CONTACTLESS CONSIDERATIONS UPDATE ON PENALTIES FOR COLCHESTER
CABBIES OVER COMPULSORY CARD MACHINES
Penalties enforced on Essex taxi drivers for not installing card machines in their cabs are set to be reduced. Colchester City Council is planning to make it compulsory for the city’s taxi drivers to install card machines in addition to
accepting cash
payments. Taxi drivers at a council meeting in January previously criticised the plans to hand out penalty points on taxi licenses of drivers who failed to comply as “draconian.” The licensing committee met again on 23 March, to approve a reduction on the number of penalty points for a first offence from four to three, in line with other policies. But taxi drivers continued to stress concerns over poor signal across the city, which has historically caused problems with accepting card payment. A driver, named as Mr Madikazi, said at the meeting: “I do support card payment myself, but we are facing some difficulties.
The network has become a big problem and customers use that opportunity not to pay the cash.” Councillor Tim Young (Labour, Greenstead) said card payments can be taken in advance where signal is anticipated to be a problem, but acknowledged the network could be better across the city and its rural outskirts. He continued to say the suggestions from officers to reduce the number of points were sensible. He said: “It shouldn’t really differ from first offences for a variety of other matters.” Overpayment from advance fares can be refunded, however some
councillors felt it was unclear whether refunds could be given in cash as well as card. Councillor Jeremy Hagon (Con, Stanway) said: “I believe in choice, I also believe in having all the information to hand before we make those decisions, especially on point-related schemes, that could impact somebody’s livelihood. I think we owe it to the city, to the residents, to our hard working drivers that actually we do need information.” Councillor Roger Buston (Con, Prettygate) said: “I can’t see any member of the trade who has made a good effort to do this and comply being hauled over the coals by our officers because the telephone signal doesn’t work.” Drivers who do not install card machines will now be given three points for a first offence, six for a second, nine for a third and 12 for a fourth. The full council will need to approve the policy before it is adopted. A meeting is anticipated in July this year.
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PHTM APRIL 2023 39
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