WHERE IS THE SUPPORT THE TAXI AND PRIVATE HIRE INDUSTRY - OR THE
For decades now we have been left out, forgotten, ignored, and taken for granted; or have we? Has this all been some kind of plot to get rid of our industry completely? Because it sure feels that way!
LACK OF SUPPORT
Throughout the pandemic, we were deliberately left out of any sector-specific funding, the mandatory requirement for the wearing of face coverings on public transport, excluded in many cases from additional restrictions grants, and gener- ally left to our own devices, in spite of the fact that we could see all other sectors, including the unemployed and the cyclist; receiving support and grants, the self-employed receiving SEISS, the employed receiving furlough, those with business premises receiving grants, hotels, hospitality and the leisure industry getting grants, and we got ……nothing.
Of course there were some very much appreciated excep- tions, but not even close to enough. We should not have needed to beg, we should not have needed to plead, and we should not have had to campaign.
ATTACKS FROM ALL SIDES
• We have seen the release of new government Statutory Standards, which aimed to, and I quote: “protect the public from predatory taxi drivers.”
• We saw the introduction of Clean Air Charging Zones (CAZs) which put far greater costs on our industry.
• Reductions in vehicle age limits, both for new to license, and for renewals (entry and exit) have been introduced.
• Consultations nationwide have taken place, many of which were rushed, poorly written and created lengthy consulta- tion responses, undue stress and worry for our industry.
• Alleged tanker driver shortages within fuel delivery supply networks resulted in drivers struggling to find fuel, and the prices rising faster than Apollo 13.
• Drivers unable to book doctors’ appointments for medi- cals meant they were unable to renew their licences.
• Drivers waiting for DBS reports and the DBS update ser- vice being unavailable for many has caused massive problems.
• Mandatory training courses have been rolled out for all existing drivers, with an additional requirement of having to be repeatedly taken for no logical reason.
• There’s been a relentless drive for all-electric or zero- emission vehicles.
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We have heard from members all over the country about the struggles they are facing, and some examples of require- ments that defy all logic or common sense, below is one example from Ian Fountain at Cabsmart:
“With the new policy they (the council) have now intro- duced a two-day college course for new applicants, at their own expense, the college are only doing one course a month! Drivers of wheelchair accessible vehicles must also now attend a course on ‘how to safely load, unload and secure the wheelchair’
Not only that they have decided that existing drivers must also complete a half day college course, at their expense, at renewal (so every three years the same course, for what reason?) on safeguarding, disability awareness and child exploitation and vulnerable adults; which is absolutely ridiculous as they already have to annually take the East Suffolk Council own online Safe- guarding course at their own expense, and in most cases with our drivers they also have to do our local Suffolk County Council Safeguarding licence as well so they actually do two of these courses already.
Our industry is the only form of transport that operates 24/7/365 serving the public that no one else wants to serve, clearing the streets at silly hours of the morning, drivers working completely on their own putting them- selves at risk, worked all through the Covid crisis when most other forms of transport ceased working and yet we are being penalised and squeezed more and more. Why do drivers in our industry have to become “Social work- ers”? They transport people from A to B the same as bus drivers, coach drivers and train drivers. Do they have to go on all these courses?
We also hold an operator’s licence with Ipswich Council where nothing is or has been done to assist drivers and operators. I sent in a letter to Ipswich Council asking what their plans were to help the industry recover from the pandemic.
Both of our licensing authorities are still not working properly from their offices. With Ipswich Council every- thing has to be done online we are not allowed to attend their offices as they are not there. This has created so much more work for us as a company in helping drivers
APRIL 2022
• Then the outbreak of war, increases in VAT, fuel prices soaring again, driver shortages creating problems for not only operators, but passengers and the police too.
HOW MUCH MORE CAN THIS TRADE HANDLE!!
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