DILEMMA DEREG DRIVERS SAY NORWICH IS CHOKED WITH CABS
Taxi drivers in the city have called for the city council to step in to help them - because they claim the reces- sion has led to Norwich’s streets being flooded with wannabe cab drivers. The drivers say over the past few months more people are turn- ing to taxi driving in a bid to earn a living after losing their jobs in the recession. Ian Clod, 57, from Sprowston, has been a black cab driver in the city for more than 20 years. He told the Nor- wich Evening News: “I have never seen things as bad as they are at the moment.
There are just too many taxis in the city. “Also daytime taxi driv- ers are not earning enough so they are staying on until night- times trying to make-up their fares. “What is needed is regulation by the council, because the city just has too many taxis at the moment.” Paddy Keenaghan, 41, from Hellesdon, added: “Cab drivers are not earning enough so they are working longer hours and it is causing traffic congestion, with taxis fighting for spaces and adding to pollution.” In Norwich from July 2007 - 2008 there were
302 hackney carriage vehicle licences issued and the num- ber has increased to 326 this year.
In terms of private hire vehicles, 501 have been issued from July 2008- 2009 compared to 407 from July 2007 - 2008.
Ian Streeter, head of licensing at Norwich City Council, said: “We take our lead from the DfT which has issued guidance to local authorities on the licensing of taxis. In that guidance the DfT believes it is best prac- tice that quantity restrictions should not be placed on the licensing of taxis.”
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Thurrock Council is to hold a consultation with residents and cab drivers on whether to increase the availability of taxis in the borough. Presently the number of taxi licences in Thurrock is restricted,
with only two being issued every year after a lottery.
Cllr Rob Gledhill, who chairs the council’s public protection com- committee, told the Thurrock Gazette: “We hold this consultation
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on increasing the availability of hackney carriages every three years with residents . “Your responses are important and will directly help shape the cab service in Thurrock for another three years.”
COMPETITION LEADS FROME CABBIE TO LEAVE
A Frome taxi driver says he is quitting the town - because he can no longer earn the minimum wage. Trevor Swire plans to move his taxi into Wilt- shire because he claims there are too many taxis in Frome.
Mr Swire told the Frome and Somerset Stan-
Cab operators in Cam- bridge believe that there are already too many vehicles on the streets of Cambridge for them all to make a living.
Now angry cab drivers have accused city MP David Howarth of hypocrisy over his opposition to restrict- ing the number of taxis in Cambridge.
David Wratton, direc- tor of Cambridge City Licensed Taxis, for- merly the Cambridge Licensed Taxi Owners, Association (CLTOA), says it is wrong for Mr Howarth to champion protectionist policies to prevent chain stores from moving into Mill Road, to help protect small shops, while also opposing moves to limit taxi cab numbers.
dard: “There are several issues including the number of taxis, con- gestion and private cars parking on the rank. “I have found it increas- ingly impossible to do my job, and I was earn- ing less than the minimum wage. What’s the point in that?” Mr Swire, aged 49,
Mr Wratton said: “There are 305 taxis and 700 private hire cars in Cambridge, which is far too many for a city of this size. “We need a cap on the number of taxis in the city, otherwise the situation will reach cri- sis point. Taxi drivers are already struggling to make a living and we won’t be able to cope if we have another 50 cabs on the road.”
Mr Howarth said: “On the issue of a cap on the total number of taxis in Cambridge, I continue to disagree with the faction of taxi drivers who prefer the old situation in which customers had to queue at every rank. “Instead I support those taxi drivers who believe that there
said: “I’ve contacted Cllr Andrew Earle about the situation but I haven’t heard anything. We need another rank in the town, maybe in Bridge Street.”
Cllr Earle said he had talked at length with the district council but it was not its policy to limit the number of taxis.
IT’S TIME TO HELP CAMBRIDGE, CABBIES TELL MP
should be equal access for all licensed hackney carriage driv- ers to all ranks, including the rank at the railway station.” Mr Wratton, a taxi driv- er for ten years, told the Cambridge Evening News: “The council control our prices, ranking spaces and our licences, but they have refused to control taxi numbers.” There was tension in the trade following a police crackdown on illegally-parked taxis in the city in March. Taxi drivers then threatened to block- ade the city as the row over parking escalat- ed. Drivers say they have been forced to park illegally as there are only 36 rank spaces for the city’s 300-plus cabs.
PHTM AUGUST 2009 BURNSIDE
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