criteria in place. So we are call- ing for a more rigorous application process to be in place and to limit the amount of licences being given.” Mr Beresford said stricter application processes will not only protect cus- tomers, but it will also curb the num- ber of drivers oper- ating in Brighton.
BURY DRIVERS ‘FEAR FOR THEIR LIVES’ AFTER SPATE OF RECENT ATTACKS
Taxi drivers say they have been left fear- ing for their lives while working on the streets of Bury. Accorrding to the Bury Times, during a meeting attended by police and politicians last month, more than 200 drivers from a number of private hire compa- nies from across the town spoke of how they now felt unsafe following several re- ports of drivers being targeted in recent weeks.
One such incident involved a group of teenagers who shat- tered the rear window of a vehicle belonging to a Royal Peel Cars driver. The drivers claim that the police and Bury Council are not doing enough to protect them.
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One driver told the meeting that he felt at risk every time he left the house, and stressed that the sit- uation is dangerous for passengers. Another added: “Every day we are getting messages on the system saying ‘drivers be careful, kids are throwing stones.’ If I drive past a corner and see a group of kids I know an attack is coming. I have been doing the job for 12 years and it has been going on for ages. “Why should I report it if there’s no action? Someone once threatened to shoot me for parking out- side his house and still the police did nothing.”
Another driver com- plained that he had previously been told
Taxi drivers at the meeting
by a police officer that taxi drivers were considered ‘a low priority’. Cllr Tamoor Tariq, cabinet member for communities, told the meeting that the council and police were dealing with, eight individuals who were behind the recent attacks. He added: “I feel very strongly that these eight individuals, and some that may be identified in the
future, need to feel the full force of the law.”
Chief Inspector Phil Spurgeon said he felt the drivers had been ‘let down’. He added: “Keep the faith in Greater Manchester Police, keep report- ing and we will do our best even though that sometimes isn’t good enough.” A number of drivers also expressed frus- trations with the way police dealt with
reports of passen- gers not paying fares. Bury North MP James Frith said: “I will work across mul- tiple platforms to design a pledge that gets out the issues you have raised because no one should go to work fearing for their lives and the same applies to passengers. If I need to take it to Parliament then I will. “I call an end to this us and them and this idea that cabbies have to endure fear when they go to work.” East Ward Cllr Trevor Holt ended the meeting by saying: “It’s clear that the sit- uation is getting worse. I had not appreciated how bad it has got. “In spite of the fact, we are doing a lot, we can do more. I’m
aware how much you mean to the local economy. It depends on you so please work with us.” National Private Hire and Taxi Association Director Donna Short, who is based in Bury, spoke on two occa- sions during the meeting and prom- ised backing for the local trade if they are part of the national Association, as the more voice we have with local trade groups the more we can be heard with national government. The major issues of driver security, vehi- cle testing and police responses are to be looked into and developed, along with better communi- cation between the trade, the licensing authority and the police.
APRIL 2018
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